Ezekiel 21:1-17
English Standard Version
The Lord Has Drawn His Sword
21 [a] The word of the Lord came to me: 2 (A)“Son of man, (B)set your face toward Jerusalem and (C)preach against the sanctuaries.[b] Prophesy against the land of Israel 3 and say to the land of Israel, Thus says the Lord: (D)Behold, I am against you and will draw (E)my sword from its sheath and (F)will cut off from you both righteous and wicked. 4 Because I will cut off from you both righteous and wicked, therefore my sword shall be drawn from its sheath against all flesh from south to north. 5 (G)And all flesh shall know that I am the Lord. I have drawn (H)my sword from its sheath; (I)it shall not be sheathed again.
6 “As for you, son of man, (J)groan; with breaking heart and bitter grief, (K)groan before their eyes. 7 (L)And when they say to you, ‘Why do you groan?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news (M)that it is coming. (N)Every heart will melt, and (O)all hands will be feeble; every spirit will faint, and (P)all knees will be weak as water. (Q)Behold, it is (R)coming, and it will be fulfilled,’” declares the Lord God.
8 And the word of the Lord came to me: 9 (S)“Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord, say:
(T)“A sword, a sword is sharpened
and also polished,
10 (U)sharpened for slaughter,
(V)polished to flash like lightning!
(Or (W)shall we rejoice? You have despised the rod, my son, (X)with everything of wood.)[c] 11 So the sword is given to be polished, that it may be grasped in the hand. It is sharpened and polished (Y)to be given into the hand of the slayer. 12 (Z)Cry out and wail, son of man, for it is against my people. It is against all the princes of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with my people. (AA)Strike therefore upon your thigh. 13 For it will not be a testing—what could it do if you despise (AB)the rod?”[d] declares the Lord God.
14 “As for you, (AC)son of man, prophesy. (AD)Clap your hands and let the sword come down twice, (AE)yes, three times,[e] the sword for those to be slain. It is the sword for the great slaughter, which surrounds them, 15 that their hearts may melt, and many stumble.[f] At all their gates I have given the glittering sword. Ah, it is made like lightning; (AF)it is taken up[g] for slaughter. 16 Cut sharply to the right; set yourself to the left, wherever your face is directed. 17 I also will (AG)clap my hands, (AH)and I will satisfy my fury; (AI)I the Lord have spoken.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ezekiel 21:1 Ch 21:6 in Hebrew
- Ezekiel 21:2 Some Hebrew manuscripts, compare Septuagint, Syriac against their sanctuary
- Ezekiel 21:10 Probable reading; Hebrew The rod of my son despises everything of wood
- Ezekiel 21:13 Or For it is a testing; and what if even the rod despises? It shall not be!
- Ezekiel 21:14 Hebrew its third
- Ezekiel 21:15 Hebrew many stumbling blocks
- Ezekiel 21:15 The meaning of the Hebrew word rendered taken up is uncertain
Ezekiel 21:1-17
Holman Christian Standard Bible
God’s Sword of Judgment
21 [a]The word of the Lord came to me again: 2 “Son of man, turn your face toward(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 both the righteous and the wicked from you. 4 Since I will cut off[b] both the righteous and the wicked, My sword will therefore come out of its sheath against everyone from the south to the north.(C) 5 So all the people will know that I, Yahweh, 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[c] 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 every knee will turn to water. 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!(F) A sword is sharpened
and also polished.(G)
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.(H)
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.(I)
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 Therefore, son of man, prophesy
and clap your hands together.(J)
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(K) 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;(L)
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.(M)
I, Yahweh, have spoken.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 21:1 Ezk 21:6 in Hb
- Ezekiel 21:4 Lit off from you
- Ezekiel 21:6 Lit with broken loins
- Ezekiel 21:10 Hb obscure
- Ezekiel 21:13 Hb obscure
- Ezekiel 21:14 Or penetrates
- Ezekiel 21:15 Hb obscure
- Ezekiel 21:15 Hb obscure
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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