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“Now you, human being, take a sharp sword; and use it like a barber’s razor to shave your head and beard. Then weigh the hair on a balance-scale, and divide it up. A third of it you are to burn in the city when the days of the siege are over. Take another third, and hit it with your sword all around the city. Scatter the last third to the wind, and I will pursue them with drawn sword. Also take a few hairs and tie them up in the folds of your garment. Again, of these take some; throw them in the fire, and burn them up; from there a fire will come out against the entire house of Isra’el.

“Here is what Adonai Elohim, says:

‘This is Yerushalayim!
I have placed her in the middle of the nations;
countries can be found all around her.
But she has rebelled against my rulings
and committed wickedness more than the nations,
against my laws more than the countries around her;
because they have rejected my rulings
and not lived according to my laws.’

“Therefore here is what Adonai Elohim, says: ‘Because you have outdone the nations around you by not living according to my laws or following my rulings or even following the rules of the nations around you,’ therefore here is what Adonai Elohim, says: ‘I too am against you, yes, I; and I will execute judgments among you while all the nations look on. Moreover, because of all your disgusting practices, I will do things to you that I have never done before; and I will never do such things again. 10 Parents among you will eat their children, and children will eat their parents! I will execute judgments among you and scatter to all the winds those of you who remain. 11 For, as I live,’ says Adonai Elohim, ‘because you defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things and disgusting practices, therefore I swear that I will cut you off — my eye will not spare, I will have no pity. 12 A third of you will die from plague or be consumed by famine inside [Yerushalayim]; a third will fall by the sword all around [Yerushalayim]; and a third I will scatter to all the winds and pursue with the sword.’ 13 In this way my anger will spend itself, my fury against them will die down, and I will be satisfied. Then, when I have spent my fury on them, they will know that I, Adonai, have spoken out of my zeal. 14 ‘I will make you a ruin and an object of reproach among the nations around you, in the sight of all passing by. 15 When I execute judgments and furious punishments among you in anger and fury, [Yerushalayim] will be an object of reproach, derision and horror, and a lesson to warn the nations around you. I, Adonai, have announced it. 16 I will send upon them the deadly, destructive arrows of famine, which I will send to destroy you. I will make the famine worse for you by cutting off your food supply. 17 Yes, I will send famine and savage beasts upon you to leave you without children; plague and bloodshed will sweep through you; and I will bring the sword upon you. I, Adonai, have spoken it.’”

And thou, Ben Adam, take thee a sharp cherev, take thee a barber’s ta’ar (razor), and cause it to pass upon thine rosh and upon thy zakan (beard): then take thee scales for weighing and divide the hair.

Thou shalt burn with flame a third part in the midst of the Ir, when the days of the siege are fulfilled: and thou shalt take a third part, and strike it all around with the cherev: and a third part thou shalt scatter in the ruach; and I will draw out the cherev after them.

Thou shalt also take thereof a few in mispar, and bind them in the folds of thy robes.

Then take of them again, and cast them into the midst of the eish, and burn them in the eish; for thereof shall an eish spread unto kol Bais Yisroel.

Thus saith Adonoi Hashem; This is Yerushalayim: I have set it in the midst of the Goyim and countries that are all around her.

And she hath rebelled against My mishpatim with resha’ah more than the Goyim, and My chukkot more than the countries that are all around her: for they have refused My mishpatim and My chukkot, they have not walked in them.

Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Because more than the Goyim that are all around you, ye have been ungovernable, and have not walked in My chukkot, neither have done My mishpatim, neither have done according to the mishpatim of the Goyim that are all around you;

Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hineni, I, even I, am against thee, and will execute mishpatim in the midst of thee in the sight of the Goyim.

And I will do to thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of kol to’avot of thee.

10 Therefore the avot shall eat banim in the midst of thee, and the banim shall eat their avot; and I will execute shefatim (judgments, punishments) in thee, and kol she’erit of thee will I scatter unto kol ruach.

11 Therefore, as I live, saith Adonoi Hashem; Surely, because thou hast made My Mikdash tameh with all thy shikkutzim, and with all thine to’avot, therefore will I also withdraw; neither shall Mine eye pity, neither will I spare.

12 A third part of thee shall die by dever, and by ra’av shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the cherev all around thee; and I will scatter a third part into kol ruach, and I will draw out a cherev after them.

13 Thus shall Mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause My chemah to be satisfied against them, and I will be avenged: and they shall know that I Hashem have spoken in My kinah, when I have accomplished My chemah against them.

14 Moreover I will make thee a ruin, and a cherpah among the Goyim that are all around thee, before the eyes of all that pass by.

15 So it shall be a cherpah (reproach) and a gedufah (taunt), a musar and a meshammah (astonishment, object of horror) unto the Goyim that are all around thee, when I shall execute shefatim (judgments) on thee in anger and in chemah and in tokhchot chemah (furious rebukes). I Hashem have spoken.

16 When I shall send upon them disastrous khitzim (arrows) of ra’av (famine), which shall be for mashchit (destruction), and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the ra’av (famine) upon you, and will break your mateh lechem (staff of bread, food supply):

17 So will I send upon you ra’av (famine) and chayyah ra’ah (wild beasts), and they shall leave thee bereaved as childless: and dever and dahm shall pass through thee; and I will bring the cherev upon thee. I Hashem have spoken.