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

As for you, son of man, groan with a breaking heart and bitter grief; you shall groan in their sight.

“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord says:’ Say, ‘A sword, a sword sharpened And also polished!

Cry out and wail, son of man; for it is against My people, it is against all the officials of Israel. They are turned over to the sword with My people, therefore slap your thigh.

“You therefore, son of man, prophesy and clap your hands; and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword for the slain. It is the sword for the great one slain, which surrounds them,

“Now as for you, son of man, make two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come; both of them will go out of one land. And make a signpost; make it at the head of the way to the city.

“And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says concerning the sons of Ammon and their taunting,’ and say: ‘A sword, a sword is drawn, sharpened for the slaughter, to make it consume, so that it may be like lightning—

“And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Then inform her of all her abominations.

“Son of man, the house of Israel has become waste metal to Me; all of them are bronze, tin, iron, and lead in the smelting furnace; they are the waste metal of silver.

“Son of man, say to her, ‘You are a land that is not clean or rained on in the day of indignation.’

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

Moreover, the Lord said to me, “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations.

“Son of man, write the name of the 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 from you what is precious to your eyes with a fatal blow; but you shall not mourn and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not come.

‘As for you, son of man, will it not be on the day when I take from them their stronghold, the joy of their splendor, that which is precious in their eyes and their heart’s longing, their sons and their daughters,

“Son of man, set your face against the sons of Ammon and prophesy against them,

“Son of man, because Tyre has said in regard to Jerusalem, ‘Aha! The gateway of the peoples is broken; it has opened to me. I shall be filled, now that she is laid waste,’

“And you, son of man, take up a song of mourning over Tyre;

“Son of man, say to the leader of Tyre, ‘The Lord God says this: “Because your heart is haughty And you have said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods In the heart of the seas’; Yet you are a mortal and not God, Although you make your heart like the heart of God—

“Son of man, take up a song of mourning over the king of Tyre and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

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

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

“Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre; every head had a bald spot and every shoulder was rubbed raw. But he and his army acquired no wages from Tyre for the labor that he had performed against it.”

“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Wail, ‘Woe for the day!’

“Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, behold, it has not been bound up for healing or wrapped with a bandage, so that it may be strong to wield the sword.