Ezekiel 21:1-11 ▼

1 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

2 Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and preach toward the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel;

3 say to the land of Israel: Thus saith the LORD: Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth My sword out of its 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 its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north;

5 and all flesh shall know that I the LORD have drawn forth My sword out of its sheath; it shall not return any more.

6 Sigh therefore, thou son of man; with the breaking of thy loins and with bitterness shalt thou sigh before their eyes.

7 And it shall be, when they say unto thee: Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt say: Because of the tidings, for it cometh; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be slack, and every spirit shall be faint, and all knees shall drip with water; behold, it cometh, and it shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.'

8 And 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, it is sharpened, And also furbished:

10 It is sharpened that it may make a sore slaughter, It is furbished that it may glitter-- Or shall we make mirth?-- Against the rod of My son, contemning every tree.

11 And it is given to be furbished, That it may be handled; The sword, it is sharpened, Yea, it is furbished, To give it into the hand of the slayer.