| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, | 1The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 2“Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, preach against the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel; | 2"Son of man, turn toward Jerusalem and speak out against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel |
| 3and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Behold, I am against you, and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off both righteous and wicked from 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. |
| 4Because I will cut off both righteous and wicked from you, therefore My sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh 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. |
| 5that all flesh may know that I, the LORD, have drawn My sword out of its sheath; it shall not return anymore.” ’ | 5Then everyone will know that I am the LORD, who drew my sword from its sheath--it will not be sheathed again!' |
| 6Sigh therefore, son of man, with a breaking heart, and sigh with bitterness before their eyes. | 6"And you, son of man, groan with an aching heart and bitterness; groan before their eyes. |
| 7And 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 weak as water. Behold, it is coming and shall be brought to pass,’ says 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." |
| 8Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, | 8The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 9“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the LORD!’ Say: ‘A sword, a sword is sharpened And also polished! | 9"Son of man, prophesy and say: 'This is what the Lord says: "'A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also polished. |
| 10Sharpened to make a dreadful slaughter, Polished to flash like lightning! Should we then make mirth? It despises the scepter of My son, As it does all wood. | 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! |
| 11And 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 of the slayer.’ | 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. |
| 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; Therefore strike your thigh. | 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. |
| 13“Because it is a testing, And what if the sword despises even the scepter? The scepter shall be no more,” says 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“You therefore, son of man, prophesy, And strike your hands together. The third time let the sword do double damage. It is the sword that slays, The sword that slays the great men, That enters their private chambers. | 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. |
| 15I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, That the heart may melt and many may stumble. Ah! It is made bright; It is grasped for 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! |
| 16“Swords at the ready! Thrust right! Set your blade! Thrust left— Wherever your edge is ordered! | 16Cut sharply on the right! Swing to the left, wherever your edge is appointed to strike. |
| 17“I also will beat My fists together, And I will cause My fury to rest; I, the LORD, have spoken.” | 17I too will clap my hands together, I will exhaust my rage; I the LORD have spoken." |
| 18The word of the LORD came to me again, saying: | 18The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 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; put it at the head of the road 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. |
| 20Appoint a road for the sword to go to Rabbah of the Ammonites, and to Judah, into fortified Jerusalem. | 20Mark out the routes for the sword to take: "Rabbah of the Ammonites" and "Judah with Jerusalem in it." |
| 21For 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. | 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. |
| 22In his right hand is the divination for Jerusalem: to set up battering rams, to call for a slaughter, to lift the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to heap up a siege mound, and to build a 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. |
| 23And it will be to them like a false divination in the eyes of those who have sworn oaths with them; but he will bring their iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken. | 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. |
| 24“Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘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. | 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‘Now to you, O profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose iniquity shall end, | 25"'As for you, profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, the time of final punishment, |
| 26thus says the Lord GOD: “Remove the turban, and take off the crown; Nothing shall remain the same. Exalt the humble, and humble the exalted. | 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! |
| 27Overthrown, overthrown, I will make it overthrown! It shall be no longer, Until He comes whose right it is, And I will 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.' |
| 28“And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach,’ and say: ‘A sword, a sword is drawn, Polished for slaughter, For consuming, for flashing— | 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-- |
| 29While they see 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 iniquity shall end. | 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. |
| 30‘Return it to its sheath. I will judge you In the place where you were created, In the land of your nativity. | 30Return it to its sheath! In the place where you were created, in your native land, I will judge you. |
| 31I will pour out My indignation on you; I will blow against you with the fire of My wrath, And deliver you into the hands of brutal men who are skillful to destroy. | 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 shall be fuel for the fire; Your blood shall be in the midst of the land. You shall not be remembered, For 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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