Ezekiel 21 — JPSTN
21Verse 1(21-6) Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:Verse 2(21-7) 'Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and preach toward the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel;Verse 3(21-8) and say to the land of Israel: Thus saith the LORD: Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth My sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.Verse 4(21-9) Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall My sword go forth out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north;Verse 5(21-10) and all flesh shall know that I the LORD have drawn forth My sword out of its sheath; it shall not return any more.Verse 6(21-11) Sigh therefore, thou son of man; with the breaking of thy loins and with bitterness shalt thou sigh before their eyes.Verse 7(21-12) And it shall be, when they say unto thee: Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt say: Because of the tidings, for it cometh; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be slack, and every spirit shall be faint, and all knees shall drip with water; behold, it cometh, and it shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.'Verse 8(21-13) And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:Verse 9(21-14) 'Son of man, prophesy, and say: Thus saith the LORD: Say: A sword, a sword, it is sharpened, and also furbished:Verse 10(21-15) It is sharpened that it may make a sore slaughter, it is furbished that it may glitter — or shall we make mirth? — against the rod of My son, contemning every tree.Verse 11(21-16) And it is given to be furbished, that it may be handled; the sword, it is sharpened, yea, it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.Verse 12(21-17) Cry and wail, son of man; for it is upon My people, it is upon all the princes of Israel; they are thrust down to the sword with My people; smite therefore upon thy thigh.Verse 13(21-18) For there is a trial; and what if it contemn even the rod? It shall be no more, saith the Lord GOD.Verse 14(21-19) Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thy hands together; and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of those to be slain; it is the sword of the great one that is to be slain, which compasseth them about.Verse 15(21-20) I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may melt, and their stumblings be multiplied; ah! it is made glittering, it is sharpened for slaughter.Verse 16(21-21) Go thee one way to the right, or direct thyself to the left; whither is thy face set?Verse 17(21-22) I will also smite My hands together, and I will satisfy My fury; I the LORD have spoken it.'Verse 18(21-23) And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:Verse 19(21-24) 'Now, thou son of man, make thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come; they twain shall come forth out of one land; and mark a signpost, mark it clear at the head of the way to the city.Verse 20(21-25) Thou shalt make a way, that the sword may come to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and to Judah in Jerusalem the fortified.Verse 21(21-26) For the king of Babylon standeth at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination; he shaketh the arrows to and fro, he inquireth of the teraphim, he looketh in the liver.Verse 22(21-27) In his right hand is the lot Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open the mouth for the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, to build forts.Verse 23(21-28) And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, who have weeks upon weeks! but it bringeth iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.Verse 24(21-29) Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that your sins do appear in all your doings; because that ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand.Verse 25(21-30) And thou, O wicked one, that art to be slain, the prince of Israel, whose day is come, in the time of the iniquity of the end;Verse 26(21-31) thus saith the Lord GOD: The mitre shall be removed, and the crown taken off; this shall be no more the same: that which is low shall be exalted, and that which is high abased.Verse 27(21-32) A ruin, a ruin, a ruin, will I make it; this also shall be no more, until he come whose right it is, and I will give it him.Verse 28(21-33) And thou, son of man, prophesy, and say: Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning the children of Ammon, and concerning their taunt; and say thou: O sword, O sword keen-edged, furbished for the slaughter, to the uttermost, because of the glitterings;Verse 29(21-34) While they see falsehood unto thee, while they divine lies unto thee, to lay thee upon the necks of the wicked that are to be slain, whose day is come, in the time of the iniquity of the end!Verse 30(21-35) Cause it to return into its sheath! — In the place where thou wast created, in the land of thine origin, will I judge thee.Verse 31(21-36) And I will pour out My indignation upon thee, I will blow upon thee with the fire of My wrath; and I will deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, skilful to destroy.Verse 32(21-37) 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.'