{This is} a lament, and they will chant it as a lament; the daughters [of] the nations will chant it as a lament over Egypt, and over all of its hordes they will chant it as a lament," {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

In the midst of [the] people slain by [the] sword it is given they will fall [to] a sword; they carried her off and all of her hordes.

[The] chiefs of [the] warriors will speak to him from the middle of Sheol; with his helpers they have gone down; the uncircumcised lie [still], {those slain by the sword}.

Assyria [is] there and all of its assembly; all around it [are] its graves, all of them killed, those fallen by the sword,

who will be given its graves in [the] remote areas of [the] pit, and its assembly will be all around its grave, all of them killed, fallen by the sword, [those] who spread terror in [the] land of [the] living.

Elam [is] there and all of its hordes, all around its grave, all of them dead who fell by the sword, [those] who went down uncircumcised to [the] depths of [the] underworld, [those] who spread their terror to [the] land of [the] living, and [now] they bear their disgrace with [the people] going down [to the] grave.

In the midst of [the] slain they made a bed for her with all of her hordes all around its graves, all of them uncircumcised, slain by [the] sword, for their terror was spread in [the] land of [the] living, and they [now] bear their disgrace with [the people] going down to [the] grave; in the midst of [the] slain it was placed.

Meshech [and] Tubal [are] there and all of its hordes, all around him its graves, all of them uncircumcised [and] killed by [the] sword, for they gave their terror in [the] land of [the] living.

And you [too] in the midst of uncircumcised [people] will be broken, and you will lie with [those] slain by [the] sword.

There [is] Edom, its kings and all of its leaders who are laid [along] with their might with [those] killed by [the] sword; they will lie with [the] uncircumcised and with [the people] going down to the grave.

There are [also] the princes of [the] north, all of them, all of [the] Sidonians who have gone down, being ashamed [to lie] with [the] slain because of their terror [that they caused] from their might, and they lie uncircumcised with [those killed] by [the] sword, and they bear their disgrace [along with] [the people] going down to [the] grave.

Pharaoh will see them, and he will be comforted over all of his hordes killed by [the] sword, Pharaoh and all of his army," {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

"For he spread my terror in [the] land of [the] living, and [so] he will be laid down in the midst of the uncircumcised with those killed by [the] sword: Pharaoh and all of his hordes,"{declares} the Lord Yahweh.

and {anyone who listens} hears the sound of the horn and {he does not take warning} and [the] sword comes and it takes him, his blood will be on his [own] head.

[For] he heard the sound of the horn and he did not take warning; his blood will be on him. But [if] he took warning, he saved his life.

And [as for] the watchman, if he sees the sword coming and {he does not blow} the horn, and the people [are] not warned, and [the] sword comes and it takes {their lives}, he will be taken through his guilt, but his blood from the hand of the watchman I will seek.'

{When I say} to the wicked, 'Wicked [one], you will certainly die,' and you {did not speak} to warn [the] wicked from his way, he, [the] wicked, will die by his guilt, but his blood I will seek from your hand.

But, you, if you warn [the] wicked from his way, to turn from it, and {he does not turn} from his way, he will die by his guilt, and you will have saved your life.

"So you, son of man, say to {your people} [that] the righteousness of the righteous shall not save him in the day of his transgression, and the wickedness of the wicked {will not cause him to stumble} on the day of his returning from his wickedness; and [the] righteous will not be able to live by it on the day when he returns to his sin.

When I say to the righteous, 'Certainly he will live,' and he trusted in his righteousness, and he [turns and he] does injustice, all of his righteousness will not be remembered, and because of his injustice that he did, because of it he will die.

And when I say to the wicked, 'Certainly you will die,' but he returns from his sin and he does justice and righteousness--

[for example], [the] wicked returns a pledge for a loan, he restores {stolen property}, he goes in the statutes of life [so as] not to do injustice--certainly he will live; he will not die.

All of his {sins that he committed}, they will not be remembered against him, and he did justice and righteousness; certainly he will live.

When [the] righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice, then he will die {because of it}.

And when the wicked turns from his wickedness, and he does justice and righteousness, because of it {he will certainly live}!

Yet you said, 'The way of the Lord is not fair!' I will judge you, house of Israel, each [person] according to his ways."

"Thus you must say to them, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "{As I live}, {surely} whoever [is] in the ruins, by the sword they will fall, and whoever [is] on the surface of the open field, I will give him to the animals to eat him, and whoever [is] in the stronghold and in the cave, they will die by the plague.

And I will make the land desolation and wasteland, and the pride of its strength will come to an end, and the mountains of Israel will be desolate {with no one traveling through them}." '

And they will know that I [am] Yahweh when I make my land desolation and wasteland, because of all of their detestable things that they have done.

And they come to you {as people do}, and they sit {before you}, and my people hear your words, and they do not do them, for they [are] showing passion in their mouth, but their heart [is] going after ill-gotten gain.

