Ezekiel prophesies about the sword of the LORD, polished and drawn against Jerusalem. The king of Babylon stands at a fork in the road, using divination to decide whether to attack Jerusalem or Rabbah. The sword also awaits the Ammonites.
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying ,
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 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 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 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 Sigh therefore, thou son of man , with the breaking of thy loins ; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes .
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 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying ,
9 Son of man , prophesy , and say , Thus saith the LORD ; Say , A sword , a sword is sharpened , and also furbished :
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 And 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 .
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 Because it is a trial , and what if the sword contemn even the rod ? it shall be no more, saith the Lord GOD .
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 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 Go thee one way or other , either on the right hand , or on the left , whithersoever thy face is set .
17 I 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 ,
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 Appoint a way , that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites , and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced .
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 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 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 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 And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel , whose day is come , when iniquity shall have an end ,
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 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 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 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 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 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 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.