1"And you, son of man, take a sharp sword to yourself, take a barber's razor also, and cause it to pass on your head and on your beard. Then take scales to weigh and divide the hair. 2You shall burn a third part with fire in the middle of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled; and you shall take a third part and beat around it with a sword; and you shall scatter a third part in the wind, and I will draw out a sword after them. 3Also you shall take a few of them in number, and tie them up in the hem of your garments. 4Then take of them again, and throw them into the middle of the fire, and burn them in the fire; for a fire shall come forth into all the house of Israel.

5Thus says the Lord GOD, 'This is Jerusalem. I have set it in the midst of the nations. 6And she has rebelled against My ordinances in doing wickedness more than the nations, and against My statutes more than the countries that are all around her; for they have rejected My judgments and My laws; they have not walked in them. ' 7Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, 'Because you have multiplied disobedience more than the nations that are all around you, and have not walked in My laws, neither have kept My judgments, nor have done according to the judgments of the nations all around you;' 8Therefore thus says the Lord GOD; 'Behold, I, even I, am against you, and will carry out judgments in the sight of the nations. 9And I will do in you that which I have not done, and the like of which I will never do again because of all your abominations. 10Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in your midst, and the sons shall eat their fathers. And I will execute judgments in you, and I will scatter the whole remnant of you into all the winds. 11Therefore, as I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'surely because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable things, and with all your abominations, therefore I will also diminish you; neither shall My eye spare you, nor will I have any pity.

12A third part of you shall die with the plague, and shall be consumed with the famine in your midst. And a third part shall fall by the sword all around you; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.

13Thus shall My anger be fulfilled, and I will cause My fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted. And they shall know that I the LORD have spoken it in My zeal, when I have fulfilled My fury upon them. 14And I will make you a desolation and a reproach among the nations that are all around you, in the sight of all who pass by. 15So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, a chastening and an astonishment to the nations which are all around you, when I shall execute judgments against you in anger and in fury and in raging rebukes; I the LORD have spoken it. 16When I shall send on them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, which I will send to destroy you; even I will increase the famine upon you, and break your staff of bread; 17Yea, I will send upon you famine and evil beasts, and you will be bereaved. And pestilence and blood shall pass among you; and I shall bring a sword on you. I the LORD have spoken it. ' "