God Uses the Babylonians to Judge Israel
1A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 2“Son of man, turn your attention to Jerusalem. Preach against the temple. Prophesy against the land of Israel. 3Tell them, ‘The Lord says, “I am against you. I will pull out my sword. I will remove from you godly people and sinful people alike. 4Because I am going to remove them, my sword will be ready to use. I will strike down everyone from south to north. 5Then all people will know that I have pulled out my sword. I will not put it back. I am the Lord.” ’
6“Groan, son of man! Groan in front of your people. Groan with a broken heart and bitter sorrow. 7They will ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ Then you will say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. The hearts of all the people will melt away in fear. Their hands will not be able to help them. Their spirits will grow weak. And they will be so afraid they’ll wet themselves.’ The news is coming! You can be sure those things will happen,” announces the Lord and King.
8A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 9“Son of man, prophesy. Say, ‘The Lord says,
“ ‘ “A sword! A sword!
A sharp and shiny sword is coming from Babylon!
10It is sharpened to kill people.
It flashes like lightning.” ’ ”
The people say, “Should we take delight in the scepter of the Lord’s royal son? The sword looks down on every scepter like this.” 11The Lord says,
“I have told Nebuchadnezzar to shine his sword.
It is in his hand.
It has been sharpened and shined.
It is ready for the killer’s hand.
12Son of man, cry out and weep.
The sword is against my people.
It is against all the princes of Israel.
It will kill them
along with the rest of my people.
So beat your chest in sorrow.
13“You can be sure that testing will come. Why does the sword look down on the scepter? Because even the scepter will not continue to rule,” announces the Lord and King.
14“Son of man, prophesy.
Clap your hands.
Let the sword strike twice.
Let it strike even three times.
It is a sword to kill people.
It is a sword to kill many people.
It is closing in on them from every side.
15People’s hearts will melt away in fear.
Many will be wounded or killed.
I have prepared the sword to kill people
at all their city gates.
Look! It strikes like lightning.
It is in the killer’s hand.
16Sword, cut to the right.
Then cut to the left.
Strike down people everywhere your blade is turned.
17I too will clap my hands.
I won’t be so angry anymore.
I have spoken. I am the Lord.”
18A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 19“Son of man, mark out on a map two roads for the sword to take. The sword belongs to the king of Babylon. Both roads start from the same country. Put up a sign where the road turns off to the city of Rabbah. 20Mark out one road for the sword to take against Rabbah in Ammon. Mark out another against Judah and the walls of Jerusalem. 21The king of Babylon will stop at the place where the two roads meet. He will look for a special sign. He will cast lots by pulling arrows out of a bag. He will ask his gods for advice. And he will look carefully at the liver of a sheep. 22His right hand will pull out the arrow for Jerusalem. There he will get huge logs ready to knock down its gates. He will give the command to kill its people. He will sound the battle cry. He will build a ramp up to the city wall. He will bring in his war machines. 23The decision to attack Jerusalem will seem like the wrong advice to those who made a treaty with Nebuchadnezzar. But he will remind them that they are guilty. And he will take them away as prisoners.”
24So the Lord and King says, “You people have reminded everyone of how guilty you are. You have done it by refusing to obey me or any other authority. Everything you do clearly shows how sinful you are. So you will be taken away as prisoners.”
25King Zedekiah, your day has come. You are an unholy and evil prince in Israel. The day for you to be punished is here. 26The Lord and King says, “Take off your turban. Remove your crown. Things will not be as they were in the past. Those who are considered not important will be honored. And those who are honored will be considered not important. 27Jerusalem will fall. I will destroy it. It will not be rebuilt until the true king comes. After all, the kingdom belongs to him. I will give it to him.
28“Son of man, prophesy. Say, ‘The Lord and King speaks about the Ammonites. He also talks about the way they laugh because of Jerusalem’s fall. He says,
“ ‘ “A sword! A sword!
Nebuchadnezzar’s sword is ready to kill you.
It is shined to destroy you.
It flashes like lightning.
29The visions of your prophets are false.
They use magic to try to find out
what is going to happen to you.
But their magic tricks are lies.
The sword will strike the necks of you sinful people.
You will be killed.
The day for you to be punished has finally come.
Your time is up.
30Ammon, return your sword to its place.
In the land where you were created, I will judge you.
That is where you came from.
31I will pour out my anger on you.
I will breathe out my burning anger against you.
I will hand you over to mean people.
They are skilled at destroying others.
32You will be burned in the fire.
Your blood will be spilled in your land.
You will not be remembered anymore.
I have spoken. I am the Lord.” ’ ”
La espada justiciera
1La palabra del Señor vino a mí y me dijo: 2«Hijo de hombre, mira hacia Jerusalén; clama contra sus santuarios, profetiza contra la tierra de Israel, 3anúnciale que así dice el Señor: “Yo estoy contra ti. Desenvainaré mi espada y mataré a justos y a malvados por igual. 4Puesto que he de exterminar de ti tanto al justo como al malvado, mi espada saldrá contra todos, desde el sur hasta el norte. 5Así todos sabrán que yo, el Señor, he desenvainado la espada y no volveré a envainarla”.
