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.”
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- 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
New Living Translation
The Lord’s Sword of Judgment
21 [a]Then this message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of man, turn and face Jerusalem and prophesy against Israel and her sanctuaries. 3 Tell her, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am your enemy, O Israel, and I am about to unsheath my sword to destroy your people—the righteous and the wicked alike. 4 Yes, I will cut off both the righteous and the wicked! I will draw my sword against everyone in the land from south to north. 5 Everyone in the world will know that I am the Lord. My sword is in my hand, and it will not return to its sheath until its work is finished.’
6 “Son of man, groan before the people! Groan before them with bitter anguish and a broken heart. 7 When they ask why you are groaning, tell them, ‘I groan because of the terrifying news I have heard. When it comes true, the boldest heart will melt with fear; all strength will disappear. Every spirit will faint; strong knees will become as weak as water. And the Sovereign Lord says: It is coming! It’s on its way!’”
8 Then the Lord said to me, 9 “Son of man, give the people this message from the Lord:
“A sword, a sword
is being sharpened and polished.
10 It is sharpened for terrible slaughter
and polished to flash like lightning!
Now will you laugh?
Those far stronger than you have fallen beneath its power![b]
11 Yes, the sword is now being sharpened and polished;
it is being prepared for the executioner.
12 “Son of man, cry out and wail;
pound your thighs in anguish,
for that sword will slaughter my people and their leaders—
everyone will die!
13 It will put them all to the test.
What chance do they have?[c]
says the Sovereign Lord.
14 “Son of man, prophesy to them
and clap your hands.
Then take the sword and brandish it twice,
even three times,
to symbolize the great massacre,
the great massacre facing them on every side.
15 Let their hearts melt with terror,
for the sword glitters at every gate.
It flashes like lightning
and is polished for slaughter!
16 O sword, slash to the right,
then slash to the left,
wherever you will,
wherever you want.
17 I, too, will clap my hands,
and I will satisfy my fury.
I, the Lord, have spoken!”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
