וַיְהִי דְבַר־ה' אֵלַי לֵאמֹר

The word of the Lord was with me, saying:

בֶּן־אָדָם שִׂים פָּנֶיךָ דֶּרֶךְ תֵּימָנָה וְהַטֵּף אֶל־דָּרוֹם וְהִנָּבֵא אֶל־יַעַר הַשָּׂדֶה נֶגֶב

Son of man, set your face, direct your attention, in a southward [temana] direction, and proclaim your message to the south [darom], and prophesy to the forest of the field of the south [negev]. This apparently refers to the virgin forests in the southern part of the land of Judah.

וְאָמַרְתָּ לְיַעַר הַנֶּגֶב שְׁמַע דְּבַר־ה' כֹּה־אָמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים הִנְנִי מַצִּית־בְּךָ אֵשׁ וְאָכְלָה בְךָ כָל־עֵץ־לַח וְכָל־עֵץ יָבֵשׁ לֹא־תִכְבֶּה לַהֶבֶת שַׁלְהֶבֶת וְנִצְרְבוּ בָהּ כָּל־פָּנִים מִנֶּגֶב צָפוֹנָה

You shall say to the forest of the south: Hear the word of the Lord. So said the Lord God: Behold, I am igniting a fire within you, and it will consume everything within you, including every moist tree, which takes longer to burn than a dry tree, and every dry tree. The intense flame will not be extinguished. The fire will spread until every face from south to north will be seared by it.

וְרָאוּ כָּל־בָּשָׂר כִּי אֲנִי ה' בִּעַרְתִּיהָ לֹא תִּכְבֶּה

All flesh will see and understand that I, the Lord, ignited it; therefore, it will not be extinguished.

וָאֹמַר אֲהָהּ ה' אֱלוֹהִים הֵמָּה אֹמְרִים לִי הֲלֹא מְמַשֵּׁל מְשָׁלִים הוּא

The prophet interjects: I said: Alas, Lord God, they who hear me speak of the forest burning say about me: Is he not just a purveyor of parables? Although my intent should have been clear to them, as they had grown up in the Land of Israel and were well informed of the situation there, they did not take the content of my prophecies seriously; rather, they reacted to them as if they were merely moral messages expressed as moving poetry.

וַיְהִי דְבַר־ה' אֵלַי לֵאמֹר

The word of the Lord was with me again, this time with a more explicit message, saying:

בֶּן־אָדָם שִׂים פָּנֶיךָ אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְהַטֵּף אֶל־מִקְדָּשִׁים וְהִנָּבֵא אֶל־אַדְמַת יִשְׂרָאֵל

Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, proclaim to the sanctuaries, stated in the plural as a reference to the different sections of the Temple and the sacred vessels, and prophesy to the territory of Israel.

וְאָמַרְתָּ לְאַדְמַת יִשְׂרָאֵל כֹּה אָמַר ה' הִנְנִי אֵלַיִךְ וְהוֹצֵאתִי חַרְבִּי מִתַּעְרָהּ וְהִכְרַתִּי מִמֵּךְ צַדִּיק וְרָשָׁע

You shall say to the territory of Israel: So said the Lord: Behold, I am turning against you, and I will draw My sword from its sheath, and I will eradicate from among you the righteous and the wicked alike. The slaughter will not differentiate between people.

יַעַן אֲשֶׁר־הִכְרַתִּי מִמֵּךְ צַדִּיק וְרָשָׁע לָכֵן תֵּצֵא חַרְבִּי מִתַּעְרָהּ אֶל־כָּל־בָּשָׂר מִנֶּגֶב צָפוֹן

Because I eradicated from among you the righteous and the wicked, therefore My all-consuming sword will be drawn from its sheath. It will not return there quickly; rather, it will continue to strike against all flesh from south to north.

