Ezekiel 21

The Sword of Judgment

21:1 (21:6)¹ The word of the Lord came to me: 21:2 “Son of man, turn toward² Jerusalem³ and speak out against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel 21:3 and say to them,⁴ ‘This is what the Lord says: Look,⁵ I am against you.⁶ I will draw my sword⁷ from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.⁸ 21:4 Because I will cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked, my sword will go out from its sheath against everyone⁹ from the south¹⁰ to the north. 21:5 Then everyone will know that I am the Lord, who drew my sword from its sheath – it will not be sheathed again!’

21:6 “And you, son of man, groan with an aching heart¹¹ and bitterness; groan before their eyes. 21:7 When they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you will reply, ‘Because of the report that has come. Every heart will melt with fear and every hand will be limp; everyone¹² will faint and every knee will be wet with urine.’¹³ Pay attention – it is coming and it will happen, declares the sovereign Lord.”

21:8 The word of the Lord came to me: 21:9 “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘A sword, a sword is sharpened,

and also polished.

21:10 It is sharpened for slaughter,

it is polished to flash like lightning!

“‘Should we rejoice in the scepter of my son? No! The sword despises every tree!¹⁴

21:11 “‘He gave it to be polished,

to be grasped in the hand –

the sword is sharpened, it is polished –

giving it into the hand of the executioner.

21:12 Cry out and moan, son of man,

for it is wielded against my people;

against all the princes of Israel.

They are delivered up to the sword, along with my people.

Therefore, strike your thigh.¹⁵

21:13 “‘For testing will come, and what will happen when the scepter, which the sword despises, is no more?¹⁶ declares the sovereign Lord.’

21:14 “And you, son of man, prophesy,

and clap your hands together.

Let the sword strike twice, even three times!

It is a sword for slaughter,

a sword for the great slaughter surrounding them.

21:15 So hearts melt with fear and many stumble.

At all their gates I have stationed the sword for slaughter.

Ah! It is made to flash, it is drawn for slaughter!

21:16 Cut sharply on the right!

Swing to¹⁷ the left,

wherever your edge¹⁸ is appointed to strike.

21:17 I too will clap my hands together,

I will exhaust my rage;

I the Lord have spoken.”

21:18 The word of the Lord came to me: 21:19 “You, son of man, mark out two routes for the king of Babylon’s sword to take; both of them will originate in a single land. Make a signpost and put it at the beginning of the road leading to the city. 21:20 Mark out the routes for the sword to take: “Rabbah of the Ammonites” and “Judah with Jerusalem in it.”¹⁹ 21:21 For the king of Babylon stands at the fork²⁰ in the road at the head of the two routes. He looks for omens:²¹ He shakes arrows, he consults idols,²² he examines²³ animal livers.²⁴ 21:22 Into his right hand²⁵ comes the portent for Jerusalem – to set up battering rams, to give the signal²⁶ for slaughter, to shout out the battle cry,²⁷ to set up battering rams against the gates, to erect a siege ramp, to build a siege wall. 21:23 But those in Jerusalem²⁸ will view it as a false omen. They have sworn solemn oaths,²⁹ but the king of Babylon³⁰ will accuse them of violations³¹ in order to seize them.³²

21:24 “Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you have brought up³³ your own guilt by uncovering your transgressions and revealing your sins through all your actions, for this reason you will be taken by force.³⁴

21:25 “‘As for you, profane and wicked prince of Israel,³⁵

whose day has come, the time of final punishment,

21:26 this is what the sovereign Lord says:

Tear off the turban,³⁶

take off the crown!

Things must change!³⁷

Exalt the lowly,

bring down the proud!³⁸

21:27 A total ruin I will make it!³⁹

It will come to an end

when the one arrives to whom I have assigned judgment.’⁴⁰

21:28 “As for you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says concerning the Ammonites and their coming humiliation;⁴¹ say:

“‘A sword, a sword drawn for slaughter,

polished to consume,⁴² to flash like lightning –

21:29 while seeing false visions for you

and reading lying omens for you⁴³ –

to place that sword⁴⁴ on the necks of the profane wicked,⁴⁵

whose day has come,

the time of final punishment.

21:30 Return it to its sheath!⁴⁶

In the place where you were created,⁴⁷

in your native land, I will judge you.

21:31 I will pour out my anger on you;

the fire of my fury I will blow on you.

I will hand you over to brutal men,

who are skilled in destruction.

21:32 You will become fuel for the fire –

your blood will stain the middle of the land;⁴⁸

you will no longer be remembered,

for I, the Lord, have spoken.’”

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