1 ¶ And the word of the LORD 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 my word upon the sanctuaries, and prophesy over 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 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.

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 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 destroy from you both the good and the sinful, My sword will go out against everyone 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.

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 C ry out therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness cry out 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, 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 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 ¶ 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, speak in My name and tell them, ‘The Lord says, “A sword, a sharp and shining sword!

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.

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 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.

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

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 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.

“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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

The Word of the Lord came to me 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.

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

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 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 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 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 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 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.

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 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.

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 in the time when the iniquity shall be brought to an end,

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

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

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 ¶ 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, 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 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.

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 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.

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 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 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 no longer be remembered: for I the LORD 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.’”