The Prophecy of Yahweh’s Sword

21 ^[a]And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, ² “Son of man, ^(A)set your face toward Jerusalem and ^(B)speak, dripping out words against the sanctuaries and prophesy against the land of Israel ³ and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Behold, ^(C)I am against you; and I will bring out My sword from its sheath and cut off from you the ^(D)righteous and the wicked. ⁴ Because I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore My sword will go out from its sheath against ^(E)all flesh from south to north. ⁵ Thus all flesh will know that I, Yahweh, have brought out My sword from its sheath. It will ^(F)not return to its sheath again.”’ ⁶ Now as for you, son of man, groan with breaking ^[b]heart and bitter grief, groan in their sight. ⁷ And it will be that when they say to you, ‘Why do you groan?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the ^(G)report that is coming; and ^(H)every heart will melt, all hands will fall limp, every spirit will ^[c]faint, and all knees will ^[d]be weak as water. Behold, it is coming, and it will happen,’ declares Lord Yahweh.”

⁸ Again the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, ⁹ “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says ^[e]the Lord.’ Say,

Or shall we ^[g]rejoice in the ^[h]scepter of My son? The sword ^(K)despises every tree. ¹¹ It is given to be polished, that it may be seized by the ^[i]hand; the sword is sharpened and polished, to give it into the hand of the one who kills. ^12 (L)Cry out and wail, son of man; for it is against My people; it is against all the ^(M)princes of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with My people; therefore slap your thigh. ¹³ For there is a testing; and what if even the ^[j]scepter ^[k]which the sword despises will be no more?” declares Lord Yahweh.

¹⁴ “You therefore, son of man, prophesy and strike your hands together; and let the sword be ^(N)doubled the third time, the sword for the slain. It is the sword for the great one slain, which surrounds them, ¹⁵ that their ^(O)hearts may melt, and many will be ^(P)stumbling blocks at all their ^(Q)gates. I have given the glittering sword. Ah! It is made for striking like lightning, it is wrapped up in readiness for slaughter. ^16 [l]Show yourself sharp, go to the right; set yourself; go to the left, wherever your ^[m]edge is appointed. ¹⁷ And I will also strike My hands together, and I will ^[n](R)cause My wrath to be at rest; I, Yahweh, have spoken.”