The Holy Bible - Ezekiel New International Version Zondervan Publishing House "Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber's razor to shave your head and your beard. Then take a set of scales and divide up the hair. When the days of your seige come to and end, burn a third of the hair with fire inside the city. Take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city. And scatter a third to the wind. For I will pursue them with drawn sword." "'When any Israelite or any alien living in Israel separates himself from me and sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face and then to inquire of me, I the LORD will answer him myself. I will set my face against that man and make him an example and a byword. I will cut him off from my people. Then you will know that I am the LORD. The word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary. Prophesy and preach against the land of Israel and say to her, 'This is what the LORD says: I am against you. I will draw my sword from its scabbard and cut you off from both the righteous and the wicked. Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north. Then all people will know that I the LORD have drawn my sword from its scabbard; it will not return again.' "Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief. And when they ask you, 'Why are you groaning?' you shall say, 'Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt and every hand go limp; every spirit will become faint and every knee become as weak as water.' It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD." The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, prophesy and say, 'This is what the Lord says: "'A sword, a sword, sharpened and polished -- sharpened for the slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! "'Shall we rejoice in the scepter of my son Judah? The sword despises every such stick.