Ezekiel 21
Christian Standard Bible
God’s Sword of Judgment
21 The word of the Lord came to me again: 2 “Son of man, face(A) Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel, 3 and say to it, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am against you.(B) I will draw my sword from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked. 4 Since I will cut off[a] both the righteous and the wicked, my sword will therefore come out of its sheath against all humanity from the south to the north.(C) 5 So all humanity will know that I, the Lord, have taken my sword from its sheath—it will not be sheathed again.’(D)
6 “But you, son of man, groan! Groan bitterly with a broken heart[b] right before their eyes. 7 And when they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ then say, ‘Because of the news that is coming.(E) Every heart will melt, and every hand will become weak. Every spirit will be discouraged, and all knees will run with urine.[c](F) Yes, it is coming and it will happen. This is the declaration of the Lord God.’”
8 The word of the Lord came to me: 9 “Son of man, prophesy, ‘This is what the Lord says!’ You are to proclaim,
‘A sword!(G) A sword is sharpened
and also polished.(H)
10 It is sharpened for slaughter,
polished to flash like lightning!
Should we rejoice?
The scepter of my son,
the sword despises every tree.[d]
11 The sword is given to be polished,
to be grasped in the hand.
It is sharpened, and it is polished,
to be put in the hand of the slayer.’(I)
12 “Cry out and wail, son of man, for it is against my people. It is against all the princes of Israel! They are given over to the sword with my people. Therefore strike your thigh in grief.(J) 13 Surely it will be a trial! And what if the sword despises even the scepter? The scepter will not continue.”[e] This is the declaration of the Lord God.
14 “So you, son of man, prophesy and clap your hands together:(K)
Let the sword strike two times, even three.
It is a sword for massacre,
a sword for great massacre—
it surrounds[f] them!
15 I have appointed a sword(L) for slaughter[g]
at all their gates,
so that their hearts may melt
and many may stumble.
Yes! It is ready to flash like lightning;(M)
it is drawn[h] for slaughter.
16 Slash to the right;
turn to the left—
wherever your blade is directed.
17 I also will clap my hands together, and I will satisfy my wrath.(N) I, the Lord, have spoken.”
18 The word of the Lord came to me: 19 “Now you, son of man, mark out two roads that the sword of Babylon’s king can take. Both of them should originate from the same land. And make a signpost at the fork in the road to each city. 20 Mark out a road that the sword can take to Rabbah of the Ammonites(O) and to Judah into fortified Jerusalem. 21 For the king of Babylon stands at the split in the road, at the fork of the two roads, to practice divination: he shakes the arrows, consults the idols, and observes the liver. 22 The answer marked[i] Jerusalem appears in his right hand, indicating that he should set up battering rams,(P) give the order to[j] slaughter, raise a battle cry, set battering rams against the gates, build a ramp, and construct a siege wall. 23 It will seem like false divination to those who have sworn an oath to the Babylonians,[k](Q) but it will draw attention to their guilt so that they will be captured.
24 “Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: Because you have drawn attention to your guilt, exposing your transgressions, so that your sins are revealed in all your actions—since you have done this, you will be captured by them. 25 And you, profane and wicked prince of Israel,[l](R) the day has come(S) for your punishment.[m]
26 “This is what the Lord God says:
Remove the turban, and take off the crown.
Things will not remain as they are;[n]
exalt the lowly and bring down the exalted.(T)
27 A ruin, a ruin,
I will make it a ruin!
Yet this will not happen
until he comes;(U)
I have given the judgment to him.[o]
28 “Now you, son of man, prophesy, and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says concerning the Ammonites and their contempt.’ You are to proclaim,
‘A sword! A sword
is drawn for slaughter,
polished to consume,(V) to flash like lightning.
29 While they offer false visions(W)
and lying divinations about you,
the time has come to put you
to the necks of the profane wicked ones;
the day has come
for final punishment.
30 “‘Return it to its sheath!(X)
“‘I will judge you[p]
in the place where you were created,
in the land of your origin.
31 I will pour out my indignation on you;
I will blow the fire of my fury on you.(Y)
I will hand you over to brutal men,
skilled at destruction.
32 You will be fuel for the fire.
Your blood will be spilled within the land.
You will not be remembered,(Z)
for I, the Lord, have spoken.’”