6»Y tú, hijo de hombre, con el corazón quebrantado y delante de ellos, llora con amargura. 7Y, cuando te pregunten por qué lloras así, diles que es por la noticia de lo que va a suceder. Esta noticia hará que todos los corazones desfallezcan y todas las manos caigan; que todos los ánimos decaigan y todas las rodillas tiemblen. ¡Ya está por llegar! ¡Ya es una realidad! Yo, el Señor y Dios, lo afirmo».
8La palabra del Señor vino a mí y me dijo: 9«Hijo de hombre, profetiza y proclama que así dice el Señor:
»“¡La espada, la espada,
afilada y pulida!
10Afilada para masacrar
y pulida para fulgurar.21:10 y pulida para fulgurar (véanse LXX, Vetus Latina y Siríaca); TM de difícil traducción.
»”¿Hemos de alegrarnos cuando el cetro de mi hijo menosprecia toda vara?
11»”La espada está lista para ser pulida
y ser empuñada;
afilada y pulida
para las manos del asesino.
12¡Grita y gime, hijo de hombre,
que la espada se perfila contra mi pueblo
y contra todos los príncipes de Israel!
Han sido arrojados contra la espada,
lo mismo que mi pueblo.
Por tanto, ¡golpéate el pecho!
13»”¡La prueba viene! ¿Y qué, si el bastón de autoridad deja de ser? El Señor y Dios afirma.21:13 El TM incluye frases de difícil traducción.
14»”Hijo de hombre, profetiza
golpea una mano contra la otra;
que la espada hiera dos
y hasta tres veces.
Es la espada de la muerte
que a todos mantiene amenazados,
15para que el corazón desfallezca
y aumente el número de víctimas.
Ya he colocado en las puertas
la espada asesina.21:15 asesina. Palabra de difícil traducción.
Es la espada bruñida para centellear
y afilada para matar.
16Hiere a la derecha
y a la izquierda,
dondequiera que gire la espada.
17También yo golpearé mano contra mano
y aplacaré mi furor.
Yo, el Señor, lo he dicho”».
18La palabra del Señor vino a mí y me dijo: 19«Tú, hijo de hombre, traza dos caminos para que llegue por ellos la espada del rey de Babilonia. Estos dos caminos partirán del mismo país y a la entrada de cada uno de ellos colocarás una señal que indique a qué ciudad conduce. 20Traza un camino para que la espada llegue contra Rabá de los amonitas y contra Jerusalén, la ciudad fortificada de Judá. 21El rey de Babilonia se ha colocado en la bifurcación del camino y consulta como el adivino: sacude las saetas, consulta los ídolos21:21 ídolos. Lit. terafines. y examina el hígado de un animal. 22Con su mano derecha ha marcado el destino de Jerusalén: prepara arietes para derribar las puertas, levanta rampas y edifica torres de asalto; alza la voz en grito de batalla y da la orden para la matanza. 23Por las alianzas ya hechas, los habitantes de Jerusalén creerán que se trata de una falsa visión; pero aquel rey les recordará la iniquidad por la que serán capturados.
24»Por eso dice el Señor y Dios: “Se les ha recordado su iniquidad, y han quedado al descubierto sus rebeliones; expuestas están sus acciones pecaminosas, y por eso serán capturados.
25»”Y en cuanto a ti, príncipe de Israel, infame y malvado, tu día ha llegado; ¡la hora de tu castigo es inminente! 26Así dice el Señor y Dios: Quítate el turbante, renuncia a la corona, que todo cambiará. Lo humilde será exaltado y lo excelso será humillado. 27¡Ruinas, ruinas, todo lo convertiré en ruinas! Esto no sucederá hasta que venga aquel a quien le asiste el derecho y a quien pediré que establezca la justicia”.
28»Y tú, hijo de hombre, profetiza y declara que esto afirma el Señor y Dios acerca de los amonitas y de sus insultos:
»“La espada, la espada
está desenvainada para la masacre;
pulida está para devorar
y centellear como relámpago.
29La espada degollará a esos infames malvados,
pues sus visiones son falsas
y sus adivinanzas, mentiras.
Pero su día ha llegado;
¡la hora de su castigo es inminente!
30»”¡Espada, vuelve a tu vaina!
Allí, en tu tierra de origen,
donde fuiste creada,
¡allí te juzgaré!
31Sobre ti derramaré mi ira,
sobre ti soplaré el fuego de mi furor;
te entregaré en manos de gente
sanguinaria y destructora.
32Serás pasto para el fuego,
salpicaré con tu sangre todo el país
y borraré tu memoria de la faz de la tierra.
Yo, el Señor, lo he dicho”».
