Chapter 21

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,²

Son of man, set³ thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop⁵⁴ [thy word] toward the holy places, and prophesy¹⁰ against the land of Israel,

And say¹ to the land of Israel, Thus saith¹ the LORD; Behold, I [am] against thee, and will draw forth⁵² my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off⁵² from thee the righteous and the wicked.

Seeing then that I will cut off⁵² from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth⁴ out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:

That all flesh may know¹ that I the LORD have drawn forth⁵² my sword out of his sheath: it shall not return⁴ any more.

Sigh¹⁰ therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of [thy] loins; and with bitterness sigh¹¹ before their eyes.

And it shall be, when they say⁴ unto thee, Wherefore sighest¹² thou? that thou shalt answer,¹ For the tidings; because it cometh:⁶ and every heart shall melt,⁸ and all hands shall be feeble,¹ and every spirit shall faint,¹⁴ and all knees shall be weak⁴ [as] water: behold, it cometh,⁶ and shall be brought to pass,⁸ saith⁷ the Lord GOD.

Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,²

Son of man, prophesy,¹⁰ and say,¹ Thus saith¹ the LORD; Say,³ A sword, a sword is sharpened,⁹⁰ and also furbished:⁷

It is sharpened⁹⁰ to make a sore slaughter;² it is furbished³⁰ that it may glitter: should we then make mirth?⁴ it contemneth⁶ the rod of my son, [as] every tree.

And he hath given⁴ it to be furbished,² that it may be handled: ^{8610 2} this sword is sharpened,⁹⁰ and it is furbished,³⁰ to give² it into the hand of the slayer.⁶

Cry³ and howl,⁵⁴ son of man: for it shall be upon my people, it [shall be] upon all the princes of Israel: terrors⁷ by reason of the sword shall be upon my people: smite³ therefore upon [thy] thigh.

Because [it is] a trial,²⁷ and what if [the sword] contemn⁶ even the rod? it shall be no [more], saith⁷ the Lord GOD.

Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy,¹⁰ and smite⁵⁴ [thine] hands together, and let the sword be doubled¹¹ 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.⁶

I have set¹ the point of the sword against all their gates, that [their] heart may faint,² and [their] ruins be multiplied:⁵³ ah! [it is] made⁷ bright, [it is] wrapped up for the slaughter.

Go thee one way or other,¹⁰⁰ [either] on⁵⁴ the right hand,⁵⁴ [or] on the left,⁵⁴ whithersoever thy face [is] set.⁹⁴

I will also smite⁵⁵ mine hands together, and I will cause my fury to rest:⁵² I the LORD have said¹⁴ [it].

The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,²

Also, thou son of man, appoint³ thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come:² both twain shall come forth⁴ out of one land: and choose¹⁶ thou a place, choose¹⁶ [it] at the head of the way to the city.

Appoint⁴ a way, that the sword may come² to Rabbath of the Ammonites, ⁵⁹⁸³ and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced.⁷

For the king of Babylon stood¹ at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use² divination: he made [his] arrows bright,⁴³ he consulted¹ with images, he looked¹ in the liver.

At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appoint² captains, to open² the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up⁵³ the voice with shouting, to appoint² [battering] rams against the gates, to cast² a mount, [and] to build² a fort.

And it shall be unto them as a false divination² in their sight, to them that have sworn⁷ oaths: but he will call to remembrance⁵⁶ the iniquity, that they may be taken.⁹

Therefore thus saith¹ the Lord GOD; Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered,⁵³ in that your transgressions are discovered,⁹ so that in all your doings your sins do appear;⁹ because, [I say], that ye are come to remembrance,⁹ ye shall be taken¹¹ with the hand.

And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come,¹ when iniquity [shall have] an end,

Thus saith¹ the Lord GOD; Remove⁵⁴ the diadem, and take off⁵⁴ the crown: this [shall] not [be] the same: exalt⁵³ [him that is] low, and abase⁵³ [him that is] high.

I will overturn,^{4 5754} overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no [more], until he come² whose right it is; and I will give¹ it [him].

And thou, son of man, prophesy¹⁰ and say,¹ Thus saith¹ the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites, ⁵⁹⁸³ and concerning their reproach; even say¹ thou, The sword, the sword [is] drawn:⁷ for the slaughter [it is] furbished,⁷ to consume⁵³ because of the glittering:

Whiles they see² vanity unto thee, whiles they divine² a lie unto thee, to bring² thee upon the necks of [them that are] slain, of the wicked, whose day is come,¹ when their iniquity [shall have] an end.

Shall I cause [it] to return⁵⁴ into his sheath? I will judge⁴ thee in the place where thou wast created,⁸ in the land of thy nativity.

And I will pour out¹ mine indignation upon thee, I will blow⁵⁵ against thee in the fire of my wrath, and deliver¹ thee into the hand of brutish⁶ men, [and] skilful to destroy.

Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt be no [more] remembered:¹¹ for I the LORD have spoken¹⁴ [it].