Hiezechielis Prophetæ 21
1 Et factus est sermo Domini ad me, dicens:
A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
2 Fili hominis pone faciem tuam ad Ierusalem, et stilla ad sanctuaria, et propheta contra humum Israel:
“Son of man, face towards Jerusalem and condemn their places of worship. Prophesy against the people living in Israel
3 Et dices terræ Israel: Hæc dicit Dominus Deus: Ecce ego ad te, et eiiciam gladium meum de vagina sua, et occidam in te iustum, et impium.
and tell them that this is what the Lord says: Watch out, because I'm going to attack you! I'm going to take out my sword and destroy you, both the good and the bad.
4 Pro eo autem quod occidi in te iustum, et impium, idcirco egredietur gladius meus de vagina sua ad omnem carnem ab Austro usque ad Aquilonem:
Because I'm going to destroy both the good and the bad, I will attack everyone from the north to the south.
5 Ut sciat omnis caro quia ego Dominus eduxi gladium meum de vagina sua irrevocabilem.
Then the whole world will know that I, the Lord, have taken out my sword, and won't put it back again.
6 Et tu fili hominis ingemisce in contritione lumborum, et in amaritudinibus ingemisce coram eis.
You, son of man, you are to groan. Groan as if you're broken up inside, showing terrible sadness while they watch you.
7 Cumque dixerint ad te: Quare tu gemis? dices: Pro auditu: quia venit, et tabescet omne cor, et dissolventur universæ manus, et infirmabitur omnis spiritus, et per cuncta genua fluent aquæ: ecce venit, et fiet, ait Dominus Deus.
When they ask, ‘What are you groaning for?’ you are to tell them, ‘Because of the news that's coming. All of you will lose your courage and you'll be paralyzed with fear. All of you will be weak with worry—you won't be able to stand up!’ Watch out, because it's coming! It's going to happen! declares the Lord God.”
8 Et factus est sermo Domini ad me, dicens:
Another message from the Lord came to me, saying,
9 Fili hominis propheta, et dices: Hæc dicit Dominus Deus: Loquere: Gladius, gladius exacutus est, et limatus.
“Son of man, prophesy! Tell them this is what the Lord says: There's a sword, a sword that's being sharpened and polished.
10 Ut cædat victimas, exacutus est: ut splendeat, limatus est: qui moves sceptrum filii mei, succidisti omne lignum.
It's sharpened for killing and polished so it will flash like lightning! (Are we to be happy, saying, ‘The scepter of my son despises every other stick’?)
11 Et dedi eum ad levigandum ut teneatur manu: iste exacutus est gladius, et iste limatus est ut sit in manu interficientis.
The sword is being polished right now, ready to be used. It's sharp and polished, ready to be handed over to the killer.
12 Clama, et ulula fili hominis, quia hic factus est in populo meo, hic in cunctis ducibus Israel, qui fugerant: gladio traditi sunt cum populo meo, idcirco plaude super femur,
Weep and wail, son of man, and slap your thigh in grief, for the sword is going to be used to attack my people, to attack all the leaders of Israel! They will be thrown away, killed by the sword along with my people.
13 quia probatus est: et hoc, cum sceptrum subverterit, et non erit, dicit Dominus Deus.
They will be tested. What if the scepter that despises others doesn't continue? declares the Lord God.
14 Tu ergo fili hominis propheta, et percute manu ad manum, et duplicetur gladius, ac triplicetur gladius interfectorum: hic est gladius occisionis magnæ, qui obstupescere eos facit,
So son of man, prophesy and clap your hands. The sword will attack twice, and then a third time. It is a sword of death, killing many people by coming at them from every direction.
15 et corde tabescere, et multiplicat ruinas. In omnibus portis eorum dedi conturbationem gladii acuti, et limati ad fulgendum, amicti ad cædem.
I have placed a sword at all the gates of their city so that they may lose their courage, and many may fall. Oh no! It's made to flash like lightning and used to kill.
16 Exacuere, vade ad dexteram, sive ad sinistram, quocumque faciei tuæ est appetitus.
Slash right and left, whichever way you're facing.
