1And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel, 3And 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. 4Seeing 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: 5That all flesh may know that I the LORD have drawn forth my sword out of his sheath: it shall not return any more. 6Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes. 7And 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.21.7 shall be weak…: Heb. shall go into water
8¶ Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 9Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished: 10It 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.21.10 it contemneth…: or, it is the rod of my son, it despiseth every tree 11And he hath given 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. 12Cry 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.21.12 terrors…: or, they are thrust down to the sword with my people 13Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? it shall be no more, saith the Lord GOD.21.13 Because…: or, When the trial hath been, what then? shall they not also belong to the despising rod? 14Thou 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.21.14 hands…: Heb. hand to hand 15I 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.21.15 point: or, glittering, or, fear21.15 wrapped up: or, sharpened 16Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set.21.16 or on…: Heb. set thyself, take the left hand 17I will also smite mine hands together, and I will cause my fury to rest: I the LORD have said it.
18¶ The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying, 19Also, 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. 20Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced. 21For 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.21.21 parting of: Heb. mother of21.21 arrows: or, knives21.21 images: Heb. teraphim 22At 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.21.22 captains: or, battering rams: Heb. rams 23And 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.21.23 to them…: or, for the oaths made unto them 24Therefore 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¶ And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, 26Thus 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. 27I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.21.27 I will overturn…: Heb. Perverted, perverted, perverted, will I make it
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: 29Whiles 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. 30Shall 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.21.30 Shall…: or, Cause it to return 31And 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.21.31 brutish: or, burning 32Thou 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.
Babylon as God’s sword of judgment
In Hebrew texts 21:1-32 is numbered 21:6-37. 1The word of the Lord came to me: 2‘Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary. Prophesy against the land of Israel 3and say to her: “This is what the Lord says: I am against you. I will draw my sword from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked. 4Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north. 5Then all people will know that I the Lord have drawn my sword from its sheath; it will not return again.”
6‘Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief. 7And when they ask you, “Why are you groaning?” you shall say, “Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt with fear and every hand go limp; every spirit will become faint and every leg will be wet with urine.” It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord.’
8The word of the Lord came to me: 9‘Son of man, prophesy and say, “This is what the Lord says:
‘ “A sword, a sword,
sharpened and polished –
10sharpened for the slaughter,
polished to flash like lightning!
‘ “Shall we rejoice in the sceptre of my royal son? The sword despises every such stick.
11‘ “The sword is appointed to be polished,
to be grasped with the hand;
it is sharpened and polished,
made ready for the hand of the slayer.
12Cry out and wail, son of man,
for it is against my people;
it is against all the princes of Israel.
They are thrown to the sword
along with my people.
Therefore beat your breast.
13‘ “Testing will surely come. And what if even the sceptre, which the sword despises, does not continue? declares the Sovereign Lord.”
14‘So then, son of man, prophesy
and strike your hands together.
Let the sword strike twice,
even three times.
It is a sword for slaughter –
a sword for great slaughter,
closing in on them from every side.
15So that hearts may melt with fear
and the fallen be many,
I have stationed the sword for slaughter21:15 Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
at all their gates.
Look! It is forged to strike like lightning,
it is grasped for slaughter.
16Slash to the right, you sword,
then to the left,
wherever your blade is turned.
17I too will strike my hands together,
and my wrath will subside.
I the Lord have spoken.’
18The word of the Lord came to me: 19‘Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same country. Make a signpost where the road branches off to the city. 20Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites and another against Judah and fortified Jerusalem. 21For the king of Babylon will stop at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: he will cast lots with arrows, he will consult his idols, he will examine the liver. 22Into his right hand will come the lot for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering-rams, to give the command to slaughter, to sound the battle cry, to set battering-rams against the gates, to build a ramp and to erect siege works. 23It will seem like a false omen to those who have sworn allegiance to him, but he will remind them of their guilt and take them captive.
24‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Because you people have brought to mind your guilt by your open rebellion, revealing your sins in all that you do – because you have done this, you will be taken captive.
25‘ “You profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose time of punishment has reached its climax, 26this is what the Sovereign Lord says: take off the turban, remove the crown. It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low. 27A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! The crown will not be restored until he to whom it rightfully belongs shall come; to him I will give it.”
28‘And you, son of man, prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says about the Ammonites and their insults:
‘ “A sword, a sword,
drawn for the slaughter,
polished to consume
and to flash like lightning!
29Despite false visions concerning you
and lying divinations about you,
it will be laid on the necks
of the wicked who are to be slain,
whose day has come,
whose time of punishment has reached its climax.
30‘ “Let the sword return to its sheath.
In the place where you were created,
in the land of your ancestry,
I will judge you.
31I will pour out my wrath on you
and breathe out my fiery anger against you;
I will deliver you into the hands of brutal men,
men skilled in destruction.
32You will be fuel for the fire,
your blood will be shed in your land,
you will be remembered no more;
for I the Lord have spoken.” ’
