| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, | 1And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, |
| 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, set your face against Jerusalem and preach 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 tell her that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am against you, and 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 both the righteous and the wicked, My sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north. |
| 5that all flesh may know that I, the LORD, have drawn My sword out of its sheath; it shall not return anymore.” ’ | 5Then all flesh will know that I, the LORD, have taken My sword from its sheath, not to return it again.’ |
| 6Sigh therefore, son of man, with a breaking heart, and sigh with bitterness before their eyes. | 6But you, son of man, groan! Groan before their eyes with a broken heart and bitter grief. |
| 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.” | 7And when they ask, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you are to say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt, and every hand will go limp. Every spirit will faint, and every knee will turn to water.’ Yes, it is coming and it will surely happen, declares the Lord GOD.” |
| 8Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, | 8Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, |
| 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 tell them that this is what the Lord says: ‘A sword, a sword, sharpened and 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 the slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! Should we rejoice in the scepter of My son? The sword despises every such stick. |
| 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.’ | 11The sword is appointed to be polished, to be grasped in the hand. It is sharpened and polished, to be placed in the hand of the slayer. |
| 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 wail, O son of man, for the sword is wielded against My people; it is against all the princes of Israel! They are tossed to the sword 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. | 13Surely testing will come! And what if even the scepter, which the sword despises, does not continue?’ declares the Lord GOD. |
| 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‘So then, son of man, prophesy and strike your hands together. Let the sword strike two times, even three. It is a sword that slays, a sword of great slaughter closing in on every side! |
| 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 that their hearts may melt and many may stumble, I have appointed at all their gates a sword for slaughter. Yes, it is ready to flash like lightning; it is drawn for slaughter. |
| 16“Swords at the ready! Thrust right! Set your blade! Thrust left— Wherever your edge is ordered! | 16Slash to the right; set your blade to the left—wherever your blade is directed. |
| 17“I also will beat My fists together, And I will cause My fury to rest; I, the LORD, have spoken.” | 17I too will strike My hands together, and I will satisfy My wrath.’ I, the LORD, have spoken.” |
| 18The word of the LORD came to me again, saying: | 18Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, |
| 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“Now you, son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same land. And make a signpost where the road branches off to each city. |
| 20Appoint a road for the sword to go to Rabbah of the Ammonites, and to Judah, into fortified Jerusalem. | 20Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and another against Judah into fortified Jerusalem. |
| 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 junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He shakes the arrows, he consults the idols, he examines the liver. |
| 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. | 22In his right hand appears the portent for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to call for the slaughter, to lift a battle cry, to direct the battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp, and to erect 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. | 23It will seem like a false omen to the eyes of those who have sworn allegiance to him, but it will draw attention to their guilt and take them captive. |
| 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. | 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 deeds—because you have come to remembrance—you shall be taken in hand. |
| 25‘Now to you, O profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose iniquity shall end, | 25And you, O profane and wicked prince of Israel, the day has come for your 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 Lord GOD says: ‘Remove the turban, and take off the crown. Things will not remain as they are: Exalt the lowly and bring low the exalted. |
| 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 ruin, a ruin, I will make it a ruin! And it will not be restored until the arrival of Him to whom it belongs, to whom I have assigned the right of 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— | 28Now prophesy, son of man, and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says concerning the Ammonites and their contempt: ‘A sword! A sword is 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 they offer false visions for you and lying divinations about you—to be placed on the necks of the wicked who are slain, whose day has come, the time of their 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 the sword 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 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 upon you; I will breathe the fire of My fury against you; I will hand you over to brutal men, 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 be fuel for the fire. Your blood will stain your own land. You will not be remembered, for I, the LORD, have spoken.’ ” |
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