1. The word of the Lord came to me:
2. Son of man, turn your face to the south: preach against the south, prophesy against the forest land in the south.
3. Say to the forest in the south: Hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God: See! I am kindling a fire in you that shall devour every green tree as well as every dry tree. The blazing flame shall not be quenched so that from south to north every face shall be scorched by it.
4. All flesh shall see that I, the Lord, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.
5. But I said, “Ah! Lord God, they are saying about me, ‘Is not this the one who is forever spinning parables?’”
6. Then the word of the Lord came to me:
7. Son of man, turn your face toward Jerusalem: preach against its sanctuary, prophesy against the land of Israel.
8. Say to the land of Israel: Thus says the Lord: See! I am coming against you; I will draw my sword from its scabbard and cut off from you the righteous and the wicked.
9. Thus my sword shall come out from its scabbard against all flesh from south to north
10. and all flesh shall know that I, the Lord, have drawn my sword from its scabbard. It cannot return again.
11. As for you, son of man, groan! with shattered loins and bitter grief, groan in their sight.