וְיָדְעוּ כָּל־בָּשָׂר כִּי אֲנִי ה' הוֹצֵאתִי חַרְבִּי מִתַּעְרָהּ לֹא תָשׁוּב עוֹד

When this prophecy is fulfilled, all flesh will know that I, the Lord, have drawn My sword from its sheath; it will not return any longer.

וְאַתָּה בֶן־אָדָם הֵאָנַח בְּשִׁבְרוֹן מָתְנַיִם וּבִמְרִירוּת תֵּאָנַח לְעֵינֵיהֶם

Therefore, you, Son of man, sigh; with shattering of the waist, a deep moan that is felt all the way through the chest and below, and with the bitterness of grave distress, you shall sigh before their eyes.

וְהָיָה כִּי־יֹאמְרוּ אֵלֶיךָ עַל־מָה אַתָּה נֶאְנָח וְאָמַרְתָּ אֶל שְׁמוּעָה כִי־בָאָה וְנָמֵס כָּל־לֵב וְרָפוּ כָל־יָדַיִם וְכִהֲתָה כָל־רוּחַ וְכָל־בִּרְכַּיִם תֵּלַכְנָה מַּיִם הִנֵּה בָאָה וְנִהְיָתָה נְאֻם ה' אֱלוֹהִים

It shall be when they say to you: For what are you sighing publicly in this manner? You shall say to them: It is because of the report that is coming. Soon, news will arrive from Jerusalem that will terrify and depress all those who hear it. Every heart will melt, all hands will grow feeble, every spirit will grow faint, and because people seized by great fear are often unable to control their bodily functions, all knees will drip with waste water. Behold, it is coming, and it will be – the utterance of the Lord God. This prophecy regarding the impending destruction of the Temple will come to pass imminently. The Temple is the people’s great hope for survival, and they are convinced it will remain standing forever. When it is destroyed, all their hopes will dissipate.

וַיְהִי דְבַר־ה' אֵלַי לֵאמֹר

The word of the Lord was with me, saying:

בֶּן־אָדָם הִנָּבֵא וְאָמַרְתָּ כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱמֹר חֶרֶב חֶרֶב הוּחַדָּה וְגַם־מְרוּטָה

Son of man, prophesy, and say: So said the Lord: Say: A sword, a sword belonging to the king of Babylon, has been sharpened and also polished.

לְמַעַן טְבֹחַ טֶבַח הוּחַדָּה לְמַעַן־הֱיֵה־לָהּ בָּרָק מֹרָטָּה אוֹ נָשִׂישׂ שֵׁבֶט בְּנִי מֹאֶסֶת כָּל־עֵץ

It is in order to wreak slaughter that it has been sharpened, and so that it will have a sheen, it has been polished, resulting in a flawlessly sharp, shiny sword without any imperfections. The prophet asks rhetorically: Or should we be glad? Perhaps the sword has been polished in honor of our upcoming salvation? God then answers: No, there is no cause for rejoicing. The sword is designed to be used as the rod of punishment of My son. It is a sword that spurns every tree; it was not intended for just cutting down trees.

וַיִּתֵּן אֹתָהּ לְמָרְטָה לִתְפֹּשׂ בַּכָּף הִיא־הוּחַדָּה חֶרֶב וְהִיא מֹרָטָּה לָתֵת אוֹתָהּ בְּיַד־הוֹרֵג

He gave it for polishing, to grasp in the palm; a sword, it has been sharpened and it has been polished in order to place it in the hand of a killer and make it easier for him to wield and handle it. The sharper and smoother the sword is, the more effectively it can be used as a weapon.

זְעַק וְהֵילֵל בֶּן־אָדָם כִּי־הִיא הָיְתָה בְעַמִּי הִיא בְּכָל־נְשִׂיאֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מְגוּרֵי אֶל־חֶרֶב הָיוּ אֶת עַמִּי לָכֵן סְפֹק אֶל־יָרֵךְ

Therefore, cry and wail, Son of man, for it, the sword, has been used against My people. It is striking against all the princes of Israel, the kings of Judah. They have been gathered to the sword, or are frightened by it, or are resigned to it, together with My people. Therefore, slap your thigh as a sign of mourning.

