spared them, lest I destroy them, or even destroy them in the wilderness.

And I said unto their children in the wilderness, Ye shall not walk in the statutes of your fathers, neither shall ye keep their judgments, neither shall ye defile yourselves in their idols.

For I am the LORD your God: according to my commandments shall ye live, and my statutes shall ye keep, and do them.

And my sabbaths ye shall keep holy, that they may be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.

And the children also disobeyed me, and kept not my commandments, neither kept they my statutes to do them, by which the man that keepeth them liveth; and they profaned my sabbaths. Then I thought to pour out my wrath on them and to let all my anger go out on them in the wilderness.

But I turned my hand, and left it for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the heathen, before whom I had brought it out.

And I lifted up mine hand against them in the wilderness, to scatter them among the heathen, and to destroy them in the countries,

Because they had not kept my commandments, and had despised my statutes, and had profaned my sabbaths, and had walked after the idols of their fathers.

Therefore delivered I them into doctrines which are not good, and into judgments wherein they could not live,

And rejected them with their sacrifice, when they burnt all the firstborn with fire, that I might destroy them, and that they might know that I am the LORD.

Speak therefore, thou son of man, unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the LORD GOD; Your fathers have blasphemed me yet more, and trespassed against me.

For when I had brought them into the land which I had lifted up mine hand to give them, where they saw a high hill, or a thick tree, there they offered their sacrifices, and there they brought their hostile gifts, and there they burnt incense of their sweet savour, and there they poured out their drink offerings.

And I said unto them: What is this high place whither ye go? And so it is called the high place unto this day.

Say therefore unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the LORD GOD; Ye have defiled yourselves in the manner of your fathers, and have committed fornication with their abominations.

And defile yourselves in your idols, to whom ye offer your gifts, and burn your sons and your daughters by fire, unto this day: and I should ask you of the. And I should ask you of the house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will be unasked of you.

For that ye think that we will do as the heathen do, and worship wood and stone, as other men do in the countries, ye shall lack that.

As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will rule over you with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out;

And I will bring you out of the nations, and gather you out of the countries whither ye are scattered, with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out; 35. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will come face to face with you.

As I dealt with your fathers in the wilderness of Egypt, so will I deal with you, saith the Lord GOD.

I will surely bring you under the rod, and compel you into the bonds of the covenant.

And I will sweep out from among you the apostates that transgress against me: yea, out of the land where ye dwell I will bring them, and will not suffer them to come into the land of Israel, that ye may learn that I am the LORD.

Therefore, ye of the house of Israel, thus saith the LORD GOD; Because ye will not obey
me, go and serve every man his own idol; but leave my holy name henceforth undefiled with your sacrifices and your idols.

For thus saith the LORD GOD; In my holy mountain, in the high mountain of Israel, there shall all the house of Israel and all that are in the land serve me: there shall they be acceptable unto me: and there will I require your heave offerings, and the firstfruits of your sacrifices, with all that ye sanctify unto me.

Ye shall be acceptable unto me with a sweet savour, when I shall bring you out of the nations, and gather you out of the countries whither ye are scattered, and shall be sanctified in you before the heathen.

And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have brought you into the land of Israel, into the land which I lifted up mine hand to give unto your fathers.

There ye shall remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye are defiled; and ye shall be displeased with all your wickedness which ye have done,

And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I do with you for my name’s sake, and not according to your wickedness and your evil doings, O house of Israel, saith the LORD GOD.
(Ezekial)
Chapter 21
Sword of the Chaldeans against the Jews and Ammonites.

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

Son of man, set thy face toward the south wind, and prophesy toward the south, and prophesy against the wood of the field toward the south.

And say unto the wood toward the south, Hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour both green and dry trees; and the flame thereof shall not be quenched, but all that standeth from the south toward the north shall be burned up.

And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it, and that none shall quench it.

And I said, O Lord GOD, they say of me, This man speaketh vain words.
Ch. 21. v. 1. And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

Son of man, set thy face against Jerusalem, and prophesy against the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel.

And say unto the land of Israel, Thus saith the LORD GOD; Behold, I am against thee; I will unsheathe my sword, and will cut off from thee both the righteous and the unrighteous.

Because I have cut off in thee both the righteous and the unrighteous, my sword shall come forth out of the sheath upon all flesh from the south even unto the north.

And all flesh shall know that I the LORD have drawn my sword out of the sheath thereof; and it shall not be put in again.

And thou, son of man, shalt groan until thy loins be sore: yea, thou shalt groan bitterly, that they may see it.

And when they shall say unto thee: Wherefore sighest thou? thou shalt say, Because of the cry which is coming, before which all hearts shall despair, and all hands shall fall, and all courage shall fail, and all knees shall go down like water. Behold, it cometh, and it shall come to pass, saith the Lord GOD.

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD; Say, The sword, yea, the sword is sharpened and swept.

It is sharpened, that it may slay; it is swept, that it may blink. O how glad we would be, if he had made all the trees rods over the wicked children!

But he hath given a sword to sweep, to take hold of: it is sharpened and swept, that it may be put into the hand of the slayer.

Cry and howl, thou son of man: for it is upon my people, and upon all the rulers of Israel, which are gathered to the sword with my people. Therefore smite upon thy loins: 13. For he hath often chastened them: what profit is it? The rod of the wicked child is of no avail, saith the Lord GOD.

And thou, son of man, prophesy, and smite thy hands together. For the sword shall come twofold, yea, threefold, a choking sword, a sword of great slaughter, which shall also smite them in the chambers where they flee.

I will sound the sword, and the hearts shall be troubled, and many shall fall at all their gates.
Oh, how it shines, and how it is hammered to the battle!

And say: Thrust in, both on the right hand and on the left, that which is before thee.

Then will I rejoice with my hands, and let go my wrath. I, the LORD, have said it.

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

Son of man, make two ways by which the sword of the king of Babylon shall come; and they shall both come out of one land.

And put a sign in the front of the way to the city, whither it shall point: and make the way, that the sword may come to Rabbath of the children of Ammon, and to Judah, unto the strong city Jerusalem.

For the king of Babylon shall stand by the way side, in the front of the two ways, to prophesy, to shoot arrows at the lot, to inquire of his idol, and to look upon the liver.

And the prophecy shall point to the right side to Jerusalem, that he should bring in goats, and make holes, and attack them with a great cry, and slay them; and that he should bring in goats against the gates, and make a