“ Or suppose I send swords to kill the people in that country. And I say,‘ Let swords sweep all through the land.’ And I kill its people and their animals.

或者我使刀剑临到那地，说：刀剑哪，要经过那地，以致我将人与牲畜从其中剪除；

或者我使刀剑临到那地，说：‘让刀剑穿越那地’，以致我把人与牲畜从其中剪除；

或者我使刀剑临到那地，说：‘让刀剑穿越那地’，以致我把人与牲畜从其中剪除；

倘若我使刀剑临到那里，毁灭人和牲畜，

如果我使刀剑临到那地，说：‘愿刀剑经过那地，好让我把人和牲畜从那地剪除。’

或者我使刀劍臨到那地，說：刀劍哪，要經過那地，以致我將人與牲畜從其中剪除；

或者我使刀劍臨到那地，說：『讓刀劍穿越那地』，以致我把人與牲畜從其中剪除；

或者我使刀劍臨到那地，說：『讓刀劍穿越那地』，以致我把人與牲畜從其中剪除；

倘若我使刀劍臨到那裡，毀滅人和牲畜，

如果我使刀劍臨到那地，說：‘願刀劍經過那地，好讓我把人和牲畜從那地剪除。’

或者我使刀劍臨到那地，說：願刀劍經過那地，好使我將人和牲口都從那裏剪除掉；

我若使鋒刃臨於斯土、曰鋒刃歟、遍經斯地、絕其人畜、

如我降以鋒刃、使其國人畜、悉行翦滅、

如我使其國遇鋒刃、鋒刃徧害其地、於其中絕人與畜、

“ Or if I bring a sword against that country and say,‘ Let the sword pass throughout the land,’ and I kill its people and their animals,

“ Or if I bring a sword upon that land and say, Let a sword pass through the land, and I cut off from it man and beast,

“ Or suppose I were to bring war against the land, and I sent enemy armies to destroy both people and animals.

“ Or suppose I bring a sword against that land and say,‘ Let a sword pass through it,’ so that I wipe out both people and animals from it.

Or if I were to bring a sword on that country and say,‘ A sword is to pass through the country,’ and I eliminated human and animal life from it,

“ Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say,‘ Sword, go through the land,’ and I cut off man and beast from it,

Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off from it man and beast;

“ Or if I bring a sword against that land and say: Let a sword pass through it, so that I wipe out both man and animal from it,

Or[ if] I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:

“ Or suppose I were to bring a sword against that land and say,‘ Let a sword pass through the land,’ and I were to kill both people and animals.

“ Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say,‘ Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off from it man and animal;’

I will send war against you to punish you for breaking my covenant. When you go back into your cities, I will send a plague among you. You will be handed over to your enemies.

Tell them,‘ The Lord says,“ I am against you. I will pull out my sword. I will remove from you godly people and sinful people alike.Because I am going to remove them, my sword will be ready to use. I will strike down everyone from south to north.

A third of your people will die of the plague inside your walls. Or they will die of hunger there. Another third will be killed by swords outside your walls. And I will scatter the last third of your people to the winds. I will chase them with a sword that is ready to strike them down.

“ I will destroy people and animals alike. I will wipe out the birds in the sky and the fish in the waters. I will destroy the statues of gods that cause evil people to sin. That will happen when I destroy all human beings on the face of the earth,” announces the Lord.

The Lord continues,“ I will reach out my hand against Edom. I will kill its people and their animals. I will completely destroy it. They will be killed by swords from Teman all the way to Dedan.

“‘ Sword of the Lord!’ you cry out.‘ How long will it be until you rest? Return to the place you came from. Stop killing us! Be still!’

“ Son of man, suppose the people in a certain country sin against me. And they are not faithful to me. So I reach out my powerful hand against them. I cut off their food supply. I make them very hungry. I kill them and their animals.

I will punish you on all my mountains,” announces the Lord and King.“ Your men will use their swords against one another.I will judge you. I will send a plague against you. A lot of blood will be spilled. I will send heavy rain, hailstones and burning sulfur down to the earth. They will fall on you and your troops. They will also come down on the many nations that are helping you.

That is why the land is drying up. All those who live in it are getting weaker and weaker. The wild animals and the birds in the sky are dying. So are the fish in the ocean.

So the Lord and King says,“ I will send Nebuchadnezzar’s sword against you. He will kill people and animals alike.

“ Son of man, prophesy. Say,‘ The Lord says,“‘ “A sword! A sword! A sharp and shiny sword is coming from Babylon!It is sharpened to kill people. It flashes like lightning.” ’ ” The people say,“ Should we take delight in the scepter of the Lord’ s royal son? The sword looks down on every scepter like this.”The Lord says,“ I have told Nebuchadnezzar to shine his sword. It is in his hand. It has been sharpened and shined. It is ready for the killer’s hand.Son of man, cry out and weep. The sword is against my people. It is against all the princes of Israel. It will kill them along with the rest of my people. So beat your chest in sorrow.“ You can be sure that testing will come. Why does the sword look down on the scepter? Because even the scepter will not continue to rule,” announces the Lord and King.“ Son of man, prophesy. Clap your hands. Let the sword strike twice. Let it strike even three times. It is a sword to kill people. It is a sword to kill many people. It is closing in on them from every side.People’s hearts will melt away in fear. Many will be wounded or killed. I have prepared the sword to kill people at all their city gates. Look! It strikes like lightning. It is in the killer’s hand.

I will send hunger and wild animals against you. They will destroy all your children. Plague and murder will sweep over you. And I will send swords to kill you. I have spoken. I am the Lord.”

So I will send for all the nations in the north. And I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon,’ announces the Lord.‘ I will bring all of them against this land and against you who live here. They will march out against all the nations that are around this land. I will set apart Judah and the nations around it in a special way to be destroyed. People will be shocked because of them. And they will make fun of them. Those nations will be destroyed forever.

The Lord who rules over all says,“ This place is a desert. It does not have any people or animals in it. But there will again be grasslands near all its towns. Shepherds will rest their flocks there.