Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon me and said to me, “Say: This is what the Lord says: ‘This is what you are thinking, O house of Israel; I know what goes through your minds.

Say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: The prince will raise this burden in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel within it.’

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Return! Turn from your idols, and turn your faces away from your abominations.

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves like your fathers and engage in prostitution with detestable idols?

“Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Lord says: “‘A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also polished.

“This is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘Moab and Seir say, “Look, the house of Judah is like all the other nations.”

Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: You eat the meat with the blood still in it, pray to your idols, and shed blood. Do you really think you will possess the land?

This is what the sovereign Lord says: The enemy has spoken against you, saying “Aha!” and, “The ancient heights have become our property!”’

“This is what the sovereign Lord says: This is Jerusalem; I placed her in the center of the nations with countries all around her.

“This is what the sovereign Lord says: A disaster – a one-of-a-kind disaster – is coming!

Say, ‘I am an object lesson for you. Just as I have done, it will be done to them; they will go into exile and captivity.’

“For this is what the sovereign Lord says: Bring up an army against them and subject them to terror and plunder.

“‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Woe to the city of bloodshed! I will also make the pile high.

“‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Because you think you are godlike,

“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: “‘Wail, “Alas, the day is here!”

“‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt, by the hand of King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon.

“‘For this is what the sovereign Lord says: “‘The sword of the king of Babylon will attack you.

“‘For this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out.

This is what the sovereign Lord says: While the whole earth rejoices, I will turn you into a desolation.

This is what the sovereign Lord says to these bones: Look, I am about to infuse breath into you and you will live.