3
and say to the land of Israel, 'Thussays the LORD, "Behold, I am against you; and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cutoff from you the righteous and the wicked.
7
"And when they say to you, 'Why* do you groan?' you shall say, 'Because of the news that is coming; and everyheart will melt, allhands will be feeble, everyspirit will faint and allknees will be weak as water. Behold, it comes and it will happen,' declares the LordGOD."
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, thereforestrike your thigh.
14
"You therefore, son of man, prophesy and clap your handstogether*; and let the sword be doubled the thirdtime, the sword for the slain. It is the sword for the greatoneslain, which surrounds them,
15
that their hearts may melt, and manyfall at all their gates. I have given the glitteringsword. Ah! It is made for striking like lightning, it is wrapped up in readiness for slaughter.
19
"As for you, son of man, maketwoways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come; both of them will go out of oneland. And make a signpost; make it at the head of the way to the city.
21
"For the king of Babylonstands at the parting of the way, at the head of the twoways, to usedivination; he shakes the arrows, he consults the householdidols, he looks at the liver.
22
"Into his righthandcame the divination, 'Jerusalem,' to setbatteringrams, to open the mouth for slaughter, to lift up the voice with a battlecry, to setbatteringramsagainst the gates, to cast up ramps, to build a siegewall.
23
"And it will be to them like a falsedivination in their eyes; they have sworn solemnoaths. But he bringsiniquity to remembrance, that they may be seized.
24
"Therefore, thussays the LordGOD, 'Because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your deeds your sinsappear-because you have come to remembrance, you will be seized with the hand.
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thussays the LordGOD, 'Remove the turban and takeoff the crown; this will no longer be the same. Exalt that which is low and abase that which is high.
28
"And you, son of man, prophesy and say, 'Thussays the LordGODconcerning 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 -
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while they see for you falsevisions, while they divinelies for you-to place you on the necks of the wickedwho are slain, whoseday has come, in the time of the punishment of the end.
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 brutalmen, skilled in destruction.