Ezekiel 21

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,	1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
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, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,
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 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 Al humanity wil see that it was I, Yahweh, who kindled it, and it wil not be extinguished." '	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 I said, 'Lord Yahweh, they say of me, "He does nothing but speak in riddles!"'	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 Then the word of Yahweh was addressed to me as fol ows,	6 Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.
7 'Son of man, turn towards Jerusalem, utter your word towards the sanctuary and prophesy against theland of Israel.	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 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 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
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 Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:
10 so that everyone alive wil know that I, Yahweh, am the one who has unsheathed my sword; it wil notgo back again."	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 'Son of man, groan as though your heart were breaking. Utter your bitter groans where they can seeyou.	11 And he hath give 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 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 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 The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as fol ows,	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 'Son of man, prophesy. Say, "The Lord says this. Say: The sword, the sword has been sharpenedand polished,	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 sharpened for slaughter, polished to flash like lightning . . .	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 He has had it polished to be wielded, this sword sharpened and polished to put in the slaughterer'shand!	16 Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set.
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 I will also smite mine hands together, and I will cause my fury to rest: I the LORD have said it.
18 for this wil be an ordeal . . . declares the Lord Yahweh.	18 The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,
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 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 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 Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced.
21 Be sharp, on the right, be ready on the left, whichever way your blade is needed!	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 I too shal clap my hands and sate my fury! I, Yahweh, have spoken." '	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 The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as fol ows,	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 '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 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 trace the route which the sword should take for Rabbah-of-the-Ammonites, and for Judah, to thefortress of Jerusalem.	25 And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end,
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 As for you, impious and wicked prince of Israel, whose doom is approaching to put an end to yourcrimes,	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 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 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 Ruin, ruin, I shal bring such ruin as never was before, until the rightful ruler comes, on whom I shalbestow it."	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.
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-
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.
35 Put it back in the scabbard. The place where you were created, the land of your origin, wil be where Ijudge 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.
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!" '