Ezekiel 21

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,	1 And the word of the Lord came to 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 your face toward Jerusalem, and pour in drops toward the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the soil 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 you shall say to the land of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, and I will cast my sword from its sheath, and I will slay the just and the impious among you.
4 Al humanity wil see that it was I, Yahweh, who kindled it, and it wil not be extinguished." '	4 But in as much as I have slain among you the just and the impious, for this reason my sword will go forth from its sheath against all flesh, from the south even to the north.
5 I said, 'Lord Yahweh, they say of me, "He does nothing but speak in riddles!"'	5 So may all flesh know that I, the Lord, have led my sword out of its sheath irrevocably.
6 Then the word of Yahweh was addressed to me as fol ows,	6 And as for you, son of man, groan in the breaking of your back, and groan in bitterness before them.
7 'Son of man, turn towards Jerusalem, utter your word towards the sanctuary and prophesy against theland of Israel.	7 And when they will say to you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you shall say: ‘On behalf of the report, For it is approaching. And every heart will waste away, and every hand will be broken, and every spirit will be weakened, and water will flow across every knee.’ Behold, it is approaching and it will happen, says 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 And the word of the Lord came to 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 you shall say: Thus says the Lord God: Speak: The sword! The sword has been sharpened and polished!
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 has been sharpened, so that it may cut down victims! It has been polished, so that it may shine! You are disturbing the scepter of my son. You have cut down every tree.
11 'Son of man, groan as though your heart were breaking. Utter your bitter groans where they can seeyou.	11 And I have sent it to be made smooth, so that it may be handled. This sword has been sharpened, and it has been polished, so that it may be in the hand of the one who kills.
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 out and wail, O son of man! For this has been done among my people, this is among all the leaders of Israel, who have fled. They have been handed over to the sword, with my people. Therefore, slap your thigh,
13 The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as fol ows,	13 for it has been tested. And this one, when he will have overthrown the scepter, will not be, says the Lord God.
14 'Son of man, prophesy. Say, "The Lord says this. Say: The sword, the sword has been sharpenedand polished,	14 You therefore, O son of man, prophesy, and strike hand against hand, and let the sword be doubled, and let the sword of the slain be tripled. This is the sword of the great slaughter, which causes them to be utterly stupefied,
15 sharpened for slaughter, polished to flash like lightning . . .	15 and to waste away in heart, and which multiplies ruin. At all their gates, I have presented the consternation of the sword, which has been sharpened and polished so as to shine, which has been dressed for the slaughter.
16 He has had it polished to be wielded, this sword sharpened and polished to put in the slaughterer'shand!	16 Be sharpened! Go to the right or to the left, whichever way is the desire of your face.
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 And then I will clap hand against hand, and I will fulfill my indignation. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
18 for this wil be an ordeal . . . declares the Lord Yahweh.	18 And the word of the Lord came to me, 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 “And as for you, son of man, set for yourself two ways, so that the sword of the king of Babylon may approach. Both shall go forth from one land. And with a hand, he will grasp and cast lots; he will cast at the head of the way of the community.
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 You shall appoint a way, so that the sword may approach to Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, or to Judah, into Jerusalem, greatly fortified.
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 fork, at the head of the two ways, seeking divination, shuffling arrows; he inquired of idols, and he consulted entrails.
22 I too shal clap my hands and sate my fury! I, Yahweh, have spoken." '	22 To his right was set the divination over Jerusalem, to place battering rams so as to open a mouth for the slaughter, to lift up the voice of wailing, to place battering rams opposite the gates, to cast up a rampart, to build fortifications.
23 The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as fol ows,	23 And he shall be, in their eyes, like someone consulting an oracle in vain, or imitating the leisure of Sabbaths. But he will call to mind iniquities, so that it will be captured.
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 says the Lord God: Because you have been remembered in your iniquities, and you have revealed your betrayals, and your sins have appeared within all your plans, because, I say, you have been remembered, you will be captured by a hand.
25 trace the route which the sword should take for Rabbah-of-the-Ammonites, and for Judah, to thefortress of Jerusalem.	25 But as for you, O impious leader of Israel, whose day has arrived that was predetermined at the time of iniquity:
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 says the Lord God: Take away the diadem, remove the crown. Is this not what has exalted the lowly one, and brought low the sublime one?
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 Iniquity, iniquity, iniquity I will make it. And this was not done until the one arrived to whom judgment belongs, and I will hand it over to 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 as for you, son of man, prophesy, and say: Thus says the Lord God to the sons of Ammon, and to their disgrace, and you shall say: O sword, O sword, unsheathe yourself so as to slay; polish yourself so as to kill and to shine,
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 while they look upon you in vain, and they divine lies, so that you may be given over to the necks of the wounded impious, whose day has arrived that was predetermined at the time of iniquity.
30 As for you, impious and wicked prince of Israel, whose doom is approaching to put an end to yourcrimes,	30 Be returned to your sheath! I will judge you in the place where you were created, in the land of your 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 upon you my indignation. In the fire of my fury, I will fan you, and I will give you over to the hands of cruel men, who have devised destruction.
32 Ruin, ruin, I shal bring such ruin as never was before, until the rightful ruler comes, on whom I shalbestow it."	32 You will be food for the fire; your blood will be in the midst of the land; you will be delivered to oblivion. For I, the Lord, have spoken.”
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!" '