Ezekiel 21:1-17

1And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel, 3And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked. 4Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth from its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north: 5That all flesh may know that I the LORD have drawn my sword out of its sheath: it shall not return any more. 6Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with breaking heart; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes. 7And it shall be, when they say to thee, Why sighest thou? that thou shalt answer, For the tidings; because it cometh: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord GOD.1

8Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 9Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also polished: 10It is sharpened to make a grievous slaughter; it is polished that it may glitter: should we then make mirth? it despiseth the rod of my son, as every tree.2 11And he hath given it to be polished, that it may be handled: the sword is sharpened, and it is polished, to give it into the hand of the slayer. 12Cry and wail, 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 my people: smite therefore upon thy thigh.3 13Because it is a trial, and what if the sword despise even the rod? it shall be no more, saith the Lord GOD.4 14Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thy hands together, and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain: it is the sword of the great men that are slain, which entereth into their private chambers.5 15I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may faint, and their ruins be multiplied: ah! it is made bright, it is sharpened for the slaughter.67 16Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, wherever thy face is set.8 17I will also smite my hands together, and I will cause my fury to rest: I the LORD have said it .