¹⁸ The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁹ “Now you, son of man, mark out two roads that the sword of Babylon’s king can take. Both of them should originate from the same land. And make a signpost at the fork in the road to each city. ²⁰ Mark out a road that the sword can take to Rabbah of the Ammonites^(A) and to Judah into fortified Jerusalem. ²¹ For the king of Babylon stands at the split in the road, at the fork of the two roads, to practice divination: he shakes the arrows, consults the idols, and observes the liver. ²² The answer marked^[a] Jerusalem appears in his right hand, indicating that he should set up battering rams,^(B) give the order to^[b] slaughter, raise a battle cry, set battering rams against the gates, build a ramp, and construct a siege wall. ²³ It will seem like false divination to those who have sworn an oath to the Babylonians,^[c](C) but it will draw attention to their guilt so that they will be captured.

²⁴ “Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: Because you have drawn attention to your guilt, exposing your transgressions, so that your sins are revealed in all your actions—since you have done this, you will be captured by them.