Now, look! You [are] to them like {a sensual song}, beautiful of voice and {played well on an instrument}, and they hear your words, {but they are not doing them}.

So {when it comes}, look! It is coming! And [then] they will know that a prophet was in the midst of them."

The fat you eat, and you clothe [yourself] [with] the wool; the well-nourished [animals] you slaughter, [but] you do not feed the flock.

And they were scattered {without} a shepherd, and they were as food for all the animals of the field [when] they were scattered.

My flock went astray upon all of the mountains and on every high hill, and [so] upon all the surface of the world my flock were scattered, and {there was no one seeking them}, and {there was no one searching for them}."

"{As I live}," {declares} the Lord Yahweh, "{Surely} because my flock have become as plunder, and my flock became as food to all the animals of the field, since there was not a shepherd, [since] my shepherds [have] not sought my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and they fed not my flock,'"

'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Look! I [am] against the shepherds, and I will seek my flock from their hand, and I will put an end to them from shepherding flocks, and the shepherds will {no longer} feed themselves, and I will deliver my flocks from their mouth, so that they will not be as food for them."

" 'For thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Look! I, even I, will seek my flock, and I will look after them,

[just] like [the] caring of a shepherd [for] his herd on the day when he is in the midst of his scattered flock. Thus I will look after my flock, and I will deliver them from all the places {to which they were scattered} on [the] day {of storm and stress}.

And I will bring them out from the peoples, and I will gather them from the countries, and I will bring them to their soil, and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys, and in all of the settlements of the land.

I will feed them in good pasture, and their pasture will be on the mountains of the heights of Israel; there they will lie down in good pasture, and [on] lush pasture they will feed on the mountains of Israel.

{I myself} will feed my flock and {I myself} will allow them to lie down," {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

"I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the scattered, and I will bind [up] the one hurt, and I will strengthen the sick; and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed her with justice."

" 'Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh to them: "Look! I, even I will judge between fat sheep and between lean sheep,

because with [your] flank and with [your] shoulder you shoved, and with your horns you pushed all of the sick [animals] {until} you scattered it to the outside.

And [so] I will save my flock, and {they will no longer be} for plunder, and I will judge between {one sheep and another}.

And I will set up over them one shepherd, and he will feed them; [that is], my servant David. He will feed them, and he will be for them as a shepherd.

And I, Yahweh, I will be for them {as God}, and my servant David [will be] a leader in the midst of them. I, Yahweh, I have spoken.

And I will make them a covenant of peace, and I will put an end to wild animals from the land, and they will dwell in the desert {safely}, and they will sleep in the forest.

And I will make them and [the area] all around my hill a blessing, and I will let the rain go down {at its appointed time}; they will be rains of blessing.

And the tree of the field will give its fruit, and the land will give its produce, and they will be on their land {safely}, and they will know that I [am] Yahweh when I break their yoke, and I will deliver them from the hand of the ones enslaving them.

And they will not be [any] longer plunder to the nations, and the animals of the land will not eat them, and they will dwell {in safety}, and [there will] not [be anyone] frightening [them].

And I will raise for them a garden plot of renown, and they will {no longer} be victims of famine in the land, and they will not bear any more the insult of the nations.

And they will know that I, Yahweh their God, [am] with them and they [are] my people, the house of Israel," {declares} the Lord Yahweh,

and you must say to it, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Look! I am against you, mountain of Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you, and I will make you desolation and wasteland.

Your cities I will make ruins, and you will be desolation, and [then] you will know that I [am] Yahweh,

Therefore {as I live}," {declares} the Lord Yahweh, "Certainly to blood [guilt] I will prepare you and blood will pursue; {since} {you did not hate blood}, it will pursue you.

And I will make the mountain of Seir into desolation and ruin, and I will cut off from it [both] [he who is] crossing over and [he who is] returning.

And I will fill its mountains [with] its slain; your hills and your valleys and all of your watercourses, the slain by [the] sword will fall in them.

{An everlasting desolation} I will make you, and your cities will not return, and you will know that I [am] Yahweh.

[I do this] because of your saying, 'The two nations and the two lands, they will be {mine}, and we will take possession of it,' and [yet] Yahweh was there.

Therefore, {as I live}," {declares} the Lord Yahweh, "so I will deal [with you] according to your anger and according to your jealousy that you did, because of your hatred against them, and I will make myself known among them when I judge you.

And you will know that I, Yahweh, I have heard all of your contemptible words that you said against the mountains of Israel, {saying}, 'They will be desolate; they are given to us as food.'

Thus the Lord Yahweh says, '{As the whole world rejoices}, I will make you desolation.

{Like your rejoicing over the inheritance of the house of Israel} {because} it was desolate, I will do to you; you will be desolation, mountain of Seir and all of Edom, indeed all of it; and they will know that I [am] Yahweh.'" '

thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Because the enemy said concerning you, 'Ah, and [the] ancient high places will be to us as a possession!'" '

Therefore prophesy, and you must say, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "{Because indeed} {when you were desolate}, then they crushed you from all around, so that you became a possession to the remainder of the nations, and you became {a byword and object of slander for the people}."

