1 ¶ And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

2 S on of man, set thy face against Jerusalem, and drop my word upon the sanctuaries, and prophesy over the land of Israel,

“Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, preach against the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel;

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

and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I am against you, and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off both righteous and wicked from you.

4 S eeing then 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 cut off both righteous and wicked from you, therefore My sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh from south to north,

5 t hat all flesh may know that I the LORD have drawn forth my sword out of its sheath; it shall not return any more.

that all flesh may know that I, the Lord, have drawn My sword out of its sheath; it shall not return anymore.”’

6 C ry out therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness cry out before their eyes.

Sigh therefore, son of man, with a breaking heart, and sigh with bitterness before their eyes.

7 A nd it shall be, when they say unto thee, Why criest thou? that thou shalt answer, For the tidings that come; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint; and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it comes and shall be brought to pass, said the Lord GOD.

And it shall be when they say to you, ‘Why are you sighing?’ that you shall answer, ‘Because of the news; when it comes, every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming and shall be brought to pass,’ says the Lord God.”

8 ¶ Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

9 S on of man, prophesy and say, Thus hath the LORD said: Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:

“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord!’ Say: ‘A sword, a sword is sharpened And also polished!

10 i t is sharpened to slay victims; it is furbished that it may glitter; should we then make mirth? it despises the rod of my son, as every tree.

Sharpened to make a dreadful slaughter, Polished to flash like lightning! Should we then make mirth? It despises the scepter of My son, As it does all wood.

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

And He has given it to be polished, That it may be handled; This sword is sharpened, and it is polished To be given into the hand of the slayer.’

12 C ry and howl, son of man, for it shall be upon my people; it shall be upon all the princes of Israel; fear of the sword shall be upon my people; therefore smite the thigh

“Cry and wail, son of man; For it will be against My people, Against all the princes of Israel. Terrors including the sword will be against My people; Therefore strike your thigh.

13 b ecause it shall be a trial. What shall be if it does not despise the rod? said the Lord GOD.

“Because it is a testing, And what if the sword despises even the scepter? The scepter shall be no more, ” says the Lord God.

14 T hou therefore, son of man, prophesy and smite thine hands together, and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain; this is the sword of great slaughter that shall pierce them.

“You therefore, son of man, prophesy, And strike your hands together. The third time let the sword do double damage. It is the sword that slays, The sword that slays the great men, That enters their private chambers.

15 I have set the fear of the sword in all their gates, that their heart may faint and their ruins be multiplied; ah! it is made so that it might shine; it is prepared for the slaughter.

I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, That the heart may melt and many may stumble. Ah! It is made bright; It is grasped for slaughter:

16 G o one way or other, either on the right hand or on the left, wherever thy face is set.

“Swords at the ready! Thrust right! Set your blade! Thrust left— Wherever your edge is ordered!

17 I will also smite my hands together, and I will cause my fury to rest; I the LORD have spoken.

“I also will beat My fists together, And I will cause My fury to rest; I, the Lord, have spoken.”

18 ¶ The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,

The word of the Lord came to me again, saying:

19 A lso, thou son of man, show two ways from where the sword of the king of Babylon comes: both shall come forth out of the same land and draw an army; at the head of the way to the city thou shalt do this.

“And son of man, appoint for yourself two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to go; both of them shall go from the same land. Make a sign; put it at the head of the road to the city.

20 S how the way that the sword will come to Rabbath of the Ammonites and to Judah against Jerusalem, the defenced.

Appoint a road for the sword to go to Rabbah of the Ammonites, and to Judah, into fortified Jerusalem.

21 F or the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way at the head of the two ways to use divination; he made his arrows bright; he consulted with images; he looked in the liver.

For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the road, at the fork of the two roads, to use divination: he shakes the arrows, he consults the images, he looks at the liver.

22 T he divination was to his right hand upon Jerusalem, to appoint captains, to open the mouth for the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a mount, and to build a fort.

In his right hand is the divination for Jerusalem: to set up battering rams, to call for a slaughter, to lift the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to heap up a siege mound, and to build a wall.

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

And it will be to them like a false divination in the eyes of those who have sworn oaths with them; but he will bring their iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.

24 T herefore thus hath the Lord GOD said: Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, manifesting your betrayals and uncovering your sins in all your doings; for which ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand.

“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 doings your sins appear—because you have come to remembrance, you shall be taken in hand.

25 A nd thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come in the time when the iniquity shall be brought to an end,

‘Now to you, O profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose iniquity shall end,

26 t hus hath the Lord GOD said: Remove the diadem and take off the crown; it shall no longer be like this; I will exalt the one that is low and abase the one that is high.

thus says the Lord God: “Remove the turban, and take off the crown; Nothing shall remain the same. Exalt the humble, and humble the exalted.

27 I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it, and it shall be no more until he comes whose right it is; and I will give it unto him.

Overthrown, overthrown, I will make it overthrown! It shall be no longer, Until He comes whose right it is, And I will give it to Him. ”’ A Sword Against the Ammonites

28 ¶ And thou, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach; even say thou, The sword, the sword is drawn for the slaughter; it is furbished to consume with brightness:

“And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach,’ and say: ‘A sword, a sword is drawn, Polished for slaughter, For consuming, for flashing—

29 T hey prophesy vanity unto thee; they divine a lie unto thee, to give thee over among the necks of the wicked who are sentenced to death, whose day is come in the time when the iniquity shall be brought to an end.

While they see false visions for you, While they divine a lie to you, To bring you on the necks of the wicked, the slain Whose day has come, Whose iniquity shall end.

30 S hall I cause it to return into its sheath? I must judge thee in the place where thou wast raised, in the land of where thou hast lived.

‘Return it to its sheath. I will judge you In the place where you were created, In the land of your nativity.

31 A nd I will pour out my indignation upon thee; I will blow against thee in the fire of my wrath and deliver thee into the hand of fearful men who are skilful to destroy.

I will pour out My indignation on you; I will blow against you with the fire of My wrath, And deliver you into the hands of brutal men who are skillful to destroy.

32 T hou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt no longer be remembered: for I the LORD have spoken.

You shall be fuel for the fire; Your blood shall be in the midst of the land. You shall not be remembered, For I the Lord have spoken.’”