Ezekiel 21
1. And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying * ,
2. Son of man, set * thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop * thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy * against the land of Israel,
3. And say * to the land of Israel,Thus saith * the LORD; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth * my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off * from thee the righteous and the wicked.
4. Seeing then that I will cut off * from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth * out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:
5. That all flesh may know * that I the LORD have drawn forth * my sword out of his sheath: it shall not return * any more.
6. Sigh * therefore, thou son of man,with the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness sigh * before their eyes.
7. And it shall be, when they say * unto thee, Wherefore sighest * thou? that thou shalt answer * , For the tidings; because it cometh * : 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 cometh * , and shall be brought to pass * , saith * the Lord GOD.
8. Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying * ,
9. Son of man, prophesy * , and say * , Thus saith * the LORD; Say * , A sword, a sword is sharpened * , and also furbished * :
10. It is sharpened * to make a sore slaughter * ; it is furbished * that it may glitter: should we then make mirth * ? it contemneth * the rod of my son, as every tree.
11. And he hath 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 * .
12. Cry * and howl * , son of man: for it shall be upon my people, it shall be upon all the princes of Israel: terrors * by reason of the sword shall be upon my people: smite * therefore upon thy thigh.
13. Because it is a trial * , and what if the sword contemn * even the rod? it shall be no more, saith * the Lord GOD.
14. Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy * , and smite * thine hands together * , and let the sword be doubled * the third time, the sword of the slain: it is the sword of the great men that are slain, which entereth into their privy chambers * .
15. I have set * the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may faint * , and their ruins be multiplied * : ah ! it is made * bright, it is wrapped up for the slaughter.
16. Go thee one way or other * , either on * the right hand * , or on the left * , whithersoever thy face is set * .
17. I will also smite * mine hands together, and I will cause my fury to rest * : I the LORD have said * it.
18. The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying * ,
19. Also, thou son of man, appoint * thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come * : both twain shall come forth * out of one land: and choose * thou a place, choose * it at the head of the way to the city.
20. Appoint * a way, that the sword may come * to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced * .
21. For 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.
22. At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appoint * captains, to open * the mouth in 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.
23. And it shall be unto them as a false divination * in their sight, to them that have sworn * oaths: but he will call to remembrance * the iniquity, that they may be taken * .
24. Therefore thus saith * the Lord GOD; Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered * , in that your transgressions are discovered * , so that in all your doings your sins do appear * ; because, I say, that ye are come to remembrance * , ye shall be taken * with the hand.
25. And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come * , when iniquity shall have an end,
26. Thus saith * the Lord GOD; Remove * the diadem, and take off * the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt * him that is low, and abase * him that is high.
27. I will overturn, overturn, overturn,it: and it shall be * no more, until he come * whose right it is; and I will give * it 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 * because of the glittering:
29. Whiles they see * vanity unto thee, whiles they divine * a lie unto thee, to bring * thee upon the necks of them that are slain, of the wicked, whose day is come * , when their iniquity shall have an end.
30. Shall I cause it to return * into his sheath? I will judge * thee in the place where thou wast created * , in the land of thy nativity.
31. And I will pour out * mine indignation upon thee, I will blow * against thee in the fire of my wrath, and deliver * thee into the hand of brutish * men, and skilful to destroy.
32. Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt be no more remembered * : for I the LORD have spoken * it.