כִּי בֹחַן וּמָה אִם־גַּם־שֵׁבֶט מֹאֶסֶת לֹא יִהְיֶה נְאֻם ה' אֱלוֹהִים

For it has been ascertained. The sword of which we speak comes to examine and try men, to frighten them in the hope that they will mend their ways, and to punish them if they fail to do so. And what is it? It is such that it, the polished sword, will not even be a despising rod of anyone of My people in particular; it will cut through all and spare none – the utterance of the Lord God.

וְאַתָּה בֶן־אָדָם הִנָּבֵא וְהַךְ כַּף אֶל־כָּף וְתִכָּפֵל חֶרֶב שְׁלִישִׁתָה חֶרֶב חֲלָלִים הִיא חֶרֶב חָלָל הַגָּדוֹל הַחֹדֶרֶת לָהֶם

You, Son of man, prophesy, and slap one hand against the other as a sign of the impending disaster, and the sword will be doubled and tripled; it is the sword of the slain, the sword of the great slaughter that penetrates their bodies and kills all of them.

לְמַעַן לָמוּג לֵב וְהַרְבֵּה הַמִּכְשֹׁלִים עַל כָּל־שַׁעֲרֵיהֶם נָתַתִּי אִבְחַת חָרֶב אָח עֲשׂוּיָה לְבָרָק מְעֻטָּה לְטָבַח

In order to enfeeble the heart of Israel, to frighten them and increase the obstacles placed before them, I have set the thrust of the sword against all their gates. Alas, it is made to flash, concealed and preserved for slaughter.

הִתְאַחֲדִי הֵימִינִי הָשִׂימִי הַשְׂמִילִי אָנָה פָּנַיִךְ מֻעָדוֹת

The prophet speaks to the sword: Select a single direction: Go right; set a course: Go left. These unusual terms are probably technical instructions about how to hold and wield a sword; similar terms are found in other languages. To where, sword, is your face set? A sword of this type in the hand of a skilled warrior moves so fast that one cannot know where it is or where it is headed.

וְגַם־אֲנִי אַכֶּה כַפִּי אֶל־כַּפִּי וַהֲנִחֹתִי חֲמָתִי אֲנִי ה' דִּבַּרְתִּי

I too, like you, Ezekiel, will slap My hand against the other, so to speak, like one lamenting the catastrophe, and I will assuage My fury. I will calm My anger. I, the Lord, have spoken.

וַיְהִי דְבַר־ה' אֵלַי לֵאמֹר

The word of the Lord was with me, saying:

וְאַתָּה בֶן־אָדָם שִׂים לְךָ שְׁנַיִם דְּרָכִים לָבוֹא חֶרֶב מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל מֵאֶרֶץ אֶחָד יֵצְאוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם וְיָד בָּרֵא בְּרֹאשׁ דֶּרֶךְ־עִיר בָּרֵא

You, Son of man, designate for yourself two paths, either in your imagination or in practice, for the sword of the king of Babylon to take; both shall come out of one land, or from the land of one king. Both roads will come from the north. Clear a space by removing the vegetation; clear at the head of a city’s path. Since the minor kings surrounding the Land of Israel joined Tzidkiyahu in his rebellion against Babylon, there were two possible routes that Nebuchadnezzar could take when leading his army south.

דֶּרֶךְ תָּשִׂים לָבוֹא חֶרֶב אֵת רַבַּת בְּנֵי־עַמּוֹן וְאֶת־יְהוּדָה בִירוּשָׁלִַם בְּצוּרָה

Designate a path indicating one possible route for the sword to come to Raba, the capital city of the children of Amon, and designate a second path indicating the other possible route, leading to Judah in fortified Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar would need to decide whether to proceed along the road on the eastern side of the Jordan River leading to Raba or along the western route toward Jerusalem, probably referring to the Via Maris, “the Way of the Sea,” the ancient route along the Mediterranean coast. It is not known if Nebuchadnezzar actually deliberated between these two choices, but from a strategic perspective, they were both valid options.

