Self-interpreting Bible

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Ezekiel 21

1Ezekiel prophesieth the sword of the Lord against all flesh in the land of Israel, sighing bitterly for a sign. 8Another prophecy of a bright and sharp sword, commissioned to destroy. 18The sword of the king of Babylon, in suspense which of two ways to take, by divination is directed the way to Jerusalem. 25The fall of the profane prince of Israel, and of his kingdom for a time. 28The destruction of the Ammonites.


1 AND the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

    2 Son of man, aset thy face toward Jerusalem, and bdrop thy word toward cthe holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,

    3 And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, dI am against thee, and will draw forth emy sword out of his sheath, and fwill 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 gmy sword go forth out of his sheath hagainst all flesh from the south to the north:

    5 That iall flesh may know that I the LORD have drawn forth my sword out of his sheath: jit shall not return any more.

    6 kSigh therefore, thou son of man, lwith the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness sigh before mtheir eyes.

    7 And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt answer, nFor the tidings; because it cometh: and oevery heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees 1shall be weak as water: behold, it pcometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord GOD.

    8 ¶Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

      9 Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD; Say, qA sword, a sword is sharpened, and also *furbished:

      10 It is sharpened to make a *sore slaughter; it is *furbished that it may glitter: rshould we then make mirth? 2it s*contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree.

      11 And the hath given it to be *furbished, that it may be handled: this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.

      12 uCry and howl, son of man: for it shall be upon my people, it shall be upon all the princes of Israel: v3terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon my people: wsmite therefore upon thy thigh.

      13 4Because it is xa trial, and what if the sword *contemn yeven the rod? it shall be no more, saith the Lord GOD.

      14 Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thine 5hands together, and zlet the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain: it is the sword of the great men that are slain, which entereth ainto their *privy chambers.

      15 I have set the 6point of the sword bagainst all their gates, that their heart may faint, and their ruins be multiplied: ah! it is made bright, it is 7wrapped up for the slaughter.

      16 cGo thee one way or other, either on the right hand, or 8on the left, whithersoever thy face is set.

      17 I dwill also smite mine hands together, and eI will cause my fury to rest: I the LORD have said it.

      18 ¶The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,

        19 Also, thou son of man, fappoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come: both *twain shall come forth out of one land: and choose thou a place, choose it at the head of the way to the city.

        20 Appoint a way, that the sword may come to gRabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah in Jerusalem hthe defenced.

        21 For ithe king of Babylon stood at the 9parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use *divination: 10he made his arrows bright, he consulted with 11images, he looked in the liver.

        22 At his right hand was the *divination for Jerusalem, to appoint 12captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, jto lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to *cast a mount, and to build a fort.

        23 And it shall be unto them kas a false *divination in their sight, 13to them that have sworn oaths: but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.

        24 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have lmade your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are *discovered, so that in mall your doings your sins do appear; because, I say, that ye are come to remembrance, nye shall be taken with the hand.

        25 ¶And thou, oprofane wicked prince of Israel, whose pday is come, when iniquity shall have an end,

        26 Thus saith the Lord GOD; qRemove the *diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and *abase him that is high.

        27 14I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, runtil he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.

        28 ¶And thou, son of man, prophesy and say, sThus saith the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach; even say thou, The sword, the sword is drawn: for the slaughter it is *furbished, to consume because of the glittering:

        29 tWhiles they see vanity unto thee, whiles they divine a lie unto thee, to ubring thee upon the necks of them that are slain, of the wicked, whose day is come, when their iniquity shall have an end.

        30 15Shall I cause it to return into his sheath? I will vjudge thee in the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy nativity.

        31 And wI will pour out mine indignation upon thee, xI will blow against thee in the fire of my wrath, and deliver thee into the hand of 16brutish men, and skilful to destroy.

        32 Thou yshalt be for fuel to the fire; zthy blood shall be in the midst of the land; athou shalt be no more remembered: for I the LORD have spoken it.