Babylon, the Sword of God
1 And the word of theLordcame to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem,preach against the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel;
3 and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says theLord: “Behold, Iamagainst you, and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off bothrighteous and wicked from you.
4 Because I will cut off both righteous and wicked from you, therefore My sword shall go out of its sheath against all fleshfrom southtonorth,
5 that all flesh may know that I, theLord, have drawn My sword out of its sheath; itshall not return anymore.” ’
6 Sigh therefore, son of man, with a breaking heart, and sigh with bitterness before their eyes.
7 And it shall be when they say to you, ‘Why are you sighing?’ that you shall answer, ‘Because of the news; when it comes, every heart will melt,all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weakaswater. Behold, it is coming and shall be brought to pass,’ says the LordGod.”
8 Again the word of theLordcame to me, saying,
9 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says theLord!’ Say:
# ‘A sword, a sword is sharpened
And also polished!
10 Sharpened to make a dreadful slaughter,
Polished to flash like lightning!
Should we then make mirth?
It despises the scepter of My son,
Asitdoesall wood.
11 And He has given it to be polished,
That it may be handled;
This sword is sharpened, and it is polished
# To be given into the hand ofthe slayer.’
12 “Cry and wail, son of man;
For it will be against My people,
Against all the princes of Israel.
Terrors including the sword will be against My people;
# Thereforestrikeyourthigh.
13 “Becauseitisa testing,
And what ifthesworddespises even the scepter?
# Thesceptershall be nomore,”
says the LordGod.
14 “You therefore, son of man, prophesy,
# Andstrikeyourhands together.
The third time let the sword do doubledamage.
Itisthe swordthatslays,
The sword that slays the greatmen,
# That enters theirprivate chambers.
15 I have set the point of the sword against all their gates,
That the heart may melt and many may stumble.
# Ah!Itismade bright;
Itisgrasped for slaughter:
16 “Swordsat the ready!
Thrust right!
Set your blade!
Thrust left—
Wherever your edge is ordered!
17 “I also willbeat My fists together,
# AndI will cause My fury to rest;
I, theLord, have spoken.”
18 The word of theLordcame to me again, saying:
19 “And son of man, appoint for yourself two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to go; both of them shall go from the same land. Make a sign; putitat the head of the road to the city.
20 Appoint a road for the sword to go toRabbah of the Ammonites, and to Judah, into fortified Jerusalem.
21 For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the road, at the fork of the two roads, to use divination: he shakes the arrows, he consults the images, he looks at the liver.
22 In his right hand is the divination for Jerusalem: to set up battering rams, to call for a slaughter, tolift the voice with shouting,to set battering rams against the gates, to heap up asiegemound, and to build a wall.
23 And it will be to them like a false divination in the eyes of those whohave sworn oaths with them; but he will bring their iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.
24 “Therefore thus says the LordGod: ‘Because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins appear—because you have come to remembrance, you shall be taken in hand.
25 ‘Now to you, Oprofane, wicked prince of Israel,whose day has come, whose iniquityshallend,
26 thus says the LordGod:
“Remove the turban, and take off the crown;
Nothingshallremainthe same.
# Exalt the humble, and humble the exalted.
27 Overthrown, overthrown,
I will make it overthrown!
# It shall be nolonger,
Until He comes whose right it is,
# And I will give ittoHim.” ’
A Sword Against the Ammonites
28 “And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the LordGodconcerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach,’ and say:
‘A sword, a swordisdrawn,
Polished for slaughter,
For consuming, for flashing—
29 While theysee false visions for you,
While they divine a lie to you,
To bring you on the necks of the wicked, the slain
# Whose day has come,
Whose iniquityshallend.
30 ‘Returnitto its sheath.
# I will judge you
In the place where you were created,
# In the land of your nativity.
31 I willpour out My indignation on you;
# I willblow against you with the fire of My wrath,
# And deliver you into the hands of brutal menwhoareskillful todestroy.
32 You shall be fuel for the fire;
Your blood shall be in the midst of the land.
# You shall not be remembered,
For I theLordhave spoken.’ ”