Ezekiel 21

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,	1 Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
2 'Son of man, turn to the right; utter your word towards the south, prophesy against the forest land ofthe Negeb.	2 Son of man, look southward, preach toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the southern land.
3 Say to the forest of Negeb, "Hear the word of Yahweh! The Lord Yahweh says this: Listen; I am aboutto kindle a fire in you which wil burn up every green tree in you as wel as every dry one; it wil be anunquenchable blaze and every face wil be scorched by it from the Negeb to the north.	3 Hear the word of the LORD! you shall say to the southern forest. Thus says the Lord GOD: See! I am kindling a fire in you that shall devour all trees, the green as well as the dry. The blazing flame shall not be quenched, but from south to north every face shall be scorched by it.
4 Al humanity wil see that it was I, Yahweh, who kindled it, and it wil not be extinguished." '	4 Everyone shall see that I, the LORD, have kindled it, and it shall not be quenched.
5 I said, 'Lord Yahweh, they say of me, "He does nothing but speak in riddles!"'	5 But I said, "Alas! Lord GOD, they say to me, 'Is not this the one who is forever spinning parables?'"
6 Then the word of Yahweh was addressed to me as fol ows,	6 Then the word of the LORD came to me:
7 'Son of man, turn towards Jerusalem, utter your word towards the sanctuary and prophesy against theland of Israel.	7 Son of man, look toward Jerusalem, preach against their sanctuary, and prophesy against the land of Israel,
8 Say to the land of Israel, "Yahweh says this: Now I am against you; I am about to unsheathe my swordand rid you of the upright and the wicked alike.	8 saying to the land of Israel: Thus says the LORD: See! I am coming at you; I will draw my sword from its sheath and cut off from you the virtuous and the wicked.
9 Since I am going to rid you of upright and wicked alike, I shal unsheathe my sword against everyonealive, from the Negeb to the north,	9 Thus my sword shall leave its sheath against everyone from south to north,
10 so that everyone alive wil know that I, Yahweh, am the one who has unsheathed my sword; it wil notgo back again."	10 and everyone shall know that I, the LORD, have drawn my sword from its sheath, and it shall not be sheathed again.
11 'Son of man, groan as though your heart were breaking. Utter your bitter groans where they can seeyou.	11 As for you, son of man, groan! with shattered strength groan bitterly while they look on.
12 And if they say, "Why these groans?" reply, "Because of the news which is about to come, all hearts wil sink, al hands grow weak, all spirits grow faint and al knees turn to water. It is coming now, it is here!-declares Lord Yahweh." '	12 And when they ask you, "Why are you groaning?", you shall say: Because of a report; when it comes every heart shall fail, every hand shall fall helpless, every spirit shall be daunted, and every knee shall run with water. See, it is coming, it is here! says the Lord GOD.
13 The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as fol ows,	13 Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
14 'Son of man, prophesy. Say, "The Lord says this. Say: The sword, the sword has been sharpenedand polished,	14 Son of man, prophesy! say: Thus says the LORD: A sword, a sword has been sharpened, a sword, a sword has been burnished:
15 sharpened for slaughter, polished to flash like lightning . . .	15 To work slaughter has it been sharpened, to flash lightning has it been burnished. Why should I now withdraw it? You have spurned the rod and every judgment!
16 He has had it polished to be wielded, this sword sharpened and polished to put in the slaughterer'shand!	16 I have given it over to the burnisher that he might hold it in his hand, A sword sharpened and burnished to be put in the hand of a slayer.
17 Shout and wail, son of man, for it wil come on my people, on all the chief men of Israel doomed likemy people to the sword! So beat your breast,	17 Cry out and wail, son of man, for it is destined for my people; It is for all the princes of Israel, victims of the sword with my people. Therefore, slap your thigh,
18 for this wil be an ordeal . . . declares the Lord Yahweh.	18 for the sword has been tested; and why should it not be so? says the Lord GOD, since you have spurned the rod.
19 So prophesy, son of man, and clap your hands! Let the sword pass three times, that sword forvictims, that sword for a great victim, threatening them from every side!	19 As for you, son of man, prophesy, brushing one hand against the other: While the sword is doubled and tripled, this sword of slaughter, This great sword of slaughter which threatens all around,
20 To make hearts sink and make sure many fall, I have posted the slaughtering sword at every gate toflash like lightning, polished for slaughter.	20 That every heart may tremble; for many will be the fallen. At all their gates I have appointed the sword for slaughter, Fashioned to flash lightning, burnished for slaughter.
