Holman Christian Standard Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1The word of the LORD came to me again:"

1And the word of the LORD came to me saying,

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

2"Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, and speak against the sanctuaries and prophesy against the land of Israel;

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 both the righteous and the wicked from you.

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 from you the righteous and the wicked.

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

4"Because I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore My sword will go forth from its sheath against all flesh from south to north.

5So all the people will know that I, Yahweh, have taken My sword from its sheath--it will not be sheathed again."

5"Thus all flesh will know that I, the LORD, have drawn My sword out of its sheath. It will not return to its sheath again."'

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

6"As for you, son of man, groan with breaking heart and bitter grief, groan in their sight.

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 every knee will turn to water. Yes, it is coming and it will happen." This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

7"And when they say to you, 'Why do you groan?' you shall say, 'Because of the news that is coming; and every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it comes and it will happen,' declares the Lord GOD."

8The word of the LORD came to me: "

8Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

9Son 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, prophesy and say, 'Thus says the LORD.' Say, 'A sword, a sword sharpened And also polished!

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

10'Sharpened to make a slaughter, Polished to flash like lightning!' Or shall we rejoice, the rod of My son despising every tree?

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.

11"It is given to be polished, that it may be handled; the sword is sharpened and polished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.

12Cry 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"Cry out and wail, son of man; for it is against My people, it is against all the officials of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with My people, therefore strike your thigh.

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.

13"For there is a testing; and what if even the rod which despises will be no more?" declares the Lord GOD.

14Therefore, 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"You therefore, son of man, prophesy and clap your hands together; and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword for the slain. It is the sword for the great one slain, which surrounds them,

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.

15that their hearts may melt, and many fall at all their gates. I have given the glittering sword. Ah! It is made for striking like lightning, it is wrapped up in readiness for slaughter.

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

16"Show yourself sharp, go to the right; set yourself; go to the left, wherever your edge is appointed.

17I also will clap My hands together, and I will satisfy My wrath. I, Yahweh, have spoken."

17"I will also clap My hands together, and I will appease My wrath; I, the LORD, have spoken."

18Then the word of the LORD came to me: "

18The word of the LORD came to me saying,

19Now 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"As for you, son of man, make two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come; both of them will go out of one land. And make a signpost; make it at the head of the way to the city.

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

20"You shall mark a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and to Judah into 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.

21"For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination; he shakes the arrows, he consults the household idols, he looks at the liver.

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.

22"Into his right hand came the divination, 'Jerusalem,' to set battering rams, to open the mouth for slaughter, to lift up the voice with a battle cry, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up ramps, to build a siege wall.

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

23"And it will be to them like a false divination in their eyes; they have sworn solemn oaths. But he brings iniquity to remembrance, that they may be seized.

24Therefore, 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, 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 deeds your sins appear-- because you have come to remembrance, you will be seized with the hand.

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

25'And you, O slain, wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day has come, in the time of the punishment of the end,'

26This 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.

26thus says the Lord GOD, 'Remove the turban and take off the crown; this will no longer be the same. Exalt that which is low and abase that which is high.

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."

27A ruin, a ruin, a ruin, I will make it. This also will be no more until He comes whose right it is, and I will give it to Him.'

28Now prophesy, son of man, 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 you, son of man, prophesy and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the sons of Ammon and concerning their reproach,' and say: 'A sword, a sword is drawn, polished for the slaughter, to cause it to consume, that it may be 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 your punishment.

29while they see for you false visions, while they divine lies for you-- to place you on the necks of the wicked who are slain, whose day has come, in the time of the punishment of the end.

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

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

31'I will pour out My indignation on you; I will blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and I will give you into the hand of brutal men, skilled in destruction.

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

32'You will be fuel for the fire; your blood will be in the midst of the land. You will not be remembered, for I, the LORD, have spoken.'"

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org