כִּי־עָמַד מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל אֶל־אֵם הַדֶּרֶךְ בְּרֹאשׁ שְׁנֵי הַדְּרָכִים לִקְסָם־קָסֶם קִלְקַל בַּחִצִּים שָׁאַל בַּתְּרָפִים רָאָה בַּכָּבֵד

For the king of Babylon has stood at the crossroad, at the head of the two roads. In order to determine which road to take, he would need to perform divination; he shook, polished or shot, the arrows as a method of divination. He consulted the teraphim, images used for fortune-telling and as talismans for success. He also gazed at the liver. Babylonian priests would sometimes remove the liver of an animal designated as an offering to examine it for omens for determining their decisions.

בִּימִינוֹ הָיָה הַקֶּסֶם יְרוּשָׁלִַם לָשׂוּם כָּרִים לִפְתֹּחַ פֶּה בְּרֶצַח לְהָרִים קוֹל בִּתְרוּעָה לָשׂוּם כָּרִים עַל־שְׁעָרִים לִשְׁפֹּךְ סֹלְלָה לִבְנוֹת דָּיֵק

In his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem. All of the divinations Nebuchadnezzar would use would point him to the path on his right, the road to Jerusalem. He would therefore take that path in order to place battering rams in preparation for breaching the wall, or to appoint commanders for the battle, to open the mouth in a scream, to raise the voice with shouting, to place battering rams against the gates, to erect a ramp, to build a siege tower. Nebuchadnezzar might have preferred to first besiege a small city such as Raba, one that would be easier to conquer, rather than Jerusalem, with its strong natural defenses and which indeed ultimately took a long time to conquer. However, all his divinations, the arrows, the household idols, and the livers, will indicate that he should first advance in the direction of Jerusalem.

וְהָיָה לָהֶם כִּקְסָם־שָׁוְא בְּעֵינֵיהֶם שְׁבֻעֵי שְׁבֻעוֹת לָהֶם וְהוּא מַזְכִּיר עָוֹן לְהִתָּפֵשׂ

But it, the divination, will be to them, the residents of Jerusalem, like a vain divination in their eyes. They do not believe that Nebuchadnezzar will conquer their city because the false prophets uttered oaths upon oaths to them, promising that Nebuchadnezzar would not attack them, and the people believed them. And it, adherence to the assurances of the false prophets, only evokes iniquity, increasing and reaffirming their sins and leading them to be captured.

לָכֵן כֹּה־אָמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים יַעַן הַזְכַּרְכֶם עֲוֹנְכֶם בְּהִגָּלוֹת פִּשְׁעֵיכֶם לְהֵרָאוֹת חַטֹּאותֵיכֶם בְּכֹל עֲלִילוֹתֵיכֶם יַעַן הִזָּכֶרְכֶם בַּכַּף תִּתָּפֵשׂוּ

The prophet further explains: Therefore, so said the Lord God: Because you have evoked your iniquity when your transgressions were revealed for your sins to be seen in all your exploits, because you are remembered, you will be seized by the hand. By your actions, you have brought about your own capture.

וְאַתָּה חָלָל רָשָׁע נְשִׂיא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר־בָּא יוֹמוֹ בְּעֵת עֲוֹן קֵץ

You, slain wicked one, prince of Israel, referring to King Tzidkiyahu, who had been found guilty, and was therefore considered as though he was already dead, whose final day has come at the time of ultimate iniquity, the point at which sins can no longer be tolerated,

כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים הָסִיר הַמִּצְנֶפֶת וְהָרִים הָעֲטָרָה זֹאת לֹא־זֹאת הַשָּׁפָלָה הַגְבֵּהַּ וְהַגָּבֹהַּ הַשְׁפִּיל

so said the Lord God to Tzidkiyahu: Remove the mitre and lift off the crown. Tzidkiyahu’s royal headwear will be removed as an indication that he has been removed from the throne. This mitre is already not as it was. The king’s mitre is improperly positioned. Its higher and lower sections have been reversed, and therefore, exalt and raise the abased sections and abase and lower the exalted sections, this action being a metaphor for what is to happen: The monarchy will be destroyed. Some commentaries understand this as a prophecy about the future leadership of another person, perhaps Yehoyakhin’s grandson Zerubavel or Gedalya son of Ahikam.

עַוָּה עַוָּה עַוָּה אֲשִׂימֶנָּה גַּם־זֹאת לֹא הָיָה עַד־בֹּא אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ הַמִּשְׁפָּט וּנְתַתִּיו

A ruin, a ruin, a ruin I will render it. Tzidkiyahu’s kingdom will be entirely lost, and troubles will befall him. This too has not been, until the advent of he by whom is the judgment, and I will deliver it, the judgment. Alternatively, I will deliver, bring, Nebuchadnezzar, who will administer Tzidkiyahu’s punishment.

וְאַתָּה בֶן־אָדָם הִנָּבֵא וְאָמַרְתָּ כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים אֶל־בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן וְאֶל־חֶרְפָּתָם וְאָמַרְתָּ חֶרֶב חֶרֶב פְּתוּחָה לְטֶבַח מְרוּטָה לְהָכִיל לְמַעַן בָּרָק

Alongside Jerusalem, Ezekiel also prophesies with regard to Amon, which participated in Tzidkiyahu’s rebellion: You, Son of man, prophesy and say: So said the Lord God concerning the children of Amon and concerning their disgrace, their idols. And you shall say: Do not think that if Nebuchadnezzar turns to Jerusalem, you will be spared. Sword, a drawn sword, polished for slaughter, to bear it for the sheen,

בַּחֲזוֹת לָךְ שָׁוְא בִּקְסָם־לָךְ כָּזָב לָתֵת אוֹתָךְ אֶל־צַוְּארֵי חַלְלֵי רְשָׁעִים אֲשֶׁר־בָּא יוֹמָם בְּעֵת עֲוֹן קֵץ

while they, the prophets of Amon, envision for you that which is vain, while they divine for you falsehood, claiming that you will not harm them. God has in fact decided to place you upon the necks of the slain wicked ones, whose day has come at the time of the ultimate iniquity.

הָשַׁב אֶל־תַּעְרָהּ בִּמְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־נִבְרֵאת בְּאֶרֶץ מְכֻרוֹתַיִךְ אֶשְׁפֹּט אֹתָךְ

Return it, the sword, to its sheath. The killing will end in the place where you were created, in the land of your origins and your birth, where I will judge you.

וְשָׁפַכְתִּי עָלַיִךְ זַעְמִי בְּאֵשׁ עֶבְרָתִי אָפִיחַ עָלָיִךְ וּנְתַתִּיךְ בְּיַד אֲנָשִׁים בֹּעֲרִים חָרָשֵׁי מַשְׁחִית

I will pour My fury upon you, I will blow upon you with the fire of My wrath, and I will deliver you into the hand of brutish men [bo’arim], or men who know how to use burning [bo’er] fires in their trade, that is, metalsmiths and craftsmen of weapons of destruction.

לָאֵשׁ תִּהְיֶה לְאָכְלָה דָּמֵךְ יִהְיֶה בְּתוֹךְ הָאָרֶץ לֹא תִזָּכֵרִי כִּי אֲנִי ה' דִּבַּרְתִּי

To the fire it, Amon, will be fuel. Your blood will be spilled in the midst of the land you possess. You will not be exiled; rather, you will be punished in your homeland, or your blood will be absorbed into the earth and will not call out for vengeance. You will not be remembered. You will be entirely destroyed, as I the Lord have spoken.