1. And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2. “Son of man, set your face toward Yerushalayim, and drop word against the set-apart places, and prophesy against the land of Yisra’ĕl.
3. “And you shall say to the land of Yisra’ĕl, ‘Thus said יהוה, “See, I am against you, and I shall draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off from you the righteous and the wrong.
4. “Because I shall cut off from you the righteous and the wrong, therefore My sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh from south to north.
5. “And all flesh shall know that I, יהוה, have drawn My sword out of its sheath, not to turn back again.” ’
6. “And you, son of man, sigh with a breaking of loins, and sigh with bitterness before their eyes.
7. “And it shall be when they say to you, ‘Why are you sighing?’ that you shall say, ‘Because of the report that is coming. And every heart shall melt, and all hands shall go limp, and every spirit become faint, and all knees be weak as water. See, it is coming, and it shall be,’ declares the Master יהוה.”
8. And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
9. “Son of man, prophesy, and you shall say, ‘Thus said יהוה! “Say, ‘A sword, a sword is sharpened and also polished!
10. ‘It is sharpened to make a slaughter, it is polished to flash like lightning!’ Or shall we rejoice? My son, you have despised the rod, every stick!
11. “And He has given it to be polished, to be taken by the hand. This sword is sharpened and polished, to be given into the hand of the slayer.
12. “Cry and wail, son of man, for it shall be on My people, on all the leaders of Yisra’ĕl. They shall be delivered to the sword together with My people, therefore strike your thigh.
13. “For it is a trier, and what if it even despises the rod? Shall it not be?” declares the Master יהוה.