12. Cry and howl, son of man; for it shall be against my people, it shall be against all the princes of Israel: they are given up to the sword along with my people: smite therefore upon the thigh.
13. For the trial is made; and what if even the contemning sceptre shall be no more? saith the Lord Jehovah.
14. And thou, son of man, prophesy, and smite thy hands together; for the strokes of the sword shall be doubled the third time: it is the sword of the slain, the sword that hath slain the great one, which encompasseth them privily.
15. In order that the heart may melt, and the stumbling-blocks be multiplied, I have set the threatening sword against all their gates: ah! it is made glittering, it is whetted for the slaughter.
16. Gather up strength, go to the right hand, turn thee, go to the left, whithersoever thy face is appointed.
17. And I myself will smite my hands together, and I will satisfy my fury: I Jehovah have spoken it.
18. And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
19. And thou, son of man, set thee two ways, by which the sword of the king of Babylon may come--out of one land shall they both come--and make thee a signpost, make it at the head of the way to the city.
20. Appoint a way for the coming of the sword to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and to Judah at the fenced city of Jerusalem.
21. For the king of Babylon standeth at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he shaketh his arrows, he inquireth of the teraphim, he looketh in the liver.
22. In his right hand is the lot of Jerusalem to appoint battering-rams, to open the mouth for bloodshed, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering-rams against the gates, to cast mounds, to build siege-towers.
23. And this shall be a false divination in their sight, for them that have sworn oaths; but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.
24. Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because ye make your iniquity to be remembered in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins appear; because ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand.
25. And thou, profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, at the time of the iniquity of the end,