³ and say to the land of Israel, Thus says the Lord: ^(A)Behold, I am against you and will draw ^(B)my sword from its sheath and ^(C)will cut off from you both righteous and wicked. ⁴ Because I will cut off from you both righteous and wicked, therefore my sword shall be drawn from its sheath against all flesh from south to north. ^5 (D)And all flesh shall know that I am the Lord. I have drawn ^(E)my sword from its sheath; ^(F)it shall not be sheathed again.

⁸ And the word of the Lord came to me: ^9 (A)“Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord, say:

(Or ^(E)shall we rejoice? You have despised the rod, my son, ^(F)with everything of wood.)^{[a] 11} So the sword is given to be polished, that it may be grasped in the hand. It is sharpened and polished ^(G)to be given into the hand of the slayer. ^12 (H)Cry out and wail, son of man, for it is against my people. It is against all the princes of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with my people. ^(I)Strike therefore upon your thigh. ¹³ For it will not be a testing—what could it do if you despise ^(J)the rod?”^[b] declares the Lord God.

¹⁴ “As for you, ^(K)son of man, prophesy. ^(L)Clap your hands and let the sword come down twice, ^(M)yes, three times,^[c] the sword for those to be slain. It is the sword for the great slaughter, which surrounds them, ¹⁵ that their hearts may melt, and many stumble.^[d] At all their gates I have given the glittering sword. Ah, it is made like lightning; ^(N)it is taken up^[e] for slaughter. ¹⁶ Cut sharply to the right; set yourself to the left, wherever your face is directed. ¹⁷ I also will ^(O)clap my hands, ^(P)and I will satisfy my fury; ^(Q)I the Lord have spoken.”

¹⁸ The word of the Lord came to me again: ¹⁹ “As for you, son of man, mark two ways for ^(R)the sword of the king of Babylon to come. Both of them shall come from the same land. And make ^(S)a signpost; make it ^(T)at the head of the way to a city. ²⁰ Mark a way ^(U)for the sword to come to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah, into Jerusalem the fortified.

²⁸ “And you, ^(A)son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord God ^(B)concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach; say, ^(C)A sword, a sword ^(D)is drawn for the slaughter. ^(E)It is polished to consume and to flash like lightning—