21 Be sharp, on the right, be ready on the left, whichever way your blade is needed!	21 Cleave to the right! destroy! to the left! wherever your edge is turned.
22 I too shal clap my hands and sate my fury! I, Yahweh, have spoken." '	22 Then I, too, shall brush one hand against the other and wreak my fury. I, the LORD, have spoken.
23 The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as fol ows,	23 Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
24 'Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to come along, making both ofthem begin from the same country. Then put up a signpost, put it where the road leaves for the city,	24 Son of man, make for yourself two roads over which the sword of the king of Babylon can come. Both roads shall lead out from the same land. Then put a signpost at the head of each road,
25 trace the route which the sword should take for Rabbah-of-the-Ammonites, and for Judah, to thefortress of Jerusalem.	25 so that the sword can come to Rabbah of the Ammonites or to Judah's capital, Jerusalem.
26 For the king of Babylon has halted at the fork where these two roads diverge, to take the omens. Hehas shaken the arrows, questioned the household gods, inspected the liver.	26 For at the fork where the two roads divide stands the king of Babylon, divining; he has shaken the arrows, inquired of the teraphim, inspected the liver.
27 The lot marked 'Jerusalem' is in his right hand: there to set up battering-rams, give the word forslaughter, raise the war cry, level battering-rams against the gates, cast up earthworks, build entrenchments.	27 In his right hand is the divining arrow marked "Jerusalem," bidding him to give the order for slaying, to raise his voice in the battle cry, to post battering rams at the gates, to cast up a ramp, to build a siege tower.
28 The inhabitants wil believe that these omens are idle, for they have received sworn guarantees, buthe wil bring their guilt to mind and capture them.	28 In their eyes this is but a lying oracle; yet they are bound by the oaths they have sworn, and the arrow taken in hand marks their guilt.
29 And so the Lord Yahweh says this, "Since you have brought your guilt to mind by parading yourmisdeeds and flaunting your sins in everything you do: because you have drawn attention to yourselves, you willbe captured.	29 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have drawn attention to your guilt, with your crimes laid bare and your sinfulness in all your wicked deeds revealed (because attention has been drawn to you), you shall be taken in hand.
30 As for you, impious and wicked prince of Israel, whose doom is approaching to put an end to yourcrimes,	30 And as for you, depraved and wicked prince of Israel, whose day is coming when your life of crime will be ended,
31 the Lord Yahweh says this: They will take away your diadem and remove your crown. Everything wilbe changed; the low wil be raised and the high brought low!	31 thus says the Lord GOD: Off with the turban and away with the crown! Nothing shall be as it was! Up with the low and down with the high!
32 Ruin, ruin, I shal bring such ruin as never was before, until the rightful ruler comes, on whom I shalbestow it."	32 Twisted, twisted, twisted will I leave it; it shall not be the same until he comes who has the claim against the city; and to him I will hand it over.
33 'Son of man, prophesy and say, "The Lord Yahweh says this: In reply to the Ammonites and theirjeers, say: The sword, the sword is drawn for slaughter, polished to devour, to flash like lightning-	33 As for you, son of man, prophesy: Thus says the Lord GOD against the Ammonites and their insults: A sword, a sword is drawn for slaughter, burnished to consume and to flash lightning,
34 while you have empty visions and consult lying omens-to cut the throats of the wicked, whose doomis approaching to put an end to their crimes.	34 because you planned with false visions and lying divinations to lay it on the necks of depraved and wicked men whose day has come when their crimes are at an end.
35 Put it back in the scabbard. The place where you were created, the land of your origin, wil be where Ijudge you.	35 Return it to its sheath! In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I will judge you.
36 I shal vent my fury on you, breathe the fire of my rage against you and hand you over to barbarousmen whose trade is destruction.	36 I will pour out my indignation upon you, breathing my fiery wrath upon you, I will hand you over to ravaging men, artisans of destruction.
37 You wil be fuel for the fire, your blood wil flow through the country, you wil leave no memory behindyou; for I, Yahweh, have spoken!" '	37 You shall be fuel for the fire, your blood shall flow throughout the land. You shall not be remembered, for I, the LORD, have spoken.