11 “‘The sword is made to glisten,to be held and brandished.It’s sharpened and polished,ready to be brandished by the killer.’
12 “Yell out and wail, son of man.The sword is against my people!The princes of Israeland my people—abandoned to the sword!Wring your hands!Tear out your hair!
13 “‘Testing comes.Why have you despised discipline?You can’t get around it.Decree of God, the Master.’
14-17 “So, prophesy, son of man!Clap your hands. Get their attention.Tell them that the sword’s coming downonce, twice, three times.It’s a sword to kill,a sword for a massacre,A sword relentless,a sword inescapable—People collapsing right and left,going down like dominoes.I’ve stationed a murderous swordat every gate in the city,Flashing like lightning,brandished murderously.Cut to the right, thrust to the left,murderous, sharp-edged sword!Then I’ll clap my hands,a signal that my anger is spent.I, God, have spoken.”
18-22 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, lay out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take. Start them from the same place. Place a signpost at the beginning of each road. Post one sign to mark the road of the sword to Rabbah of the Ammonites. Post the other to mark the road to Judah and Fort Jerusalem. The king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road and he decides by divination which of the two roads to take. He draws straws, he throws god-dice, he examines a goat liver. He opens his right hand: The omen says, ‘Head for Jerusalem!’ So he’s on his way with battering rams, roused to kill, sounding the battle cry, pounding down city gates, building siege works.
23 “To the Judah leaders, who themselves have sworn oaths, it will seem like a false divination, but he will remind them of their guilt, and so they’ll be captured.
24 “So this is what God, the Master, says: ‘Because your sin is now out in the open so everyone can see what you’ve been doing, you’ll be taken captive.