The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel 21 The Sword of the Lord

 The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel 21

The Sword of the Lord

1 The word of the Lord came to me:

2 “Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and prophesy against the sanctuaries and against the land of Israel.

3 Say to the land of Israel: ‘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.

4 Because I will cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked, my sword will come out of its sheath against all people from the south to the north.

5 All people will know that I, the Lord, have drawn my sword from its sheath; it will never return to it.

6 But you, son of man, sigh; sigh because of them, with brokenness of heart and bitterness.

7 And when they say to you, “Why do you sigh?” you shall say, “Because of the news, for it is coming; every heart shall faint, and all hands shall be weak, and every spirit shall be troubled, and all knees shall turn to water; behold, it is coming, and it shall be fulfilled,” says the Lord God.

8 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

9 Son of man, prophesy, and say, “Thus says the Lord: Say: ‘The sword, the sword is sharpened, and also sharpened.

10 It is sharpened to kill, it is sharpened to shine. Shall we then rejoice? The rod of my son despises every piece of wood.

11 And it was given to be sharpened, to be wielded; this sword is sharpened, and it is sharpened, to be placed in the hand of the slayer.’”

12 Cry out and wail, son of man, for it will be against my people, against all the princes of Israel; my people will be terrified because of the sword; strike your thigh.

13 For a test is made, and what would it be if there were no rod of despising? Declares the Lord God.

14 You, son of man, prophesy, and strike your hands together; for the sword will be bent a third time; the sword belongs to those pierced, to those mortally wounded, and it will enter them into their inner chambers.

15 So that hearts may faint and stumbling blocks may multiply, against all their gates I have set the point of the sword, which was made like lightning, and is reserved for killing!

16 O sword, unite yourself, turn to the right, prepare yourself, turn to the left, wherever your face may be directed.

17 And I also will clap my hands together, and cause my indignation to rest; I, the Lord, have spoken.

18 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

19 “Son of man, set forth two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come forth from the same land, and choose a place; choose it at the head of the road to the city.

20 You shall set forth one way for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and against Judah, in Jerusalem, the fortified city.

21 For the king of Babylon will stand at the crossroads, at the head of the two ways, to use divination; he will sharpen his arrows, consult the teraphim, and look into the entrails.”

22 On his right hand shall be divination concerning Jerusalem, to order the battering rams, to open the mouth to slaughter, to raise the voice with rejoicing, to set the battering rams against the gates, to raise bars, to build bulwarks.

23 This will be in their eyes as vain divination, for they were sworn with oaths among themselves; but he will remember the wickedness, so that they may be caught.

24 ​​Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you make me remember your wickedness, uncovering your transgressions, your sins appearing in all your deeds, since you have come to remembrance, you will be caught in the hand.

25 And you, O profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day will come in the time of extreme wickedness.

26 Thus says the Lord God: Take off the diadem, and lift the crown; This one will not be the same: it exalts the humble and humbles the proud.

27 I will overturn it, overturn it, overturn it, and it will not be again until he comes to whom it rightfully belongs, and to him I will give it.

28 And you, son of man, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord God concerning the children of Ammon, and concerning their contempt: Say therefore: The sword, the sword is drawn, sharpened for slaughter, to consume, to shine;

29 Yet they see vanity in you, yet they divine lies in you to put you on the neck of the wicked, mortally wounded, whose day will come in the time of extreme wickedness.

30 Return your sword to its sheath: In the place where you were created, in the land of your birth, I will judge you.

31 I will pour out my indignation upon you, and blow upon you with the fire of my wrath; I will deliver you into the hands of brutal men, inventors of destruction.

32 You shall be fuel for the fire; your blood shall be in the midst of the earth; you shall not be remembered; for I, the Lord, have spoken it.