Therefore, mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Yahweh; thus says the Lord Yahweh to the mountains and to the hills, to the river channels and to the valleys and to the ruins that [are] desolate and to the cities that [are] abandoned [and] that have become as plunder and as scorn for the remainder of the nations that [are] from all around.

Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: "{Certainly} in the fire of my passion I spoke against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, who made my land as possession, because of its pastureland for plunder, for themselves in all of [the] joy of their whole heart [and] in [their] inner disdain."

Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: "{I swear} {certainly} [that] the nations {that are all around you}, they indeed will endure their disgrace.

" '"But you, mountains of Israel, your branch you will shoot, and your fruit you will carry for my people Israel, for they [are] soon to come.

For look! I [am] for you, and I will turn you, and you will be tilled, and you will be planted.

And I will cause {your population} to increase for you, all of the house of Israel, all of it, and the towns will be inhabited, and the ruins will be built.

And I will cause {your population} to increase for you, and domestic animals, [even] they will be numerous, and they will be fruitful, and I will cause you to be inhabited like your {ancient times}, and I will do good [things] more than [in] your former times, and you will know that I [am] Yahweh.

And I will send over you my people Israel, and they will take possession of you, and you will be for them as an inheritance, and {you will no longer bereave them of their children}."

Therefore humans you will not eat [any] longer, and your nation you will not make childless [any] longer," {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

"And I will not let you hear [any] longer the insult of the nations, and [the] disgrace of [the] peoples you will not bear [any] longer; you [yourself] will not cause your nation to stumble," {declares} the Lord Yahweh.'"

And I will consecrate my great name, which [was] profaned among the nations [and] which you have profaned in the midst of them, and the nations will know that I [am] Yahweh!" ' declaration of the Lord Yahweh, {when I show myself holy} {before} their eyes.

" 'And I will take you from the nations, and I will gather you from all of the lands, and I will bring you to your land.

And I will sprinkle on you pure water, and you will be clean from all of your uncleanness, and I will cleanse you from all of your idols.

And I will give a new heart to you, and a new spirit I will give into your inner parts, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh, and I will give to you a heart of flesh.

And I will give my spirit into your inner parts, and I will make [it] [so] that you will go in my rules, and my regulations you will remember, and you will do [them].

And you will dwell in the land that I gave to your ancestors, and you will be to me [as] a people, and I will be to you as God.

And I will save you from all of your uncleanness, and I will call to the grain, and I will cause it to increase, and I will not bring famine upon you.

And I will cause the fruit of the tree and the crop of the field to increase, so that you will not suffer again [the] disgrace of famine among the nations.

And you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that [were] not good, and you will loathe {yourself} over your iniquities and over your detestable things.

"Thus says the Lord Yahweh: 'On the day when I cleanse you from all of your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the ruins will be rebuilt.

And the land that was desolate will be cultivated in {the very place that} it was desolate before [the] eyes of all of [the persons] crossing over.

And they will say, "{This desolate land} has become like the garden of Eden, and the wasted and desolate and destroyed cities, [now] being refortified, are inhabited."

And the nations who are left all around, you will know that I, Yahweh, I built {that which was destroyed}; I planted the desolate [land]; I, Yahweh, I have spoken, and I will act.'

"Thus says the Lord Yahweh: 'Again this [time] I will let {myself be inquired of} by the house of Israel, to do [something] for them; I will cause them to increase {their population like a flock}.

Like [the] flock of [the] sanctuary, like the flock of Jerusalem at its festival, so the desolate cities will be filled with flocks of people; and they will know that I [am] Yahweh.'"

And he led me {all around} over them, and look, very many on the surface of the valley, and look, very dry.

Thus says the Lord Yahweh to these bones: "Look! I [am] bringing into you breath, and you will live!

And I will lay on you sinews, and I will let flesh come upon you, and I will cover you over [with] skin, and I will put breath into you, and you will live, and you will know that I [am] Yahweh." '"

And he said to me, "Son of man, these bones [are] all of the house of Israel; look! [they are] saying, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is destroyed; {we are cut off as far as we are concerned}.'

Therefore prophesy, and you must say to them, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Look! I [am] opening your graves, and I will bring you up from your graves, my people, and I will bring you to the land of Israel!

And you will know that I [am] Yahweh when I open your graves when I bring you up from your graves, my people!

And I will put my breath into you so that you may live, and I will cause you to rest on your soil, and you will know that I, Yahweh, I have spoken, and I will act!" ' {declares} Yahweh."

"And you, son of man, take for yourself {a piece of wood}, and write on it, 'For Judah and for the {Israelites} his associates,' and take another [piece of] wood, and write on it, 'For Joseph, [the piece of] wood of Ephraim and all of the house of Israel his associates.'