22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

23 I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them.

24 They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.

25 The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.

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22 For a fire will be kindled by my wrath,(A)
    one that burns down to the realm of the dead below.(B)
It will devour(C) the earth and its harvests(D)
    and set afire the foundations of the mountains.(E)

23 “I will heap calamities(F) on them
    and spend my arrows(G) against them.
24 I will send wasting famine(H) against them,
    consuming pestilence(I) and deadly plague;(J)
I will send against them the fangs of wild beasts,(K)
    the venom of vipers(L) that glide in the dust.(M)
25 In the street the sword will make them childless;
    in their homes terror(N) will reign.(O)
The young men and young women will perish,
    the infants and those with gray hair.(P)

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40 For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.

41 If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.

42 I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy.

43 Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.

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40 I lift my hand(A) to heaven and solemnly swear:
    As surely as I live forever,(B)
41 when I sharpen my flashing sword(C)
    and my hand grasps it in judgment,
I will take vengeance(D) on my adversaries
    and repay those who hate me.(E)
42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood,(F)
    while my sword devours flesh:(G)
the blood of the slain and the captives,
    the heads of the enemy leaders.”

43 Rejoice,(H) you nations, with his people,[a][b]
    for he will avenge the blood of his servants;(I)
he will take vengeance on his enemies(J)
    and make atonement for his land and people.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 32:43 Or Make his people rejoice, you nations
  2. Deuteronomy 32:43 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint) people, / and let all the angels worship him, /

21 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,

And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.

Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:

That all flesh may know that I the Lord have drawn forth my sword out of his sheath: it shall not return any more.

Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.

And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore 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.

Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:

10 It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter: should we then make mirth? it contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree.

11 And he hath given it to be furbished, that it may be handled: this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.

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Babylon as God’s Sword of Judgment

21 [a]The word of the Lord came to me:(A) “Son of man, set your face against(B) Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary.(C) Prophesy against(D) the land of Israel and 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) Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword(H) will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north.(I) Then all people will know that I the Lord have drawn my sword(J) from its sheath; it will not return(K) again.’(L)

“Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief.(M) And 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.”

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

“‘A sword, a sword,
    sharpened and polished—
10 sharpened 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.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 21:1 In Hebrew texts 21:1-32 is numbered 21:6-37.

30 Shall I cause it to return into his sheath? I will judge thee in the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy nativity.

31 And I will pour out mine indignation upon thee, I will blow against thee in the fire of my wrath, and deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, and skilful to destroy.

32 Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt be no more remembered: for I the Lord have spoken it.

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

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