1. "Son of man, get a sharp sword. Use it as a barber's razor. Shave your head and beard with it. Then get a set of scales and weigh the hair. Separate it into three piles.
2. "Burn up a third of the hair inside the city. Do it when you stop attacking the model of Jerusalem. Next, get another third of the hair. Strike it with a sword all around the city. Then scatter the last third to the winds. That is because I will chase the people with a sword that is ready to strike them down.
3. But save a few of the hairs. Tuck them away in the clothes you are wearing.
4. "Next, get a few more hairs. Throw them into the fire. Burn them up. The fire will spread to all of the people of Israel."