17 Quin et ego plaudam manu ad manum, et implebo indignationem meam: ego Dominus locutus sum.
I will also clap my hands, and then my anger will be over. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
18 Et factus est sermo Domini ad me, dicens:
Another message from the Lord came to me, saying,
19 Et tu fili hominis pone tibi duas vias, ut veniat gladius regis Babylonis: de terra una egredientur ambæ: et manu capiet coniecturam, in capite viæ civitatis coniiciet.
“Son of man, mark the two roads that the king of Babylon's army could take, beginning from the same country. Make a signpost where the road forks, leading to two different cities.
20 Viam pones ut veniat gladius ad Rabbath filiorum Ammon, et ad Iudam in Ierusalem munitissimam.
Have one sign point down the road for an attack on the Ammonite city of Rabbah, and another to attack Judah and the fortified city of Jerusalem.
21 Stetit enim rex Babylonis in bivio, in capite duarum viarum, divinationem quærens, commiscens sagittas: interrogavit idola, exta consuluit.
The king of Babylon is standing at the fork in the road where the two roads meet looking for a prophetic sign: he casts lots using arrows, he asks advice from idols, and he examines the liver of sacrificial animals.
22 Ad dexteram eius facta est divinatio super Ierusalem ut ponat arietes, ut aperiat os in cæde, ut elevet vocem in ululatu, ut ponat arietes contra portas, ut comportet aggerem, ut ædificet munitiones.
He holds the sign for Jerusalem in his right hand. This is where he is going to set up battering rams, to give the command to attack, to shout the war-cry. There he will order the battering rams to smash the gates, set up an attack ramp, and build a siege wall.
23 Eritque quasi consulens frustra oraculum in oculis eorum, et Sabbatorum otium imitans: ipse autem recordabitur iniquitatis ad capiendum.
To those who have sworn to be loyal to Nebuchadnezzar this will look like a false sign, but it will reveal their guilt and they will be taken prisoner.
24 Idcirco hæc dicit Dominus Deus: Pro eo quod recordati estis iniquitatis vestræ, et revelastis prævaricationes vestras, et apparuerunt peccata vestra in omnibus cogitationibus vestris: pro eo, inquam, quod recordati estis, manu capiemini.
So this is what the Lord God says: Because you have revealed your guilt and demonstrated your rebellion, showing your sins in everything you've done, now that you've made all this clear, you will be taken prisoner.
25 Tu autem profane, impie dux Israel, cuius venit dies in tempore iniquitatis præfinita:
As for you, you unclean, wicked prince of Israel, the time has come to complete your punishment.
26 Hæc dicit Dominus Deus: Aufer cidarim, tolle coronam: nonne hæc est, quæ humilem sublevavit, et sublimem humiliavit?
This is what the Lord God says: Take off your turban, and your crown. Things won't continue as they were. Give power to the common people and bring down the powerful!
27 Iniquitatem, iniquitatem, iniquitatem ponam eam: et hoc non factum est donec veniret cuius est iudicium, et tradam ei.
I'm going to destroy everything, make it all a ruin! It won't be restored until its owner arrives, the one I've given the authority to judge.
28 Et tu fili hominis propheta, et dic: Hæc dicit Dominus Deus ad filios Ammon, et ad opprobrium eorum, et dices: Mucro, mucro evagina te ad occidendum, lima te ut interficias, et fulgeas,
Prophesy, son of man, and announce that this is what the Lord God says about the Ammonites and their insults: A sword! A sword is ready for killing, polished to destroy, to flash like lightning,
29 cum tibi viderentur vana, et divinarentur mendacia: ut dareris super colla vulneratorum impiorum, quorum venit dies in tempore iniquitatis præfinita.
even as your prophets give you false visions and prophecies that are lies. This sword will cut the necks of the wicked, killing them—those whose day has come for their punishment to be completed.
30 Revertere ad vaginam tuam in loco, in quo creatus es, in terra nativitatis tuæ iudicabo te,
Sword, go back to where you came from! I'm going to judge you right where you were created, in your homeland.
31 et effundam super te indignationem meam: in igne furoris mei sufflabo in te, daboque te in manus hominum insipientium, et fabricantium interitum.
I will deal with you in my anger; I will breathe my fire of anger on you; I will hand you over to cruel men who are experts in destruction.
32 Igni eris cibus, sanguis tuus erit in medio terræ, oblivioni traderis: quia ego Dominus locutus sum.
You will be burned up like firewood. Your blood will be shed where you live. You will be forgotten, for I, the Lord, have spoken.”
