¹ Opet mi dođe reč Gospodnja govoreći:

² Sine čovečji, okreni lice svoje na jug i pokaplji prema jugu, i prorokuj na šumu u južnom polju.

³ I reci šumi južnoj: Čuj reč Gospodnju, ovako veli Gospod Gospod, evo ja ću raspaliti u tebi oganj koji će proždreti u tebi svako drvo zeleno i svako drvo suvo; plamen razgoreli neće se ugasiti, i izgoreće od njega sve od juga do severa.

⁴ I svako će telo videti da sam ja zapalio; neće se ugasiti.

⁵ A ja rekoh: Jaoh Gospode Gospode, oni govore za me: Ne govori li taj same priče?

⁶ I dođe mi reč Gospodnja govoreći:

⁷ Sine čovečji, okreni lice svoje prema Jerusalimu, i pokaplji prema svetim mestima, i prorokuj protiv zemlje Izrailjeve.

⁸ I reci zemlji Izrailjevoj: Ovako veli Gospod: Evo me na te; izvući ću mač svoj iz korica, i istrebiću iz tebe pravednog i bezbožnog.

⁹ Da istrebim iz tebe pravednog i bezbožnog, zato će izaći mač moj iz korica svojih na svako telo od juga do severa.

¹⁰ I poznaće svako telo da sam ja Gospod izvukao mač svoj iz korica njegovih, neće se više vratiti.

¹¹ A ti, sine čovečji, uzdiši kao da su ti bedra polomljena, i gorko uzdiši pred njima.

¹² A kad ti kažu: Zašto uzdišeš? Ti reci: Za glas što ide, od kog će se rastopiti svako srce i klonuti sve ruke i svakog će duha nestati, i svaka će kolena postati kao voda; evo, ide, i navršiće se, govori Gospod Gospod.

¹³ Potom dođe mi reč Gospodnja govoreći:

¹⁴ Sine čovečji, prorokuj i reci: Ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Reci: mač, mač je naoštren, i uglađen je.

¹⁵ Naoštren je da kolje, uglađen je da seva; hoćemo li se radovati kad prut sina mog ne haje ni za kako drvo?

¹⁶ Dao ga je da se ugladi da se uzme u ruku; mač je naoštren i uglađen, da se da u ruku ubici.

¹⁷ Viči i ridaj, sine čovečji; jer on ide na narod moj, na sve knezove Izrailjeve; pod mač će biti okrenuti s narodom mojim, za to udri se po bedru.

¹⁸ Kad beše karanje, šta bi? Eda li ni od pruta koji ne haje neće biti ništa? Govori Gospod Gospod.

¹⁹ Ti dakle, sine čovečji, prorokuj i pljeskaj rukama, jer će mač doći i drugom i trećom, mač koji ubija, mač koji velike ubija, koji prodire u kleti.

²⁰ Da se rastope srca i umnoži pogibao, metnuo sam na sva vrata njihova strah od mača; jaoh! Pripravljen je da seva, naoštren da kolje.

²¹ Stegni se, udri nadesno, nalevo, kuda se god obrneš.

²² Jer ću i ja pljeskati rukama, i namiriću gnev svoj. Ja Gospod rekoh.

²³ Još mi dođe reč Gospodnja govoreći:

²⁴ A ti, sine čovečji, načini dva puta, kuda će doći mač cara vavilonskog; iz jedne zemlje neka izlaze oba; i izberi stranu, gde se počinje put gradski, izberi.

²⁵ Načini put kojim će doći mač na Ravu sinova Amonovih, i u Judeju na tvrdi Jerusalim.

²⁶ Jer će car vavilonski stati na rasputici, gde počinju dva puta, te će vračati, gladiće strele, pitaće likove, gledaće u jetru.

²⁷ Nadesno će mu vračanje pokazati Jerusalim da namesti ubojne sprave, da otvori usta na klanje, da podigne glas podvikujući, da namesti ubojne sprave prema vratima, da načini opkope, da pogradi kule.

²⁸ I učiniće se vračanje zaludno zakletima, a to će napomenuti bezakonje da se uhvate.

²⁹ Zato ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Što napominjete svoje bezakonje, te se otkriva nevera vaša i gresi se vaši vide u svim delima vašim, za to što dođoste na pamet, bićete pohvatani rukom.

³⁰ A ti, nečisti bezbožniče, kneže Izrailjev, kome dođe dan kad bi na kraju bezakonje,

³¹ Ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Skini tu kapu i svrzi taj venac, neće ga biti; niskog ću uzvisiti a visokog ću poniziti.

³² Uništiću, uništiću, uništiću ga, i neće ga biti, dokle ne dođe onaj kome pripada, i njemu ću ga dati.

