| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1 This message came to me from the LORD: | 1The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 2"Son of Man, look toward Jerusalem, preach against its sanctuaries, and prophesy against Israel's land. | 2"Son of man, turn toward Jerusalem and speak out against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel |
| 3Declare to Israel, 'This is what the LORD says: "Watch out! I'm against you! I'm going to unsheathe my sword to kill both the righteous and the wicked among you. | 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. |
| 4Since I'm going to kill both the righteous and the wicked among you, I'll be unsheathing my sword 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 everyone will know that I am the LORD, who unsheathed my sword, and who won't have to unsheathe it again."' | 5Then everyone will know that I am the LORD, who drew my sword from its sheath--it will not be sheathed again!' |
| 6"And now, Son of Man, you are to start groaning until you're sick to your stomach. You are to groan bitterly right in front of them. | 6"And you, son of man, groan with an aching heart and bitterness; groan before their eyes. |
| 7When they'll ask you, 'Why are you groaning?' you are to say, 'Because of the news that just arrived. Every heart will melt with fear, every hand will grow limp, every spirit will grow faint, and every knee will glisten with sweat.' Look! It has come and it will be fulfilled," declares the Lord GOD. | 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." |
| 8This message came to me from the LORD: | 8The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 9"Son of Man, prophesy and say, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: 'A sword! A sword is being sharpened. It's also being polished. | 9"Son of man, prophesy and say: 'This is what the Lord says: "'A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also polished. |
| 10It's being sharpened for slaughter, and being polished to gleam like lightning.' "We shouldn't be rejoicing, should we, while my Son's scepter, the sword, is despising every tree? | 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! |
| 11It's intended to be polished so it can be grasped in the hand. The sword is sharpened. It's polished for placement into the hand of the executioner." | 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 and wail, you Son of Man! It's headed against my people. It's also against all the princes of Israel, who have been tossed to the sword, along with my people. So it's time to grieve like you mean it, | 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. |
| 13because testing is sure to come. 'In putting the sword to the test along with the scepter, it won't keep on rejecting, will it?' declares the Lord GOD." | 13"'For testing will come, and what will happen when the scepter, which the sword despises, is no more? declares the sovereign LORD.' |
| 14"Now, Son of Man, prophesy as you strike your hands together. Let the sword that fatally wounds be doubled and tripled. That great, slaughtering sword closes in on them. I've set in place a slaughtering sword at the entrance to all their gates, | 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 their hearts melt and the number of those who stumble increase. I've set in place a slaughtering sword at the entrance to all their gates. Oh, no! It's made like lightning. It's drawn to 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! |
| 16Be sharp! Attack on the right, or parry to your left, wherever you point your sword. | 16Cut sharply on the right! Swing to the left, wherever your edge is appointed to strike. |
| 17I will also clap my hands; then my anger will subside. I, the LORD have spoken it." | 17I too will clap my hands together, I will exhaust my rage; I the LORD have spoken." |
| 18This message came to me from the LORD: | 18The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 19"Now, Son of Man, demarcate two pathways by which the sword of Babylon's king will arrive in the land. Both pathways will lead from a single land. "Make a sign, carving it out and installing it at the junction on the way 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. |
| 20Set it to point one way for bringing the sword against Rabbah, the descendants of Ammon, and the other way against Judah and fortified Jerusalem. | 20Mark out the routes for the sword to take: "Rabbah of the Ammonites" and "Judah with Jerusalem in it." |
| 21"Meanwhile, Babylon's king is standing at the fork of the road, where he can head in either of two directions, and that's where he is practicing divination. Shaking his arrows, he's asking questions of his teraphim while he examines livers. | 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. |
| 22On his right hand he is divining against Jerusalem, preparing to set up battering rams, preparing for the slaughter, getting ready to sound the alarm for battle, setting the battering rams in place at the gates, building siege mounds, and erecting a siege wall. | 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. |
| 23In their view, it will seem to be a false prophecy, but because they swore allegiance, he'll make them remember their guilt as he takes 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. |
| 24Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: "Because you remembered your sins when your transgressions were uncovered, your sins are visibly evident in everything you've done. And since you've remembered them, you'll 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"So now, you dishonored and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come in this time of final punishment, | 25"'As for you, profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, the time of final punishment, |
| 26This is what the Lord GOD says: 'Remove your turban! Take off your crown! Things aren't going to remain as they used to be. What is lowly will be exalted, and what is lofty 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'm bringing about ruin!' But this also will not happen until he who has authority over it arrives, because I'll give it to him." | 27A total ruin I will make it! It will come to an end when the one arrives to whom I have assigned judgment.' |
| 28And now Son of Man, prophesy to the Ammonites that this is what the Lord GOD says to the Ammonites about their approaching humiliation: "A sword! A sword is being drawn for slaughter. It's polished 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-- |
| 29When they see empty visions about you while they're divining lies for you, to lay you on the necks of the wicked, who are fatally wounded, whose days have come, their time for punishment. | 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. |
| 30Return it to its scabbard. "At the place where you were formed, in the land of your origin, there is where I'll judge you. | 30Return it to its sheath! In the place where you were created, in your native land, I will judge you. |
| 31I'm going to pour out my indignation all over you. I'll blow my fierce wrath against you and deliver you into the control of brutal men who are skilled at 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'll be fuel for the conflagration. Your blood will be spilled throughout the land. You won't be remembered anymore, now that 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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