Ezekiel 21:8-17

New King James Version

^(A)‘A sword, a sword is sharpened
And also polished!
¹⁰ Sharpened to make a dreadful slaughter,
Polished to flash like lightning!
Should we then make mirth?
It despises the scepter of My son,
As it does all wood.
¹¹ And He has given it to be polished,
That it may be handled;
This sword is sharpened, and it is polished
To be given into the hand of ^(B)the slayer.’

¹² “Cry and wail, son of man;
For it will be against My people,
Against all the princes of Israel.
Terrors including the sword will be against My people;
Therefore ^(C)strike your thigh.

¹³ “Because it is ^(D)a testing,
And what if the sword despises even the scepter?
^(E)The scepter shall be no more,”

¹⁴ “You therefore, son of man, prophesy,
And ^(F)strike your hands together.
The third time let the sword do double damage.
It is the sword that slays,
The sword that slays the great men,
That enters their ^(G)private chambers.
¹⁵ I have set the point of the sword against all their gates,
That the heart may melt and many may stumble.
Ah! ^(H)It is made bright;
It is grasped for slaughter:

¹⁶ “Swords^(I)[a] at the ready!
Thrust right!
Set your blade!
Thrust left—
Wherever your ^[b]edge is ordered!

¹⁷ “I also will ^(J)beat My fists together,
And ^(K)I will cause My fury to rest;
I, the Lord, have spoken.”