Ezekiel 21:1-17
The Prophecy of Yahweh’s Sword
211And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 2“Son of man, aset your face toward Jerusalem and bspeak, dripping out words against the sanctuaries and prophesy against the land of Israel 3and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Behold, aI am against you; and I will bring out My sword from its sheath and cut off from you the brighteous and the wicked. 4“Because I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore My sword will go out from its sheath against aall flesh from south to north. 5“Thus all flesh will know that I, Yahweh, have brought out My sword from its sheath. It will anot return to its sheath again.”’ 6“Now as for you, son of man, groan with breaking 1heart and bitter grief, groan in their sight. 7“And it will be that when they say to you, ‘Why do you groan?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the areport that is coming; and bevery heart will melt, all hands will fall limp, every spirit will 1faint, and all knees will 2be weak as water. Behold, it is coming, and it will happen,’ declares Lord Yahweh.”
8Again the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 9“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says 1the Lord.’ Say, ‘aA sword, a sword sharpenedAnd also polished!
10‘Sharpened to make a aslaughter,Polished 1to flash like lightning!’ Or shall we 2rejoice in the 3scepter of My son? The sword bdespises every tree.11“It is given to be polished, that it may be seized by the 1hand; the sword is sharpened and polished, to give it into the hand of the one who kills. 12“aCry out and wail, son of man; for it is against My people; it is against all the bprinces of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with My people; therefore slap your thigh. 13“For there is a testing; and what if even the 1scepter 2which the sword despises will be no more?” declares Lord Yahweh.
14“You therefore, son of man, prophesy and strike your hands together; and let the sword be adoubled the third time, the sword for the slain. It is the sword for the great one slain, which surrounds them, 15that their ahearts may melt, and many will be bstumbling blocks at all their cgates. I have given the glittering sword. Ah! It is made for striking like lightning, it is wrapped up in readiness for slaughter. 16“1Show yourself sharp, go to the right; set yourself; go to the left, wherever your 2edge is appointed. 17“And I will also strike My hands together, and I will 1,acause My wrath to be at rest; I, Yahweh, have spoken.”