“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: “‘Wail, “Alas, the day is here!” ¹ 

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

“As for you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says concerning the Ammonites and their coming humiliation; ¹  say: “‘A sword, a sword drawn for slaughter, polished to consume, ²  to flash like lightning –

When your people ¹  say to you, ‘Will you not tell us what these things mean?’

and say: “‘What a lioness was your mother among the lions! She lay among young lions; ¹  she reared her cubs.

“Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and his hordes: “‘Who are you like in your greatness?

“Son of man, say to her: ‘You are a land that receives no rain ¹  or showers in the day of my anger.’ ² 

“Yet your people ¹  say, ‘The behavior ²  of the Lord is not right,’ ³  when it is their behavior that is not right.

“As for you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say: ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord!

and say: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, ¹  I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.

The people ¹  to whom I am sending you are obstinate and hard-hearted, ²  and you must say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says.’ ³ 

They say, ¹  ‘The time is not near to build houses; ²  the city ³  is a cooking pot ⁴  and we are the meat in it.’

Say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: The prince will raise this burden in Jerusalem, ¹  and all the house of Israel within it.’ ² 

“Yet you say, ‘The Lord’s conduct ¹  is unjust!’ Hear, O house of Israel: Is my conduct unjust? Is it not your conduct that is unjust?

They will say, “This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; the ruined, desolate, and destroyed cities are now fortified and inhabited.”

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.’

“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to the prophets who prophesy from their imagination: ¹  ‘Hear the word of the Lord!

“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 ¹  and engage in prostitution with detestable idols?

Yet you say, ‘The behavior of the Lord is not right.’ House of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his behavior.” ¹