Ezekiel Shaves with a Sword

5 “Now as for you, Son of Man, you are to go find a sharp sword and use it like a barber’s razor. You are to cut your hair and beard. Then you are to take a weighing scale and divide your shaved hair into three parts.^{[a] 2} You are to burn a third of it in the middle of the city when you’ve finished your siege. Next, you are to take another third of it and beat it with your sword. Last, you are to scatter the remaining third to the wind, after which I’ll unsheathe my sword and pursue them. ³ You are to preserve a few strands of hair and hide them in the folds^[b] of your garment. ⁴ Then you are to take a few strands, throw them in the fire, and incinerate them. A fire will proceed to the house of Israel from there.”