Moreover, He said to me, “Son of man, behold (listen carefully), I am going to break the staff of bread [that supports life] in Jerusalem; and they shall eat bread [rationed] by weight and [eat it] with anxiety and fear, and drink water by measure and [drink it] in horror [of the impending starvation],

When I send against them the deadly arrows of hunger which were for the destruction of those whom I will send to destroy you, then I will increase the famine upon you and break your staff of bread.

"Look, the day! Look, it is coming! Doom has gone out! The staff has budded, pride has blossomed!

Violence has grown into a staff that supports wickedness. Not one of them will be left -- not from their crowd, not from their wealth, not from their prominence.

“Son of man, if a land sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it and destroy its source of bread and send famine on it and cut off from it both man and animal,

And there hath gone forth a fire out of her staves of rods. Her fruit, hath it devoured, And there is in her no staff of power. As a sceptre to bear rule. A dirge, it is, and hath been made a dirge.

I will make you pass under the shepherd's staff, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.

Sharpened is it for the slaughter, and scoured that it may be bright. O, the destroying staff of my son shall bring down all wood.

And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.