The LORD's Sharpened Sword

211 And the word of the Lord came to me saying , 2 "Son of man , set your face toward Jerusalem , and speak against the sanctuaries and prophesy against the land of Israel ; 3 and 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 . 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 . 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 ."' 6 "As for you, son of man , groan with breaking heart and bitter grief , groan in their sight . 7 "And when they say to you, 'Why e 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 ."

8 Again 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 sharpened And also polished ! 10 'Sharpened to make a slaughter , Polished to flash like lightning !' Or shall we rejoice , the rod of My son despising every tree ? 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 . 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 . 13 "For there is a testing ; and what if even the rod which despises will be no more?" declares the Lord GOD . 14 "You therefore, son of man , prophesy and clap your hands together e ; 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, 15 that 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 . 16 "Show yourself sharp , go to the right ; set yourself; go to the left , wherever your edge is appointed . 17 "I will also clap My hands together e , and I will appease My wrath ; I, the Lord , have spoken ."

18 The word of the Lord came to me saying , 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 . 20 "You shall mark a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the sons of Ammon , and to Judah into fortified Jerusalem . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . 25 'And you, O slain , wicked one , the prince of Israel , whose day has come , in the time of the punishment of the end ,' 26 thus 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 . 27 ' A 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.'

Judgment on the Ammonites

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