Ezekiel 21

New International Version

Babylon as God’s Sword of Judgment

21 ^[a]The word of the Lord came to me:^(A) ²“Son of man, set your face against^(B) Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary.^(C) Prophesy against^(D) the land of Israel ³and say to her: ‘This is what the Lord says: I am against you.^(E) I will draw my sword^(F) from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.^(G) ⁴Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword^(H) will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north.^(I) ⁵Then all people will know that I the Lord have drawn my sword^(J) from its sheath; it will not return^(K) again.’^(L)

⁶“Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief.^(M) ⁷And when they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?^(N)’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt with fear^(O) and every hand go limp;^(P) every spirit will become faint^(Q) and every leg will be wet with urine.’^(R) It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

⁸The word of the Lord came to me: ⁹“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘A sword, a sword,
sharpened and polished—
¹⁰sharpened for the slaughter,^(S)
polished to flash like lightning!

“‘Shall we rejoice in the scepter of my royal son? The sword despises every such stick.^(T)

¹¹“‘The sword is appointed to be polished,^(U)
    to be grasped with the hand;
it is sharpened and polished,
    made ready for the hand of the slayer.
¹²Cry out and wail, son of man,
    for it is against my people;
    it is against all the princes of Israel.
They are thrown to the sword
    along with my people.
Therefore beat your breast.^(V)

¹³“‘Testing will surely come. And what if even the scepter, which the sword despises, does not continue? declares the Sovereign Lord.’

¹⁴“So then, son of man, prophesy
    and strike your hands^(W) together.
Let the sword strike twice,
    even three times.
It is a sword for slaughter—
    a sword for great slaughter,
    closing in on them from every side.^(X)
¹⁵So that hearts may melt with fear^(Y)
    and the fallen be many,
I have stationed the sword for slaughter^[b]
    at all their gates.
Look! It is forged to strike like lightning,
    it is grasped for slaughter.^(Z)
¹⁶Slash to the right, you sword,
    then to the left,
    wherever your blade is turned.
¹⁷I too will strike my hands^(AA) together,
    and my wrath^(AB) will subside.
I the Lord have spoken.^(AC)”

¹⁸The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁹“Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword^(AD) of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same country. Make a signpost^(AE) where the road branches off to the city. ²⁰Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites^(AF) and another against Judah and fortified Jerusalem. ²¹For the king of Babylon will stop at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He will cast lots^(AG) with arrows, he will consult his idols,^(AH) he will examine the liver.^(AI) ²²Into his right hand will come the lot for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to give the command to slaughter, to sound the battle cry,^(AJ) to set battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp^(AK) and to erect siege works.^(AL) ²³It will seem like a false omen to those who have sworn allegiance to him, but he will remind^(AM) them of their guilt^(AN) and take them captive.

²⁴“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you people have brought to mind your guilt by your open rebellion, revealing your sins in all that you do—because you have done this, you will be taken captive.

²⁵“‘You profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come,^(AO) whose time of punishment has reached its climax,^(AP) ²⁶this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Take off the turban, remove the crown.^(AQ) It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low.^(AR) ²⁷A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! The crown will not be restored until he to whom it rightfully belongs shall come;^(AS) to him I will give it.’^(AT)

²⁸“And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says about the Ammonites^(AU) and their insults:

“‘A sword,^(AV) a sword,
    drawn for the slaughter,
polished to consume
    and to flash like lightning!
²⁹Despite false visions concerning you
    and lying divinations^(AW) about you,
it will be laid on the necks
    of the wicked who are to be slain,
whose day has come,
    whose time of punishment has reached its climax.^(AX)

³⁰“‘Let the sword return to its sheath.^(AY)
    In the place where you were created,
in the land of your ancestry,^(AZ)
    I will judge you.
³¹I will pour out my wrath on you
    and breathe^(BA) out my fiery anger^(BB) against you;
I will deliver you into the hands of brutal men,
    men skilled in destruction.^(BC)
³²You will be fuel for the fire,^(BD)
    your blood will be shed in your land,
you will be remembered^(BE) no more;
    for I the Lord have spoken.’”