Ezekiel 21:1-17
Evangelical Heritage Version
The Lord’s Punishing Sword Is Drawn
21 The word of the Lord came to me.[a]
2 Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem. Preach against the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel. 3 Say this to the land of Israel.
This is what the Lord says. Hear this! I am against you, and I will draw my sword out of its scabbard, and I will cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked. 4 Because I have resolved to cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked, therefore my sword will come out of its scabbard against everyone from south to north. 5 Then all flesh will know that I, the Lord, have drawn my sword from its scabbard. It will not return to its sheath again. 6 Now you, son of man, groan as though you were doubled up in pain. Groan in front of them as though in bitter anguish. 7 When they ask you, “Why are you groaning?” say, “Because of the news that is coming.” Then every heart will melt, all hands will hang limp, and all knees will run with water.[b] It is coming, and it will take place, declares the Lord God.
8 The word of the Lord came to me.
9 Son of man, prophesy and say that this is what the Lord says.
A sword, a sword has been sharpened.
It has also been polished.
10 It has been made very sharp for slaughter.
It has been polished to flash like lightning.
So shall we rejoice in the scepter of my son?
The sword despises every such stick of wood.[c]
11 The sword has been set aside to be polished,
to be grasped by the hand.
It has been sharpened, and it has been polished,
to be put into the hand of a killer.
12 Cry out and wail, son of man,
because the sword is against my people.
It is against all the princes of Israel.
They have been thrown to the sword together with my people.
Therefore, slap your thigh.[d]
13 Yes, testing is sure to come.
What if the scepter, which the sword despises, is no more?[e]
This is the declaration of the Lord God.
14 Now you, son of man, prophesy.
Clap your hands together.[f]
Let the sword strike two times or even three.
It is a sword for those who are to be slain,
a sword for great slaughter,[g]
a sword that pursues even to the inner room,[h]
15 so that hearts melt,
and those who stumble will be many.
At all their gates I have placed the point[i] of the sword.
Yes, it is made to flash like lightning,
unsheathed for slaughter.
16 Slash to the right. Thrust to the left—
wherever your blade is directed.
17 Then I myself will clap my hands.[j]
I will bring my wrath to an end.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 21:1 English verses 21:1-32 are 21:6-37 in Hebrew.
- Ezekiel 21:7 Terror will cause them to wet themselves.
- Ezekiel 21:10 This line seems to interrupt the Lord’s poem, which resumes in the next verse. The verse is difficult, and the meaning is uncertain. It seems to mean that no king of Judah can stand before the sword of Babylon. See verse 13.
- Ezekiel 21:12 Apparently an expression of grief
- Ezekiel 21:13 The verse is difficult, and the meaning is uncertain. It seems to be asking, “When the kings of Judah have been destroyed, how can the promise to David come true?” See verse 10 and verse 27.
- Ezekiel 21:14 Apparently a signal to begin the slaughter. Compare 21:17.
- Ezekiel 21:14 Or to slaughter the great
- Ezekiel 21:14 The meaning of this line is uncertain.
- Ezekiel 21:15 The meaning of this word is uncertain.
- Ezekiel 21:17 To signal the end of the slaughter
Ezekiel 21:1-17
Lexham English Bible
A Vision of the Avenging Sword of Yahweh
21 And the word of Yahweh came[a] to me, saying,[b] 2 “Son of man,[c] set your face toward Jerusalem, and preach to the sanctuaries, and prophesy to the land of Israel. 3 And you must say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says Yahweh: “Look! I am against you, and I will draw out my sword from its sheath, and I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked. 4 Because[d] I will cut off from you both righteous and wicked, therefore my sword will go out from its sheath to[e] all creatures[f] from south to north. 5 And they will know, all creatures, that I, Yahweh, I will bring out my sword from its sheath; it will not return again!”’ 6 And you, son of man,[g] groan with shaking hips,[h] and you must groan with bitterness before their eyes. 7 And then[i] when they say to you, ‘On account of what are you groaning?’ then you must say, ‘On account of the report, for it is coming, and every heart will be weak and all hands will hang limp and every spirit will be disheartened, and all knees will go like water.’ Look! It is coming, and it will happen!” declares[j] the Lord Yahweh.
8 And the word of Yahweh came[k] to me, saying,[l] 9 “Son of man,[m] prophesy, and you must say, ‘Thus says the Lord,’ say, ‘A sword, a sword is sharpened and is also polished. 10 It is sharpened to slaughter a slaughter, polished to flash like lightning![n] Or will we rejoice?[o] A rod, my son, is despising every tree.[p] 11 And he gives it to be polished, to be seized by the hand.[q] It is sharpened—a sword—and it is polished to give it into the hand of the killer. 12 Cry and wail, son of man,[r] for it is against my people; it is against all of the princes of Israel. They are thrown to the sword with my people; therefore strike your thigh.[s] 13 For examine![t] And what if also the rod will not be despising?’ declares[u] the Lord Yahweh. 14 And you, son of man,[v] prophesy and clap your hands.[w] And the sword will strike twice;[x] let it happen a third time. It is a sword of the dead, the sword of the great dead that is surrounding them, 15 so that a heart melts, and the fallen multiply[y] at all of their gates. I gave a sword for slaughter, and alas! It is made for flashing, it is grasped[z] for slaughtering. 16 Gather together, strike to the right; cause to go to the left, where your edge[aa] is directed. 17 And also I myself[ab] will clap my hands,[ac] and I will satisfy my rage! I, Yahweh, I have spoken.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ezekiel 21:1 Literally “was”
- Ezekiel 21:1 Literally “to say”
- Ezekiel 21:2 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
- Ezekiel 21:4 Hebrew “Because that”
- Ezekiel 21:4 Or “against”
- Ezekiel 21:4 Hebrew “creature”
- Ezekiel 21:6 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
- Ezekiel 21:6 Literally “with destruction of loins”
- Ezekiel 21:7 Literally “and it will be”
- Ezekiel 21:7 Literally “declaration of”
- Ezekiel 21:8 Literally “was”
- Ezekiel 21:8 Literally “to say”
- Ezekiel 21:9 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
- Ezekiel 21:10 Literally “so that there be for her lightning”
- Ezekiel 21:10 Or “be pleased”
- Ezekiel 21:10 Or “stick” of correction; Hebrew is uncertain in meaning here
- Ezekiel 21:11 Literally “to take hold of in the palm of the hand”
- Ezekiel 21:12 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
- Ezekiel 21:12 Literally “strike on the thigh”
- Ezekiel 21:13 Literally “it was tested”
- Ezekiel 21:13 Literally “declaration of”
- Ezekiel 21:14 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
- Ezekiel 21:14 Literally “strike hand to hand”
- Ezekiel 21:14 Literally “be doubled”
- Ezekiel 21:15 Literally “be made many”
- Ezekiel 21:15 Or “polished”
- Ezekiel 21:16 Literally “face”
- Ezekiel 21:17 Literally “I, I”
- Ezekiel 21:17 Literally “strike my hand to my hand”
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