| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1 This message came to me from the LORD: | 1The word of the LORD came to me again:" |
| 2"Son of Man, look toward Jerusalem, preach against its sanctuaries, and prophesy against Israel's land. | 2Son of man, turn your face toward Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel, |
| 3Declare to Israel, 'This is what the LORD says: "Watch out! I'm against you! I'm going to unsheathe my sword to kill both the righteous and the wicked among you. | 3and 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. |
| 4Since I'm going to kill both the righteous and the wicked among you, I'll be unsheathing my sword against everyone from south to north. | 4Since 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. |
| 5Then everyone will know that I am the LORD, who unsheathed my sword, and who won't have to unsheathe it again."' | 5So all the people will know that I, Yahweh, have taken My sword from its sheath--it will not be sheathed again." |
| 6"And now, Son of Man, you are to start groaning until you're sick to your stomach. You are to groan bitterly right in front of them. | 6But you, son of man, groan! Groan bitterly with a broken heart right before their eyes. |
| 7When they'll ask you, 'Why are you groaning?' you are to say, 'Because of the news that just arrived. Every heart will melt with fear, every hand will grow limp, every spirit will grow faint, and every knee will glisten with sweat.' Look! It has come and it will be fulfilled," declares the Lord GOD. | 7And 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. |
| 8This message came to me from the LORD: | 8The word of the LORD came to me: " |
| 9"Son of Man, prophesy and say, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: 'A sword! A sword is being sharpened. It's also being polished. | 9Son of man, prophesy: This is what the Lord says! You are to proclaim: A sword! A sword is sharpened and also polished. |
| 10It's being sharpened for slaughter, and being polished to gleam like lightning.' "We shouldn't be rejoicing, should we, while my Son's scepter, the sword, is despising every tree? | 10It is sharpened for slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! Should we rejoice? The scepter of My son, the sword despises every tree. |
| 11It's intended to be polished so it can be grasped in the hand. The sword is sharpened. It's polished for placement into the hand of the executioner." | 11The 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. |
| 12Cry and wail, you Son of Man! It's headed against my people. It's also against all the princes of Israel, who have been tossed to the sword, along with my people. So it's time to grieve like you mean it, | 12Cry 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. |
| 13because testing is sure to come. 'In putting the sword to the test along with the scepter, it won't keep on rejecting, will it?' declares the Lord GOD." | 13Surely 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. |
| 14"Now, Son of Man, prophesy as you strike your hands together. Let the sword that fatally wounds be doubled and tripled. That great, slaughtering sword closes in on them. I've set in place a slaughtering sword at the entrance to all their gates, | 14Therefore, 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! |
| 15so that their hearts melt and the number of those who stumble increase. I've set in place a slaughtering sword at the entrance to all their gates. Oh, no! It's made like lightning. It's drawn to slaughter. | 15I 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. |
| 16Be sharp! Attack on the right, or parry to your left, wherever you point your sword. | 16Slash to the right; turn to the left-- wherever your blade is directed. |
| 17I will also clap my hands; then my anger will subside. I, the LORD have spoken it." | 17I also will clap My hands together, and I will satisfy My wrath. I, Yahweh, have spoken." |
| 18This message came to me from the LORD: | 18Then the word of the LORD came to me: " |
| 19"Now, Son of Man, demarcate two pathways by which the sword of Babylon's king will arrive in the land. Both pathways will lead from a single land. "Make a sign, carving it out and installing it at the junction on the way to the city. | 19Now 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. |
| 20Set it to point one way for bringing the sword against Rabbah, the descendants of Ammon, and the other way against Judah and fortified Jerusalem. | 20Mark out a road that the sword can take to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah into fortified Jerusalem. |
| 21"Meanwhile, Babylon's king is standing at the fork of the road, where he can head in either of two directions, and that's where he is practicing divination. Shaking his arrows, he's asking questions of his teraphim while he examines livers. | 21For 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. |
| 22On his right hand he is divining against Jerusalem, preparing to set up battering rams, preparing for the slaughter, getting ready to sound the alarm for battle, setting the battering rams in place at the gates, building siege mounds, and erecting a siege wall. | 22The 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. |
| 23In their view, it will seem to be a false prophecy, but because they swore allegiance, he'll make them remember their guilt as he takes them captive." | 23It 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." |
| 24Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: "Because you remembered your sins when your transgressions were uncovered, your sins are visibly evident in everything you've done. And since you've remembered them, you'll be taken captive. | 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 actions, since you have done this, you will be captured by them. |
| 25"So now, you dishonored and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come in this time of final punishment, | 25And you, profane and wicked prince of Israel, the day has come for your punishment." |
| 26This is what the Lord GOD says: 'Remove your turban! Take off your crown! Things aren't going to remain as they used to be. What is lowly will be exalted, and what is lofty will be brought low. | 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 down the exalted. |
| 27A ruin! A ruin! I'm bringing about ruin!' But this also will not happen until he who has authority over it arrives, because I'll give it to him." | 27A ruin, a ruin, I will make it a ruin! Yet this will not happen until He comes; I have given the judgment to Him." |
| 28And now Son of Man, prophesy to the Ammonites that this is what the Lord GOD says to the Ammonites about their approaching humiliation: "A sword! A sword is being drawn for slaughter. It's polished to flash like lightning. | 28Now prophesy, son of man, and say: This is what the Lord GOD says concerning the Ammonites and their contempt. You are to proclaim: A sword! A sword is drawn for slaughter, polished to consume, to flash like lightning. |
| 29When they see empty visions about you while they're divining lies for you, to lay you on the necks of the wicked, who are fatally wounded, whose days have come, their time for punishment. | 29While they offer false visions and lying divinations about you, the time has come to put you to the necks of the profane wicked ones; the day has come for your punishment. |
| 30Return it to its scabbard. "At the place where you were formed, in the land of your origin, there is where I'll judge you. | 30Return it to its sheath! I will judge you in the place where you were created, in the land of your origin. |
| 31I'm going to pour out my indignation all over you. I'll blow my fierce wrath against you and deliver you into the control of brutal men who are skilled at destruction. | 31I will pour out My indignation on you; I will blow the fire of My fury on you. I will hand you over to brutal men, skilled at destruction. |
| 32You'll be fuel for the conflagration. Your blood will be spilled throughout the land. You won't be remembered anymore, now that I, the LORD, have spoken." | 32You will be fuel for the fire. Your blood will be spilled in the land. You will not be remembered, for I, Yahweh, have spoken." |
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