1. And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2. Son of man, set thy face towards Jerusalem, and drop thy word towards the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,
3. And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.
4. Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth from its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:
5. That all flesh may know that I the LORD have drawn my sword out of its sheath: it shall not return any more.
6. Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.
7. And it shall be, when they say to thee, Why sighest thou? that thou shalt answer, For the tidings; because it cometh: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord GOD.
8. Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
9. Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:
10. It is sharpened to make a grievous slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter: should we then make mirth? it contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree.
11. And he hath given it to be furbished, that it may be handled: the sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.