- God gets a little clearer (just for you, Zeke) and sends another message through Ezekiel: he (God) is going to draw his sword and really get down to slaughtering the people in Jerusalem and Israel.
- He'll draw his sword from his sheath and won't sheath it again.
- God instructs the people to mourn and moan. They should answer the people who ask them why they're moaning by saying that they're moaning over the bad news God brought them, which is now being fulfilled.
The Sword-A-Thon Goes on
- God continues on the sword theme, sending another prophecy through Ezekiel:
- The prophecy is a poem of sorts, talking about how the sword (God's or that of the Babylonians) is being sharpened and polished to kill the people of Israel and their princes.
- How can the people mess around and have a good time, asks Ezekiel, when they've failed to adopt God's rules and discipline?
- God says he'll satisfy his fury against the people, setting a sword against all the gates of the city and killing tons of people.
- God orders Ezekiel to mark out two roads for the Babylonians to invade, along with a signpost, leading them both to Rabbah (where the Ammorites live) and to Judah and Jerusalem.
- The King of Babylon will stand at the crossroads between these two paths, consulting his magical methods of divination.
- They'll make him go towards Jerusalem and prepare for a siege.
- The people won't believe this, but it'll definitely happen.
- Everyone will be punished for their sins, and their wicked prince (Zedekiah, although Ezekiel doesn't name him) will be brought down, just as the city is turned to ruins. See the Book of Jeremiah for the gory details about Zedekiah.
- God also predicts destruction for the Ammorites.
- They've been deceived with false visions too, but God will sic the sword on them and they'll be utterly wiped out. Adios, Ammorites.