Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Then let them know the abominations of their fathers,

“Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: In this again your fathers blasphemed me, by dealing treacherously with me.

“Son of man, set your face toward the south, preach against the south, and prophesy against the forest land in the Negeb;

“Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries; prophesy against the land of Israel

Sigh therefore, son of man; sigh with breaking heart and bitter grief before their eyes.

“Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord, Say: A sword, a sword is sharpened and also polished,

Cry and wail, son of man, for it is against my people; it is against all the princes of Israel; they are delivered over to the sword with my people. Smite therefore upon your thigh.

“Prophesy therefore, son of man; clap your hands and let the sword come down twice, yea thrice, the sword for those to be slain; it is the sword for the great slaughter, which encompasses them,

“Son of man, mark two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come; both of them shall come forth from the same land. And make a signpost, make it at the head of the way to a city;

“And you, son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord God concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach; say, A sword, a sword is drawn for the slaughter, it is polished to glitter and to flash like lightning—

“And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Then declare to her all her abominable deeds.

“Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me; all of them, silver and bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace, have become dross.

“Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is not cleansed, or rained upon in the day of indignation.

“Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother;

The Lord said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oho′lah and Ohol′ibah? Then declare to them their abominable deeds.

“Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.

“Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep nor shall your tears run down.

“And you, son of man, on the day when I take from them their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes and their heart’s desire, and also their sons and daughters,

“Son of man, set your face toward the Ammonites, and prophesy against them.

“Son of man, because Tyre said concerning Jerusalem, ‘Aha, the gate of the peoples is broken, it has swung open to me; I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste,’

“Now you, son of man, raise a lamentation over Tyre,

“Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord God: “Because your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas,’ yet you are but a man, and no god, though you consider yourself as wise as a god—

“Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

“Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against her

“Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt;