Ezekiel 21:1-23
The word of the Lord came to me again:“ Son of man, turn your face toward Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel,and 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.Since 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.So all the people will know that I, Yahweh, have taken My sword from its sheath— it will not be sheathed again.“ But you, son of man, groan! Groan bitterly with a broken heart right before their eyes.And 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.The word of the Lord came to me:“ Son of man, prophesy: This is what the Lord says! You are to proclaim: A sword! A sword is sharpened and also polished.It is sharpened for slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! Should we rejoice? The scepter of My son, the sword despises every tree.The 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.Cry 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.Surely 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.Therefore, 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!I 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.Slash to the right; turn to the left— wherever your blade is directed.I also will clap My hands together, and I will satisfy My wrath. I, Yahweh, have spoken.”Then the word of the Lord came to me:“ Now 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.Mark out a road that the sword can take to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah into fortified Jerusalem.For 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.The 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.It 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.
