1And the word of the LORD
came
to me saying
,
"Son of man
, aset
your face
toward
Jerusalem
, and 1 bspeak
against
the sanctuaries
and prophesy
against
the land
of Israel
;
and say to the land
of Israel
, `Thus
says
the LORD
, "Behold
, aI am against
you; and I will draw
My sword
out of its sheath
and cut
off
from you the brighteous
and the wicked
.
"Because I will cut
off
from you the righteous
and the wicked
, therefore
My sword
will go
forth
from its sheath
against
aall
flesh
from south
to north
.
"Thus all flesh
will know
that I, the LORD
, have drawn
My sword
out of its sheath
. It will anot return
to its sheath again
."'
"As for you, son of man
, groan
with breaking
1heart
and bitter
grief
, groan
in their sight
.
"And when they say
to you, `Why
do you groan
?' you shall say
, `Because
of the anews
that is coming
; and bevery
heart
will melt
, all
hands
will be feeble
, every
spirit
will 1faint
and all
knees
will 2be weak
as water
. Behold
, it comes
and it will happen
,' declares
the Lord
3GOD
."
Again the word of the LORD
came
to me, saying
,
"Son of man
, prophesy
and say
, `Thus
says
the LORD
.' Say
, ` aA sword
, a sword
sharpened
And also
polished
!
`Sharpened to make
a aslaughter
, Polished
1to flash
like lightning
!' Or
shall we rejoice
, the 2rod
of My son
bdespising
every
tree
?
"It is given to be polished
, that it may be handled
; the sword
is sharpened
and polished
, to give
it into the hand
of the slayer
.
" aCry out and wail
, son
of man
; for it is against My people
, it is against all
the bofficials
of Israel
. They are delivered
over to the sword
with My people
, therefore
strike
your thigh
.
"For there is a testing; and what
if
even
the 1rod
which despises
will be no
more?" declares
the Lord
GOD
.
"You therefore, son of man
, prophesy
and clap
your hands
together
; and let the sword
be adoubled
the third
time
, the sword
for the slain
. It is the sword
for the great
one
slain
, which surrounds
them,
that their ahearts may melt
, and many
bfall
at all
their cgates
. I have given
the glittering
sword
. Ah
! It is made
for striking like lightning
, it is wrapped
up in readiness for slaughter
.
" 1Show yourself sharp
, go
to the right
; set
yourself; go
to the left
, wherever
your 2edge
is appointed
.
"I will also clap
My hands
together
, and I will 1 aappease
My wrath
; I, the LORD
, have spoken
."
The word of the LORD
came
to me saying
,
"As for you, son of man
, 1 amake
two
ways
for the sword
of the king
of Babylon
to come
; both
of them will go
out of one
land
. And 2make
a signpost
; 3make
it at the head
of the way
to the city
.
"You shall 1mark a way
for the sword
to come
to aRabbah
of the sons
of Ammon
, and to Judah
into bfortified
Jerusalem
.
"For the king of Babylon
stands
at the 1parting
of the way
, at the head
of the two
ways
, to use
adivination
; he bshakes
the arrows
, he consults
the 2 chousehold
idols
, he looks
at the liver
.
"Into his right hand
came
the divination
, `Jerusalem
,' to aset
battering
rams
, to open
the mouth
1for slaughter
, to lift
up the voice
with a battle
cry
, to set
battering
rams
against
the gates
, to cast
up ramps
, to build
a siege
wall
.
"And it will be to them like a false divination
in their eyes
; athey have sworn solemn
oaths
. But he bbrings
iniquity
to remembrance
, that they may be seized
.
"Therefore, thus
says
the Lord
GOD
, `Because
you have made your iniquity
to be remembered
, in that your transgressions
are uncovered
, so that in all
your deeds
your sins
appear
--because
you have come
to remembrance
, you will be seized
with the hand
.
`And you, O slain, wicked
one
, the prince
of Israel
, whose
aday
has come
, in the time
of the 1punishment
of the end
,'
thus says
the Lord
GOD
, `Remove
the turban
and take
off
the acrown
; this
will 1no
longer be the same
. bExalt
that which
is low
and abase
that which
is high
.
` aA ruin, a ruin
, a ruin
, I will make
it. This
also
will be no
more until
bHe comes
whose
right
it is, and I will give
it to Him.'
"And you, son of man
, prophesy
and say
, `Thus
says
the Lord
GOD
concerning
the sons
of Ammon
and concerning
their areproach
,' and say
: `A sword
, a sword
is drawn
, polished
for the slaughter
, to cause it 1to bconsume
, that it may be like lightning
--
while they see for you afalse
visions
, while they divine
lies
for you--to place
you on the necks
of the wicked
who
are slain
, whose
day
has come
, in the btime
of the 1punishment
of the end
.
` aReturn it to its sheath
. In the bplace
where
you were created
, in the land
of your origin
, I will judge
you.
`I will apour out My indignation
on you; I will bblow
on you with the fire
of My wrath
, and I will give
you into the hand
of brutal
men
, 1 cskilled
in destruction
.
`You will be 1 afuel for the fire
; your blood
will be in the midst
of the land
. You will bnot be remembered
, for I, the LORD
, have spoken
.' "