Yahweh will punish Israel

21 Yahweh gave me another message. He said, 2 “You human, turn toward Jerusalem. Preach about what will happen to the temple there. Preach about what will happen to the Israeli people. 3 Say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh says: I am opposed to you. 4 Sowhat I will do to you will be as though [MET] I will pull my sword from its sheath and strike you. I will kill everyone, including righteous people and wicked people [DOU]. I will get rid of everyone, from the south to the north. 5 Then everyone will know thatit is as though I, Yahweh, have struck people with my sword, and I will not put it back in its sheath again.’

6 Therefore, you human, groan! Groan in front of the Israeli people very sadly and sorrowfully [IDM, DOU]. 7 And when they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ tell them, ‘Because of the news that they soon will hear. Everyone will be very fearful [IDM], and their knees will become as weak as [SIM] water. A great disaster will soon occur. That is what Yahweh the Lord is promising.’ ”

8 Yahweh gave me another message. He said, 9 “You human, prophesy and say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh says:

I have sharpened my sword

and polished it.

10 It is sharpened in order that I can slaughtermany people with it;

it is polished so that it will flash like lightning.

The people of Judah will not celebratetheir being punished like this,

but they did not repent whenI only struck them with a stick.

11 A sword should be polished,

and be grasped in someone’s hand.

It should be sharpened and polished,

ready for someone to use it to kill people.

12 So, you human, cry and wail,

because I will use my sword to kill my people,

including the leaders of Israel.

They and all the other people, my people,

will be killed by swords,

so beat your chestto show that you are sad.

13 I am about to test my people,

and the kings [MTY] of Judah will not escape being punished.

That is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say.

14 So, you human, prophesy;

clap your handsto show that you are very happy about what is going to happen.

My sword will strike them again and again;

it is a sword for slaughtering many people,

while I attack them from every side.

15 In order that people will be very much afraid [IDM]

and many people will be killed,

I have placedsoldiers holding my swords at every city gate,

ready to slaughter people.

Those swords will flash like lightning,

as the soldiers grasp them to slaughter people.

16 Their swords [APO] will slash to the right

and then to the left,

whichever way they turn the blades.

17 Then I will clap my handstriumphantly;

and then I will no longer be angry.

That will surely happen because I, Yahweh, have said it.’ ”