Christian Standard Bible

New Living Translation

1The word of the LORD came to me again:

1 Then this message came to me from the LORD:

2"Son of man, face Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel,

2“Son of man, turn and face Jerusalem and prophesy against Israel and her sanctuaries.

3and say to it, '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.

3Tell her, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am your enemy, O Israel, and I am about to unsheath my sword to destroy your people—the righteous and the wicked alike.

4Since I will cut off both the righteous and the wicked, my sword will therefore come out of its sheath against all people from the south to the north.

4Yes, I will cut off both the righteous and the wicked! I will draw my sword against everyone in the land from south to north.

5So all people will know that I, the LORD, have taken my sword from its sheath--it will not be sheathed again.'

5Everyone in the world will know that I am the LORD. My sword is in my hand, and it will not return to its sheath until its work is finished.’

6"But you, son of man, groan! Groan bitterly with a broken heart right before their eyes.

6“Son of man, groan before the people! Groan before them with bitter anguish and a broken heart.

7And when they ask you, 'Why are you groaning?' then say, 'Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt, and every hand will become weak. Every spirit will be discouraged, and all knees will run with urine. Yes, it is coming and it will happen. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.'"

7When they ask why you are groaning, tell them, ‘I groan because of the terrifying news I have heard. When it comes true, the boldest heart will melt with fear; all strength will disappear. Every spirit will faint; strong knees will become as weak as water. And the Sovereign LORD says: It is coming! It’s on its way!’”

8The word of the LORD came to me:

8Then the LORD said to me,

9"Son of man, prophesy, 'This is what the Lord says!' You are to proclaim, 'A sword! A sword is sharpened and also polished.

9“Son of man, give the people this message from the Lord: “A sword, a sword is being sharpened and polished.

10It is sharpened for slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! Should we rejoice? The scepter of my son, the sword despises every tree.

10It is sharpened for terrible slaughter and polished to flash like lightning! Now will you laugh? Those far stronger than you have fallen beneath its power!

11The sword is given to be polished, to be grasped in the hand. It is sharpened, and it is polished, to be put in the hand of the slayer.'

11Yes, the sword is now being sharpened and polished; it is being prepared for the executioner.

12"Cry out and wail, son of man, for it is against my people. It is against all the princes of Israel! They are given over to the sword with my people. Therefore strike your thigh in grief.

12“Son of man, cry out and wail; pound your thighs in anguish, for that sword will slaughter my people and their leaders— everyone will die!

13Surely it will be a trial! And what if the sword despises even the scepter? The scepter will not continue." This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

13It will put them all to the test. What chance do they have? says the Sovereign LORD.

14"So you, son of man, prophesy and clap your hands together: Let the sword strike two times, even three. It is a sword for massacre, a sword for great massacre--it surrounds them!

14“Son of man, prophesy to them and clap your hands. Then take the sword and brandish it twice, even three times, to symbolize the great massacre, the great massacre facing them on every side.

15I have appointed a sword for slaughter at all their gates, so that their hearts may melt and many may stumble. Yes! It is ready to flash like lightning; it is drawn for slaughter.

15Let their hearts melt with terror, for the sword glitters at every gate. It flashes like lightning and is polished for slaughter!

16Slash to the right; turn to the left--wherever your blade is directed.

16O sword, slash to the right, then slash to the left, wherever you will, wherever you want.

17I also will clap my hands together, and I will satisfy my wrath. I, the LORD, have spoken."

17I, too, will clap my hands, and I will satisfy my fury. I, the LORD, have spoken!” Omens for Babylon’s King

18The word of the LORD came to me:

18Then this message came to me from the LORD:

19"Now you, son of man, mark out two roads that the sword of Babylon's king can take. Both of them should originate from the same land. And make a signpost at the fork in the road to each city.

19“Son of man, make a map and trace two routes on it for the sword of Babylon’s king to follow. Put a signpost on the road that comes out of Babylon where the road forks into two—

20Mark out a road that the sword can take to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah into fortified Jerusalem.

20one road going to Ammon and its capital, Rabbah, and the other to Judah and fortified Jerusalem.

21For the king of Babylon stands at the split in the road, at the fork of the two roads, to practice divination: he shakes the arrows, consults the idols, and observes the liver.

21The king of Babylon now stands at the fork, uncertain whether to attack Jerusalem or Rabbah. He calls his magicians to look for omens. They cast lots by shaking arrows from the quiver. They inspect the livers of animal sacrifices.

22The answer marked Jerusalem appears in his right hand, indicating that he should set up battering rams, give the order to slaughter, raise a battle cry, set battering rams against the gates, build a ramp, and construct a siege wall.

22The omen in his right hand says, ‘Jerusalem!’ With battering rams his soldiers will go against the gates, shouting for the kill. They will put up siege towers and build ramps against the walls.

23It will seem like false divination to those who have sworn an oath to the Babylonians, but it will draw attention to their guilt so that they will be captured.

23The people of Jerusalem will think it is a false omen, because of their treaty with the Babylonians. But the king of Babylon will remind the people of their rebellion. Then he will attack and capture them.

24"Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: Because you have drawn attention to your guilt, exposing your transgressions, so that your sins are revealed in all your actions--since you have done this, you will be captured by them.

24“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Again and again you remind me of your sin and your guilt. You don’t even try to hide it! In everything you do, your sins are obvious for all to see. So now the time of your punishment has come!

25And you, profane and wicked prince of Israel, the day has come for your punishment.

25“O you corrupt and wicked prince of Israel, your final day of reckoning is here!

26"This is what the Lord GOD says: Remove the turban, and take off the crown. Things will not remain as they are; exalt the lowly and bring down the exalted.

26This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “Take off your jeweled crown, for the old order changes. Now the lowly will be exalted, and the mighty will be brought down.

27A ruin, a ruin, I will make it a ruin! Yet this will not happen until he comes; I have given the judgment to him.

27Destruction! Destruction! I will surely destroy the kingdom. And it will not be restored until the one appears who has the right to judge it. Then I will hand it over to him. A Message for the Ammonites

28"Now you, son of man, prophesy, and say, 'This is what the Lord GOD says concerning the Ammonites and their contempt.' You are to proclaim, 'A sword! A sword is drawn for slaughter, polished to consume, to flash like lightning.

28“And now, son of man, prophesy concerning the Ammonites and their mockery. Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: “A sword, a sword is drawn for your slaughter. It is polished to destroy, flashing like lightning!

29While they offer false visions and lying divinations about you, the time has come to put you to the necks of the profane wicked ones; the day has come for final punishment.

29Your prophets have given false visions, and your fortune-tellers have told lies. The sword will fall on the necks of the wicked for whom the day of final reckoning has come.

30"'Return it to its sheath! "'I will judge you in the place where you were created, in the land of your origin.

30“Now return the sword to its sheath, for in your own country, the land of your birth, I will pass judgment upon you.

31I will pour out my indignation on you; I will blow the fire of my fury on you. I will hand you over to brutal men, skilled at destruction.

31I will pour out my fury on you and blow on you with the fire of my anger. I will hand you over to cruel men who are skilled in destruction.

32You will be fuel for the fire. Your blood will be spilled within the land. You will not be remembered, for I, the LORD, have spoken.'"

32You will be fuel for the fire, and your blood will be spilled in your own land. You will be utterly wiped out, your memory lost to history, for I, the LORD, have spoken!”

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.