hall be upon their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy, and
sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

VI

EZEKIEL'S DISCOURSE

THE SWORD OF THE LORD

1

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face
toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the sanctuaries, and prophesy
against the land of Israel; 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.
Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked,
therefore shall my sword go forth out of its sheath against all flesh
from the south to the north: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD
have drawn forth my sword out of its sheath; it shall not return any
more. Sigh therefore, thou son of man; with the breaking of thy loins
and with bitterness shalt thou sigh before their eyes. And it shall be,
when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt say,
Because of the tidings, for 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 it shall be done, saith
the Lord GOD.

2

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy, and
say, Thus saith the LORD: Say,

A sword,
A sword,
It is sharpened,
And also furbished:
It is sharpened that it may make a slaughter;
It is furbished that it may be as lightning!

'Shall we then make mirth? The Rod of my son, it contemneth every tree.'

And it is given to be furbished
That it may be handled:
The sword, it is sharpened, yea it is furbished,
To give it into the hand of the slayer.

Cry and howl, son of man: for it is upon my people, it is upon all the
princes of Israel: they are delivered over to the sword with my people:
smite therefore upon thy thigh. For there is a trial; and what if even
the Rod that contemneth shall be no more? saith the Lord GOD. Thou
therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thine hands together.

And let the sword be doubled the third time;
The sword of the deadly wounded:
It is the sword of the great one that is deadly wounded
Which compasseth them about.

I have set the point of the sword against all their gates,
That their heart may melt,
And their stumblings be multiplied:
Ah! it is made as lightning!