sword out of its sheath; it shall not return any more. 11Sigh therefore, thou son of man; with the breaking of thy loins and with bitterness shalt thou sigh before their eyes. 12And 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.'
13And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying: 14'Son of man, prophesy, and say: Thus saith the Lord: Say:
- A sword, a sword, it is sharpened,
- And also furbished:
- 15It 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.
- 16 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.
17Cry and wail, son of man; for it is upon My people, it is upon all the princes of Israel; they are thrust down to the sword with My people; smite therefore upon thy thigh. 18For there is a trial; and what if it contemn even the rod? It shall be no more, saith the Lord God. 19Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thy hands together; and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of those to be slain; it is the sword of the great one that is to be slain, which compasseth them about. 20I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may melt, and their stumblings be multiplied; ah! it is made glittering, it is sharpened for slaughter. 21Go thee one way to the right, or direct thyself to the left; whither is thy face set? 22I will also smite My hands together, and I will satisfy My fury; I the Lord have spoken it.'
23And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying: 24'Now, thou son of man, make thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come; they twain shall come forth out of one land; and mark a signpost, mark it clear at the head of the way to the city. 25Thou shalt make a way, that the sword may come to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and to Judah in Jerusalem the fortified. 26For the king of Babylon standeth at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination; he shaketh the arrows to and fro, he inquireth of the teraphim, he looketh in the liver. 27In his right hand is the lot Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open the mouth for the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, to build forts. 28And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, who have weeks upon weeks! but it bringeth iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.
29Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that your sins do appear in all your doings; because that ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand. 30And thou, O wicked one, that art to be slain, the prince of Israel, whose day is come, in the time of the iniquity of the end; 31thus
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