(KJV) Ezekiel 21¹

⥃God’s Sword of Judgment

[1] And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, [2] Son of man, set² thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop³ [thy word] toward the holy places, and prophesy against⁴ the land of Israel, [3] And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the Lord; Behold⁵, I [am] against thee, and will draw⁶ forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous⁷ and the wicked. [4] Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against⁸ all flesh from the south to the north: [5] That all⁹ flesh may know that I the Lord have drawn forth my sword out of his sheath: it shall¹⁰ not return any more. [6] Sigh¹¹ therefore, thou son of man, with the¹² breaking of [thy] loins; and with bitterness sigh before¹³ their eyes. [7] And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore¹⁴ sighest thou? that thou shalt answer, For the¹⁵ tidings; because it cometh: and every¹⁶ heart shall melt, and all hands¹⁷ shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint¹⁸, and all knees shall be weak [as] water¹⁹: behold, it cometh²⁰, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord God.

[8] Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, [9] Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord; Say, A sword²¹, a sword is sharpened²², and also furbished: [10] It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished²³ that it may glitter: should²⁴ we then make mirth? it contemneth the rod of my son, [as] every tree²⁵. [11] And he hath given it to be furbished, that it may be handled: this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give²⁶ it into the hand of the slayer. [12] Cry and howl²⁷, son of man: for it shall be upon my people, it [shall be] upon all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon my²⁸ people: smite therefore upon [thy] thigh. [13] Because²⁹ [it is] a trial, and what if [the sword] contemn³⁰ even the rod? it shall³¹ be no [more], saith the Lord God. [14] Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite³² [thine] hands together³³, and let the³⁴ sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain: it [is] the sword of the great [men that are] slain, which entereth³⁵ into their privy chambers. [15] I have set the point³⁶ of the sword against³⁷ all their gates, that [their³⁸] heart may faint, and [their] ruins be multiplied: ah! [it is] made³⁹ bright, [it is] wrapped up⁴⁰ for the slaughter. [16] Go⁴¹ thee one way or other, [either⁴²] on the right hand, [or] on the left⁴³, whithersoever thy face [is] set. [17] I will also smite⁴⁴ mine hands together, and I⁴⁵ will cause my fury to rest: I the Lord have said [it].

[18] The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying, [19] Also, thou son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come: both twain shall come forth out of one land: and choose thou a place, choose [it] at the head of the way to the city.⁴⁶ [20] Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbath⁴⁷ of the Ammonites, and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced⁴⁸. [21] For the king⁴⁹ of Babylon stood at the parting⁵⁰ of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use⁵¹ divination: he made⁵² [his] arrows⁵³ bright, he consulted with images⁵⁴, he looked in the liver. [22] At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appoint captains⁵⁵, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift⁵⁶ up the voice with shouting, to appoint⁵⁷ [battering] rams against the gates, to cast a mount, [and] to build a fort. [23] And it shall be unto them as a⁵⁸ false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths⁵⁹: but⁶⁰ he will call⁶¹ to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken. [24] Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions⁶² are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because, [I say], that ye are come to remembrance, ye shall⁶³ be taken with the hand.

[25] [¶]And thou, profane⁶⁴ wicked prince of Israel, whose⁶⁵ day is come, when iniquity [shall have] an end, [26] Thus saith the Lord God; Remove⁶⁶ the diadem, and take off the crown: this [shall] not [be] the same: exalt⁶⁷ [him that is] low, and abase [him that is] high. [27] I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it⁶⁸: and it shall be no [more], until⁶⁹ he come whose right it is; and I will give it [him].

[28] And thou, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God concerning the⁷⁰ Ammonites, and concerning their reproach; even say thou, The sword⁷¹, the sword [is] drawn: for the slaughter [it is] furbished, to consume because of the glittering: [29] Whiles they see⁷² vanity unto thee, whiles they divine a lie unto thee, to bring⁷³ thee upon the necks of [them that are] slain, of the wicked, whose⁷⁴ day is come, when their iniquity [shall have] an end. [30] Shall I cause [it] to return⁷⁵ into his sheath? I will⁷⁶ judge thee in the⁷⁷ place where thou wast created, in the land of thy nativity. [31] And I will pour⁷⁸ out mine indignation upon thee, I will blow⁷⁹ against thee in the fire of my wrath, and deliver thee into the hand of brutish⁸⁰ men, [and] skilful⁸¹ to destroy. [32] Thou shalt be for fuel⁸² to the fire; thy blood⁸³ shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt be no⁸⁴ [more] remembered: for I⁸⁵ the Lord have spoken [it].