Footnotes
- 21:4 Lit off from you
- 21:6 Lit insides, or waist
- 21:7 Lit knees will go water
- 21:10 Hb obscure
- 21:13 Hb obscure
- 21:14 Or penetrates
- 21:15 Hb obscure
- 21:15 Hb obscure
- 21:22 Lit The divination for
- 21:22 Lit rams, open the mouth in
- 21:23 Lit them
- 21:25 = King Zedekiah
- 21:25 Lit come in the time of the punishment of the end, also in v. 29
- 21:26 Lit This not this
- 21:27 Or comes to whom it rightfully belongs, and I will give it to him
- 21:30 = the Ammonites
Ezekiel 21
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Drawn Sword of God
21 [a]The word of the Lord came to me: 2 Mortal, set your face toward Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries; prophesy against the land of Israel(A) 3 and say to the land of Israel: Thus says the Lord: I am coming against you and will draw my sword out of its sheath and will cut off from you both righteous and wicked.(B) 4 Because I will cut off from you both righteous and wicked, therefore my sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh from south to north, 5 and all flesh shall know that I the Lord have drawn my sword out of its sheath; it shall not be sheathed again. 6 Moan, therefore, mortal; moan with body collapsed and bitter grief before their eyes.(C) 7 And when they say to you, “Why do you moan?” you shall say, “Because of the news that has come. Every heart will melt, and all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will turn to water. See, it comes and it will be fulfilled,” says the Lord God.
8 And the word of the Lord came to me: 9 Mortal, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord; say:
A sword, a sword is sharpened;
it is also polished;(D)
10 it is sharpened for slaughter,
honed to flash like lightning!
How can we make merry?
You have despised the rod
and all discipline.[b]
11 The sword[c] is given to be polished
to be grasped in the hand;
it is sharpened; the sword is polished
to be placed in the slayer’s hand.
12 Cry and wail, O mortal,
for it is against my people;
it is against all Israel’s princes;
they are thrown to the sword,
together with my people.
Ah! Strike the thigh!(E)
13 For consider: What! If you despise the rod, will it not happen?[d] says the Lord God.
14 And you, mortal, prophesy;
strike hand to hand.
Let the sword fall twice, thrice;
it is a sword for killing.
A sword for great slaughter—
it surrounds them;(F)
15 therefore hearts melt,
and many stumble.
At all their gates I have set
the point[e] of the sword.
Ah! It is made for flashing;
it is drawn for slaughter.
16 Attack to the right!
Engage to the left!
—wherever your edge is directed.
17 I, too, will strike hand to hand;
I will satisfy my fury;
I the Lord have spoken.(G)
18 The word of the Lord came to me: 19 Mortal, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to come; both of them shall issue from the same land. And make a signpost; make it for a fork in the road leading to a city;(H) 20 mark out the road for the sword to come to Rabbah of the Ammonites or to Judah and to[f] Jerusalem the fortified.(I) 21 For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the fork in the two roads, to use divination; he shakes the arrows; he consults the teraphim;[g] he inspects the liver.(J) 22 Into his right hand comes the lot for Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to call out for slaughter, for raising the battle cry, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up ramps, to build siege towers. 23 But to them it will seem like a false divination; they have sworn solemn oaths, but he brings their guilt to remembrance, bringing about their capture.(K)
24 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have brought your guilt to remembrance, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your deeds your sins appear—because you have come to remembrance, you shall be taken in hand.[h]
25 As for you, vile, wicked prince of Israel,
you whose day has come,
the time of final punishment,(L)
26 thus says the Lord God:
Remove the turban, take off the crown;
things shall not remain as they are.
Exalt that which is low;
humble that which is high.(M)
27 A ruin, a ruin, a ruin—
I will make it!
(Such has never occurred.)
Until he comes whose right it is;
to him I will give it.(N)
28 As for you, mortal, prophesy, and say: Thus says the Lord God concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach; say:
A sword, a sword! Drawn for slaughter,
polished to consume,[i] to flash like lightning.(O)
29 Offering false visions for you,
divining lies for you,
they place you over the necks
of the vile, wicked ones—
those whose day has come,
the time of final punishment.(P)
30 Return it to its sheath!
In the place where you were created,
in the land of your origin,
I will judge you.(Q)
31 I will pour out my indignation upon you;
with the fire of my wrath
I will blow upon you.
I will deliver you into brutish hands,
those skillful to destroy.(R)
32 You shall be fuel for the fire,
your blood shall enter the earth;
you shall be remembered no more,
for I the Lord have spoken.(S)
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.