1 A nd the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

The Word of the Lord came to me saying,

2 S on of man, set thy face against Jerusalem, and drop against the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,

“Son of man, look toward Jerusalem and speak against the holy places. Speak against the land of Israel.

3 a nd say to the land of Israel, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, and I will draw forth my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.

Tell the land of Israel, ‘The Lord says, “See, I am against you. I will take My sword out of its holder and destroy from you both the good and the sinful.

4 S eeing that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of its sheath against all flesh, from the south to the north;

Because I will destroy from you both the good and the sinful, My sword will go out against everyone from south to north.

5 a nd all flesh shall know that I Jehovah have drawn forth my sword out of its sheath: it shall not return any more.

Then all people will know that I, the Lord, have taken out My sword. It will not be put back into its holder again.”’

6 S igh then, thou son of man; with breaking of the loins, and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.

As for you, son of man, cry in sorrow in front of them, as if your heart is breaking.

7 A nd it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore dost thou sigh? that thou shalt say, Because of the tidings, for it cometh; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall languish, and all knees shall melt into water: behold, it cometh; it is here, saith the Lord Jehovah.

And when they ask you, ‘Why are you crying?’ tell them, ‘Because of the news that is coming, every heart will melt and all hands will be weak. Every spirit will lose its strength, and all knees will be as weak as water. It is coming, and it will happen,’ says the Lord God.”

8 A nd the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

Again the Word of the Lord came to me saying,

9 S on of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith Jehovah: Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished.

“Son of man, speak in My name and tell them, ‘The Lord says, “A sword, a sharp and shining sword!

10 I t is sharpened for sore slaughter, it is furbished that it may glitter. Shall we then make mirth, The sceptre of my son contemneth all wood?

It is made sharp to kill, and shined to look like lightning! Shall we have joy? It hates the special stick of My son, as it does all wood.

11 A nd he hath given it to be furbished that it may be handled. The sword,—it is sharpened, and it is furbished to give it into the hand of the slayer.

The sword is being shined to make it ready to use. It is made sharp and shiny, to be put into the hand of the killer.

12 C ry and howl, son of man; for it shall be against my people, it shall be against all the princes of Israel: they are given up to the sword along with my people: smite therefore upon the thigh.

Cry out in a loud voice, son of man, for the sword is against My people. It is against all the leaders of Israel. They are going to be killed with My people, so beat your upper leg in sorrow.

13 F or the trial; and what if even the contemning sceptre shall be no ? saith the Lord Jehovah.

They will be put to the test. If they do not turn from their sinful ways, these things will happen,” says the Lord God.’

14 A nd thou, son of man, prophesy, and smite thy hands together; for the sword shall be doubled the third time: it is the sword of the slain, the sword that hath slain the great one, which encompasseth them privily.

“So speak in My name, son of man, and clap your hands together. Let the sword that kills hit two, even three times. It is the sword that kills and is all around them,

15 I n order that the heart may melt, and the stumbling-blocks be multiplied, I have set the threatening sword against all their gates: ah! it is made glittering, it is whetted for the slaughter.

so that they will lose their strength of heart, and many will be killed at all their gates. I have sent the shining sword. It is made to shine like lightning, and is ready to kill.

16 G ather up, go to the right hand, turn thee, go to the left, whithersoever thy face is appointed.

O sharp sword, cut to the left and to the right. Cut wherever you have been sent.

17 A nd I myself will smite my hands together, and I will satisfy my fury: I Jehovah have spoken.

I will also clap My hands, and My anger will be gone. I, the Lord, have spoken.”

18 A nd the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

The Word of the Lord came to me saying,

19 A nd thou, son of man, set thee two ways, by which the sword of the king of Babylon may come—out of one land shall they both come—and make thee a signpost, make it at the head of the way to the city.

“Son of man, make two ways for the king of Babylon to come with his sword. Both of them will come from the same land. Mark the way where the road divides and goes to the city.

20 A ppoint a way for the coming of the sword to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and to Judah at the fenced of Jerusalem.

Mark a way for the sword to go to Rabbah of the Ammonites, and to Judah into the strong city of Jerusalem.

21 F or the king of Babylon standeth at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he shaketh arrows, he inquireth of the teraphim, he looketh in the liver.

For the king of Babylon stands where the road divides in two to use strange secret powers. He shakes the arrows and speaks with false gods, and looks at the liver.

22 I n his right hand is the lot of Jerusalem to appoint battering-rams, to open the mouth for bloodshed, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering-rams against the gates, to cast mounds, to build siege-towers.

In his right hand is the arrow marked for Jerusalem. It tells him to set up objects to knock down the city walls, to call out the battle cry, to set up objects to break down the gates, and to build a wall of dirt and battle towers.

23 A nd this shall be a false divination in their sight, for them that have sworn oaths; but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.

The people who promised to obey him will not believe this. But he will make them remember their guilt so that they may be taken.

24 T herefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because ye make your iniquity to be remembered in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins appear; because ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand.

So the Lord God says, ‘You have made your guilt to be remembered. Your sins are no longer covered, and everyone has seen the bad things you have done and remembers them. So you will be taken in battle.

25 A nd thou, profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, at the time of the iniquity of the end,

And you, O bad and sinful one, the leader of Israel, the day of your punishment has come. Your sin will end.’

26 — thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Remove the mitre and take off the crown; what is shall be no. Exalt that which is low, and abase that which is high.

The Lord God says, ‘Take off the head-covering. Take off the crown. Things will not stay as they are. Honor that which is low. And bring down that which is honored.

27 I will overturn, overturn, overturn it! This also shall be no, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it.

A waste, a waste. I will lay the city waste. It will be no more, until He comes whose right it is, and I will give it to Him.’

28 A nd thou, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus speaketh the Lord Jehovah concerning the children of Ammon, and concerning their reproach; and thou shalt say, A sword, a sword is drawn; for the slaughter is it furbished, that it may consume, that it may glitter:

“And you, son of man, speak in My name and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says about the sons of Ammon and about their shame.’ Tell them, ‘A sword is pulled out ready to kill! It is made to shine like lightning!

29 w hilst they see vanity for thee, whilst they divine a lie unto thee, to lay thee upon the necks of the wicked that are slain, whose day is come at the time of the iniquity of the end.

Even with the false dreams about you, and the lies spoken about you by using secret ways, you will be laid on the necks of the sinful who are killed, whose day has come for their last punishment.

30 R estore to its sheath. I will judge thee in the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy birth.

Put your sword back into its holder. I will punish you in the place where you were made, in the land of your birth.

31 A nd I will pour out mine indignation upon thee, I will blow upon thee the fire of my wrath, and give thee into the hand of brutish men, skilful to destroy.

I will be angry with you. I will blow on you with the fire of My anger. And I will give you over to men who show no pity, who have been taught to destroy.

32 T hou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt not be remembered: for I Jehovah have spoken.

You will be destroyed by fire. You will be killed in your land, and you will not be remembered. For I, the Lord, have spoken.’”