5 The sign of the hairs, whereby is signified the destruction of the people.
1 And thou son of man, take thee a sharp knife, or take thee a barber’s razor, and cause it [a]to pass upon thine head, and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair.
2 Thou shalt burn with fire the third part in the midst of the [b]city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled, and thou shalt take the other third part, and smite about it with a knife, and the last third part thou shalt scatter in the wind, and I will draw out a sword after them.
3 Thou shalt also take thereof a few in number, and bind them in thy [c]lap.
4 Then take of them again and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire: [d]for thereof shall a fire come forth into all the house of Israel.
5 Thus saith the Lord God, This is Jerusalem, I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries, that are round about her.
6 And she hath changed my [e]judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and my statutes more than the countries, that are round about her: for they have refused my judgments, and my statutes, and they have not walked in them.
7 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Because your [f]multitude is greater than the nations that are round about you, and ye have not walked in my statutes, neither have ye kept my judgments: no, ye have not done according to the judgments of the nations, that are round about you.
8 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I, even I come against thee, and will execute judgment in the midst of thee, even in the sight of the nations.
9 And I will do in thee that I never did before, neither will do anymore the like, because of all thine abominations.
10 For in the midst of thee, the fathers (A)shall eat their sons, and the sons shall eat their fathers, and I will execute judgment in thee, and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds.
11 Wherefore as I live, saith the Lord God, Surely, because thou hast defiled my Sanctuary with all thy filthiness, and with all thine abominations, therefore will I also destroy thee, neither shall mine eye spare thee, neither will I have any pity.
12 The third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and another third part shall fall by the sword round about thee: and I will scatter the last third part into all winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.
13 Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my wrath to cease in them, and I will be [g]comforted: and they shall know, that I the Lord have spoken it in my zeal, when I have accomplished my wrath in them.
14 Moreover, I will make thee waste, and abhorred among the nations that are round about thee, and in the sight of all that pass by.
15 So thou shalt be a reproach and shame, a chastisement and an astonishment unto the nations, that are round about thee, when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in wrath, and in sharp rebukes: I the Lord have spoken it.
16 When I shall send upon them the [h]evil [i]arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread.
17 (B)So I will send upon you famine, and evil beasts, and they shall spoil thee: and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee: and I will bring the sword upon thee: I the Lord have spoken it.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 5:1 To shave thine head and thy beard.
- Ezekiel 5:2 To wit, of that city which he had portrayed upon the brick, Ezek. 4:1. By the fire and pestilence he meaneth the famine, wherewith one part perished during the siege of Nebuchadnezzar. By the sword, those that were slain whom Zedekiah fled, and those that were carried away captive. And by the scattering into the wind, those that fled into Egypt, and into other parts after the city was taken.
- Ezekiel 5:3 Meaning, that a very few should be left, which the Lord should preserve among all these storms, but not without troubles and trial.
- Ezekiel 5:4 Out of that fire which thou kindlest shall a fire come, which shall signify the destruction of Israel.
- Ezekiel 5:6 My word and law into idolatry and superstitions.
- Ezekiel 5:7 Because your idols are in greater number, and your superstitions more than among the professed idolaters, read Isa. 65:11, or he condemneth their ingratitude in respect of his benefits.
- Ezekiel 5:13 That is, I will not be pacified, till I be revenged, Isa. 1:24.
- Ezekiel 5:16 Or, dangerous.
- Ezekiel 5:16 Which were the grasshoppers, mildew, and whatsoever were occasions of famine.