¹⁵ that their hearts may melt, and many stumble.^[a] At all their gates I have given the glittering sword. Ah, it is made like lightning; ^(A)it is taken up^[b] for slaughter. ¹⁶ Cut sharply to the right; set yourself to the left, wherever your face is directed. ¹⁷ I also will ^(B)clap my hands, ^(C)and I will satisfy my fury; ^(D)I the Lord have spoken.”

¹⁸ The word of the Lord came to me again: ¹⁹ “As for you, son of man, mark two ways for ^(E)the sword of the king of Babylon to come. Both of them shall come from the same land. And make ^(F)a signpost; make it ^(G)at the head of the way to a city. ²⁰ Mark a way ^(H)for the sword to come to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah, into Jerusalem the fortified. ²¹ For the king of Babylon stands ^(I)at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination. He shakes the arrows; he consults ^(J)the teraphim;^[c] he looks at the liver. ²² Into his right hand comes the divination for Jerusalem, ^(K)to set battering rams, to open the mouth with murder, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, ^(L)to cast up mounds, to build siege towers. ²³ But to them it will seem like a false divination. ^(M)They have sworn solemn oaths, but he brings their guilt to remembrance, ^(N)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, ^(O)you shall be taken in hand. ²⁵ And you, O profane^{[d] (P)}wicked one, prince of Israel, ^(Q)whose day has come, ^(R)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. ^(S)Exalt that which is low, and bring low that which is exalted. ²⁷ A ruin, ruin, ruin I will make it. ^(T)This also shall not be, ^(U)until he comes, the one to whom judgment belongs, and I will give it to him.

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