| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1The word of the LORD came to me: | 1The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 2"Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary. Prophesy against the land of Israel | 2"Son of man, turn toward Jerusalem and speak out against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel |
| 3and say to her: '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. | 3and say to them, 'This is what the LORD says: Look, I am against you. I will draw my sword from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked. |
| 4Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north. | 4Because I will cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked, my sword will go out from its sheath against everyone from the south to the north. |
| 5Then all people will know that I the LORD have drawn my sword from its sheath; it will not return again.' | 5Then everyone will know that I am the LORD, who drew my sword from its sheath--it will not be sheathed again!' |
| 6"Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief. | 6"And you, son of man, groan with an aching heart and bitterness; groan before their eyes. |
| 7And when they ask you, 'Why are you groaning?' you shall say, 'Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt with fear and every hand go limp; every spirit will become faint and every leg will be wet with urine.' It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD." | 7When 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; everyone will faint and every knee will be wet with urine.' Pay attention--it is coming and it will happen, declares the sovereign LORD." |
| 8The word of the LORD came to me: | 8The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 9"Son of man, prophesy and say, 'This is what the Lord says: "'A sword, a sword, sharpened and polished-- | 9"Son of man, prophesy and say: 'This is what the Lord says: "'A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also polished. |
| 10sharpened for the slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! "'Shall we rejoice in the scepter of my royal son? The sword despises every such stick. | 10It 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! |
| 11"'The sword is appointed to be polished, to be grasped with the hand; it is sharpened and polished, made ready for the hand of the slayer. | 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. |
| 12Cry out and wail, son of man, for it is against my people; it is against all the princes of Israel. They are thrown to the sword along with my people. Therefore beat your breast. | 12Cry 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. |
| 13"'Testing will surely come. And what if even the scepter, which the sword despises, does not continue? declares the Sovereign LORD.' | 13"'For testing will come, and what will happen when the scepter, which the sword despises, is no more? declares the sovereign LORD.' |
| 14"So then, son of man, prophesy and strike your hands together. Let the sword strike twice, even three times. It is a sword for slaughter-- a sword for great slaughter, closing in on them from every side. | 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. |
| 15So that hearts may melt with fear and the fallen be many, I have stationed the sword for slaughter at all their gates. Look! It is forged to strike like lightning, it is grasped for slaughter. | 15So 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! |
| 16Slash to the right, you sword, then to the left, wherever your blade is turned. | 16Cut sharply on the right! Swing to the left, wherever your edge is appointed to strike. |
| 17I too will strike my hands together, and my wrath will subside. I the LORD have spoken." | 17I too will clap my hands together, I will exhaust my rage; I the LORD have spoken." |
| 18The word of the LORD came to me: | 18The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 19"Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same country. Make a signpost where the road branches off to the city. | 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. |
| 20Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites and another against Judah and fortified Jerusalem. | 20Mark out the routes for the sword to take: "Rabbah of the Ammonites" and "Judah with Jerusalem in it." |
| 21For the king of Babylon will stop at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He will cast lots with arrows, he will consult his idols, he will examine the liver. | 21For the king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road at the head of the two routes. He looks for omens: He shakes arrows, he consults idols, he examines animal livers. |
| 22Into his right hand will come the lot for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to give the command to slaughter, to sound the battle cry, to set battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp and to erect siege works. | 22Into his right hand comes the portent for Jerusalem--to set up battering rams, to give the signal for slaughter, to shout out the battle cry, to set up battering rams against the gates, to erect a siege ramp, to build a siege wall. |
| 23It will seem like a false omen to those who have sworn allegiance to him, but he will remind them of their guilt and take them captive. | 23But those in Jerusalem will view it as a false omen. They have sworn solemn oaths, but the king of Babylon will accuse them of violations in order to seize them. |
| 24"Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because you people have brought to mind your guilt by your open rebellion, revealing your sins in all that you do--because you have done this, you will be taken captive. | 24"Therefore this is what the sovereign LORD says: 'Because you have brought up your own guilt by uncovering your transgressions and revealing your sins through all your actions, for this reason you will be taken by force. |
| 25"'You profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose time of punishment has reached its climax, | 25"'As for you, profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, the time of final punishment, |
| 26this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Take off the turban, remove the crown. It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low. | 26this is what the sovereign LORD says: Tear off the turban, take off the crown! Things must change! Exalt the lowly, bring down the proud! |
| 27A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! The crown will not be restored until he to whom it rightfully belongs shall come; to him I will give it.' | 27A total ruin I will make it! It will come to an end when the one arrives to whom I have assigned judgment.' |
| 28"And you, son of man, prophesy and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says about the Ammonites and their insults: "'A sword, a sword, drawn for the slaughter, polished to consume and to flash like lightning! | 28"As for you, son of man, prophesy and say, 'This is what the sovereign LORD says concerning the Ammonites and their coming humiliation; say: "'A sword, a sword drawn for slaughter, polished to consume, to flash like lightning-- |
| 29Despite false visions concerning you and lying divinations about you, it will be laid on the necks of the wicked who are to be slain, whose day has come, whose time of punishment has reached its climax. | 29while seeing false visions for you and reading lying omens for you--to place that sword on the necks of the profane wicked, whose day has come, the time of final punishment. |
| 30"'Let the sword return to its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your ancestry, I will judge you. | 30Return it to its sheath! In the place where you were created, in your native land, I will judge you. |
| 31I will pour out my wrath on you and breathe out my fiery anger against you; I will deliver you into the hands of brutal men, men skilled in destruction. | 31I 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. |
| 32You will be fuel for the fire, your blood will be shed in your land, you will be remembered no more; for I the LORD have spoken.'" | 32You will become fuel for the fire--your blood will stain the middle of the land; you will no longer be remembered, for I, the LORD, have spoken.'" |
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