Study Desk

And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

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

Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,

and say to the land of Israel, 'This is what the LORD says: "Behold, I am against you; and I will draw My sword from its sheath and cut off from you the righteous and the wicked.

And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the Lord ; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.

"Because I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore My sword will go out from its sheath against humanity from south to north.

Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:

"So humanity will know that I, the LORD, have drawn My sword from its sheath. It will not return to its sheath again."'

That all flesh may know that I the Lord have drawn forth my sword out of his sheath: it shall not return any more.

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

Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.

"And when they say to you, 'Why are you groaning?' you shall say, 'Because of the news, for it is coming; and every heart will melt, all hands will go limp, every spirit will be disheartened, and all knees will drip with water. Behold, it is coming and it will happen,' declares the Lord GOD."

And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt answer, For the tidings; because it cometh: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord God .

And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

"Son of man, prophesy and say, 'This is what the LORD says:' Say, 'A sword, a sword sharpened And also polished!

Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord ; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:

'Sharpened to make a slaughter, Polished to flash like lightning!' Or shall we rejoice, the rod of My son despising every tree?

It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter: should we then make mirth? it contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree.

"And it is given to be polished, so that it may be handled; the sword is sharpened and polished, to hand it over to the slaughterer.

And he hath given it to be furbished, that it may be handled: this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.

"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.

Cry and howl, son of man: for it shall be upon my people, it shall be upon all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon my people: smite therefore upon thy thigh.

"For there is a testing; and what if even the rod which despises will cease to be?" declares the Lord GOD.

Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? it shall be no more, saith the Lord God .

"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,

Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thine hands together. and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain: it is the sword of the great men that are slain, which entereth into their privy chambers.

so that their hearts will waver, and many fall at all their gates. I have granted the slaughter of the sword. Oh! It is made for striking like lightning, it is sharpened in readiness for slaughter.

I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may faint, and their ruins be multiplied: ah! it is made bright, it is wrapped up for the slaughter.

"Prove yourself sharp, go to the right; set yourself; go to the left, wherever your edge is ordered.

Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set.

"I will also clap My hands, and I will satisfy My wrath; I, the LORD, have spoken."

I will also smite mine hands together, and I will cause my fury to rest: I the Lord have said it.