Ezekiel 21:18-32

English Standard Version

¹⁸ The word of the Lord came to me again: ¹⁹ “As for you, son of man, mark two ways for ^(A)the sword of the king of Babylon to come. Both of them shall come from the same land. And make ^(B)a signpost; make it ^(C)at the head of the way to a city. ²⁰ Mark a way ^(D)for the sword to come to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah, into Jerusalem the fortified. ²¹ For the king of Babylon stands ^(E)at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination. He shakes the arrows; he consults ^(F)the teraphim;^[a] he looks at the liver. ²² Into his right hand comes the divination for Jerusalem, ^(G)to set battering rams, to open the mouth with murder, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, ^(H)to cast up mounds, to build siege towers. ²³ But to them it will seem like a false divination. ^(I)They have sworn solemn oaths, but he brings their guilt to remembrance, ^(J)that they may be taken.

²⁴ “Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have made your guilt to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your deeds your sins appear—because you have come to remembrance, ^(K)you shall be taken in hand. ²⁵ And you, O profane^{[b] (L)}wicked one, prince of Israel, ^(M)whose day has come, ^(N)the time of your final punishment, ²⁶ thus says the Lord God: Remove the turban and take off the crown. Things shall not remain as they are. ^(O)Exalt that which is low, and bring low that which is exalted. ²⁷ A ruin, ruin, ruin I will make it. ^(P)This also shall not be, ^(Q)until he comes, the one to whom judgment belongs, and I will give it to him.

²⁸ “And you, ^(R)son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord God ^(S)concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach; say, ^(T)A sword, a sword ^(U)is drawn for the slaughter. ^(V)It is polished to consume and to flash like lightning— ²⁹ while ^(W)they see for you false visions, while they divine lies for you—to place you on the necks of the profane wicked, ^(X)whose day has come, the time of their final punishment. ^30 (Y)Return it to its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, ^(Z)I will judge you. ³¹ And ^(AA)I will pour out my indignation upon you; ^(AB)I will blow upon you with the fire of my wrath, and I will deliver you into the hands of ^(AC)brutish men, skillful to destroy. ³² You shall be fuel for the fire. Your blood shall be in the midst of the land. ^(AD)You shall be no more remembered, ^(AE)for I the Lord have spoken.”