and say to the forest of the Negev, 'Hear the word of the LORD: thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am about to kindle R627 a fire in you, and it will consume every green F258 tree in you, as well as every dry tree; the blazing flame will not be quenched and the F259R628 whole surface from south to north will be burned by it.
and say to the land of Israel, 'Thus says the LORD, "Behold, I R633 am against you; and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off from you the righteous R634 and the wicked.
"Because I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore My sword will go forth from its sheath against all R635 flesh from south {to} north.
"And when they say to you, 'Why do you groan?' you shall say, 'Because of the news R637 that is coming; and every R638 heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint F263 and all knees will be F264 weak as water. Behold, it comes and it will happen,' declares the Lord GOD." F265
"Cry out and wail, son of man; for it is against My people, it is against all the officials R641 of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with My people, therefore strike {your} thigh.
"You therefore, son of man, prophesy and clap {your} hands together; and let the sword be doubled R642 the third time, the sword for the slain. It is the sword for the great one slain, which surrounds them,
that {their} hearts R643 may melt, and many fall R644 at all their gates. R645 I have given the glittering sword. Ah! It is made {for striking} like lightning, it is wrapped up {in readiness} for slaughter.
"As for you, son of man, make F272R647 two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come; both of them will go out of one land. And make F273 a signpost; make F274 it at the head of the way to the city.
"For the king of Babylon stands at the parting F276 of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination; R650 he shakes R651 the arrows, he consults the household F277R652 idols, he looks at the liver.
"Into his right hand came the divination, 'Jerusalem,' to set R653 battering rams, to open the mouth for F278 slaughter, to lift up the voice with a battle cry, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up ramps, to build a siege wall.
"And it will be to them like a false divination in their eyes; they R654 have {sworn} solemn oaths. But he brings R655 iniquity to remembrance, that they may be seized.
"Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your deeds your sins appear--because you have come to remembrance, you will be seized with the hand.
thus says the Lord GOD, 'Remove the turban and take off the crown; R657 this {will} no F280 longer {be} the same. Exalt R658 that which is low and abase that which is high.
"And you, son of man, prophesy and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the sons of Ammon and concerning their reproach,' R660 and say: 'A sword, a sword is drawn, polished for the slaughter, to cause it to F281 consume, R661 that it may be like lightning--
while they see for you false R662 visions, while they divine lies for you--to place you on the necks of the wicked who are slain, whose day has come, in the time R663 of the punishment F282 of the end.
'I will pour R665 out My indignation on you; I will blow R666 on you with the fire of My wrath, and I will give you into the hand of brutal men, skilled F283R667 in destruction.
'You will be fuel F284R668 for the fire; your blood will be in the midst of the land. You will not R669 be remembered, for I, the LORD, have spoken.' "
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