³³ A ti, sine čovečji, prorokuj i reci: Ovako veli Gospod Gospod za sinove Amonove i za njihovu sramotu; reci dakle: mač, mač je izvučen, uglađen da kolje, da zatire, da seva,

³⁴ Dokle ti viđaju taštinu, dokle ti gataju laž, da te metnu na vratove pobijenim bezbožnicima, kojima dođe dan kad bi kraj bezakonju.

³⁵ Ostavi mač u korice, na mestu gde si se rodio, u zemlji gde si postao, sudiću ti;

³⁶ I izliću na te gnev svoj, ognjem gneva svog dunuću na te i predaću te u ruke žestokim ljudima, veštim u zatiranju.

³⁷ Ognju ćeš biti hrana, krv će ti biti posred zemlje, nećeš se spominjati, jer ja Gospod rekoh.

¹ "Woe to the rebellious children," says Yahweh, "who take counsel, but not from me; and who make an alliance, but not with my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin,

² who set out to go down into Egypt, and have not asked my advice; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to take refuge in the shadow of Egypt!

³ Therefore the strength of Pharaoh will be your shame, and the refuge in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.

⁴ For their princes are at Zoan, and their ambassadors have come to Hanes.

⁵ They shall all be ashamed because of a people that can't profit them, that are not a help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach."

⁶ The burden of the animals of the South. Through the land of trouble and anguish, of the lioness and the lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they carry their riches on the shoulders of young donkeys, and their treasures on the humps of camels, to an unprofitable people.

⁷ For Egypt helps in vain, and to no purpose; therefore have I called her Rahab who sits still.

⁸ Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come forever and ever.

⁹ For it is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of Yahweh;

¹⁰ who tell the seers, "Don't see!" and to the prophets, "Don't prophesy to us right things. tell us pleasant things. Prophesy deceits.

¹¹ Get out of the way. Turn aside from the path. Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us."

¹² Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel, "Because you despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and rely on it;

¹³ therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking comes suddenly in an instant.

¹⁴ He will break it as a potter's vessel is broken, breaking it in pieces without sparing, so that there won't be found among the broken piece a piece good enough to take fire from the hearth, or to dip up water out of the cistern."

¹⁵ For thus said the Lord Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, "You will be saved in returning and rest. Your strength will be in quietness and in confidence." You refused,

¹⁶ but you said, "No, for we will flee on horses;" therefore you will flee; and, "We will ride on the swift;" therefore those who pursue you will be swift.

¹⁷ One thousand will flee at the threat of One. At the threat of five, you will flee until you are left like a beacon on the top of a mountain, and like a banner on a hill.

¹⁸ Therefore Yahweh will wait, that he may be gracious to you; and therefore he will be exalted, that he may have mercy on you, for Yahweh is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for him.

¹⁹ For the people will dwell in Zion at Jerusalem. You will weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the voice of your cry. When he hears you, he will answer you.

²⁰ Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers won't be hidden anymore, but your eyes will see your teachers;

²¹ and when you turn to the right hand, and when you turn to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way. Walk in it."

²² You shall defile the overlaying of your engraved images of silver, and the plating of your molten images of gold. You shall cast them away as an unclean thing. You shall tell it, "Go away!"

²³ He will give the rain for your seed, with which you will sow the ground; and bread of the increase of the ground will be rich and plentiful. In that day, your livestock will feed in large pastures.

²⁴ The oxen likewise and the young donkeys that till the ground will eat savory provender, which has been winnowed with the shovel and with the fork.

²⁵ There shall be brooks and streams of water on every lofty mountain and on every high hill in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.

²⁶ Moreover the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven days, in the day that Yahweh binds up the fracture of his people, and heals the wound they were struck with.

²⁷ Behold, the name of Yahweh comes from far away, burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke. His lips are full of indignation, and his tongue is as a devouring fire.

²⁸ His breath is as an overflowing stream that reaches even to the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction; and a bridle that leads to ruin will be in the jaws of the peoples.

²⁹ You will have a song, as in the night when a holy feast is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goes with a flute to come to Yahweh's mountain, to Israel's Rock.

³⁰ Yahweh will cause his glorious voice to be heard, and will show the descent of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and the flame of a devouring fire, with a blast, storm, and hailstones.

³¹ For through the voice of Yahweh the Assyrian will be dismayed. He will strike him with his rod.

³² Every stroke of the rod of punishment, which Yahweh will lay on him, will be with the sound of tambourines and harps. He will fight with them in battles, brandishing weapons.

³³ For his burning place has long been ready. Yes, for the king it is prepared. He has made its pyre deep and large with fire and much wood. Yahweh's breath, like a stream of sulfur, kindles it.