Ezekiel 4 - New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Siege of Jerusalem Predicted

4 “Now you, son of man, (A)get yourself a brick, place it before you, and inscribe a city on it—Jerusalem. 2 Then (B)lay siege against it, build a siege wall, pile up an assault ramp, set up camps, and place battering rams against it all around. 3 Then get yourself an iron plate and set it up as an iron wall between yourself and the city, and direct your face toward it so that (C)it is under siege, and besiege it. This will be a (D)sign to the house of Israel.

4 “Then you are to lie down on your left side and put the wrongdoing of the house of Israel on it; you shall (E)bear their wrongdoing for the number of days that you lie on it. 5 For I have assigned you a number of days corresponding to the years of their wrongdoing, 390 days; so (F)you shall bear the wrongdoing of the house of Israel. 6 When you have completed these days, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the wrongdoing of the house of Judah; I have assigned it to you for forty days, a day for (G)each year. 7 Then you shall direct your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared, and (H)prophesy against it. 8 Now behold, I will (I)put ropes [a]around you so that you cannot turn from your one side to your other until you have completed the days of your siege.

Defiled Bread

9 “But as for you, take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and (J)spelt, and put them in one vessel and make them into bread for yourself; you shall eat it according to the number of the days that you lie on your side, 390 days. 10 Your food which you eat shall be (K)twenty shekels a day by weight; you shall eat it from time to time. 11 The water you drink shall be a [b]sixth of a hin by measure; you shall drink it from time to time. 12 You shall eat it as a barley cake, having baked it in their sight over human (L)dung.” 13 Then the Lord said, “In this way the sons of Israel will eat their bread (M)unclean among the nations where I will scatter them.” 14 But I said, “(N)Oh, Lord [c]God! Behold, [d]I have (O)never been defiled; for from my youth until now I have never eaten what (P)died of itself or was torn by animals, nor has any (Q)unclean meat ever entered my mouth!” 15 Then He said to me, “See, I will give you cow’s dung in place of human dung, so that you may prepare your bread over it.” 16 Moreover, He said to me, “Son of man, behold, I am going to (R)break the staff of bread in Jerusalem, and they will eat bread by (S)weight and with anxiety, and drink water by (T)measure and in horror, 17 because bread and water will be scarce; and they will tremble with one another and (U)waste away in their guilt.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 4:8 Lit on
  2. Ezekiel 4:11 About 0.6 qt. or 0.6 liter
  3. Ezekiel 4:14 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  4. Ezekiel 4:14 Lit my soul has

Cross references

  1. Ezekiel 4:1 : Is 20:2; Jer 13:1; 18:2; 19:1
  2. Ezekiel 4:2 : Jer 6:6; Ezek 21:22
  3. Ezekiel 4:3 : Jer 39:1, 2; Ezek 5:2
  4. Ezekiel 4:3 : Is 8:18; 20:3; Ezek 12:6, 11; 24:24-27
  5. Ezekiel 4:4 : Lev 10:17; 16:22; Num 18:1
  6. Ezekiel 4:5 : Num 14:34
  7. Ezekiel 4:6 : Num 14:34; Dan 9:24-26; 12:11, 12; Rev 11:2, 3
  8. Ezekiel 4:7 : Ezek 21:2
  9. Ezekiel 4:8 : Ezek 3:25
  10. Ezekiel 4:9 : Ex 9:32; Is 28:25
  11. Ezekiel 4:10 : Ezek 45:12
  12. Ezekiel 4:12 : Is 36:12
  13. Ezekiel 4:13 : Dan 1:8; Hos 9:3
  14. Ezekiel 4:14 : Jer 1:6; Ezek 9:8; 20:49
  15. Ezekiel 4:14 : Acts 10:14
  16. Ezekiel 4:14 : Lev 17:15; 22:8; Ezek 44:31
  17. Ezekiel 4:14 : Deut 14:3; Is 65:4; 66:17
  18. Ezekiel 4:16 : Lev 26:26; Is 3:1; Ezek 5:16; 14:13
  19. Ezekiel 4:16 : Ezek 4:10, 11; 12:19
  20. Ezekiel 4:16 : Lam 5:4; Ezek 12:18, 19
  21. Ezekiel 4:17 : Lev 26:39; Ezek 24:23; 33:10

You Might Also Like:

Ezekiel 4 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

4 `And thou, son of man, take to thee a brick, and thou hast put it before thee, and hast graven on it a city -- Jerusalem, 2 and hast placed against it a siege, and builded against it a fortification, and poured out against it a mount, and placed against it camps, yea, set thou against it battering...
Read More

Ezekiel 4 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

4 And thou, son of man, take to thee a tilestone; and thou shalt set it before thee, and thou shalt describe therein the city of Jerusalem (and thou shalt draw upon it the city of Jerusalem). 2 And thou shalt ordain besieging against that Jerusalem; and thou shalt build strongholds, and thou shalt b...
Read More

Ezekiel 4 - World English Bible (WEB)

4 “You also, son of man, take a tile, and lay it before yourself, and portray on it a city, even Jerusalem. 2 Lay siege against it, build forts against it, and cast up a mound against it. Also set camps against it and plant battering rams against it all around. 3 Take for yourself an iron pan, and...
Read More

Ezekiel 4 - The Voice (VOICE)

Like other prophets, Ezekiel often acts out his messages in bizarre ways. These chapters contain a series of prophetic actions that communicate God’s message in powerful, nonverbal ways. By dramatizing God’s plan before an audience, a prophet is better able to change the people’s perceptions, attitu...
Read More

Ezekiel 4 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Ezekiel Portrays the Siege of Jerusalem4 “Now you, son of man, take a brick and lay it before you. Engrave on it a city, Jerusalem. 2 Lay siege against it, build earthworks against it, raise an assault ramp against it; pitch camps against it and place battering rams all around it. 3 Then take an i...
Read More

Ezekiel 4 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Siege of Jerusalem Portrayed4 “And you, O son of man, take a brick and lay it before you, and portray upon it a city, even Jerusalem; 2 and put siegeworks against it, and build a siege wall against it, and cast up a mound against it; set camps also against it, and plant battering rams against i...
Read More

Ezekiel 4 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Siege of Jerusalem Portrayed4 “And you, O son of man, take a brick and lay it before you, and portray upon it a city, even Jerusalem; 2 and put siegeworks against it, and build a siege wall against it, and cast up a mound against it; set camps also against it, and plant battering rams against i...
Read More

Ezekiel 4 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Siege of Jerusalem Portrayed4 And you, O mortal, take a brick and set it before you. On it portray a city, Jerusalem; 2 and put siege-works against it, and build a siege-wall against it, and cast up a ramp against it; set camps also against it, and plant battering-rams against it all round. 3 ...
Read More

Ezekiel 4 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Siege of Jerusalem Portrayed4 “And you, O mortal, take a brick and set it before you. On it portray a city, Jerusalem,(A)2 and put siegeworks against it, and build a siege wall against it, and cast up a ramp against it; set camps also against it, and plant battering rams against it all around.(B...
Read More

Ezekiel 4 - New Living Translation (NLT)

A Sign of the Coming Siege4 “And now, son of man, take a large clay brick and set it down in front of you. Then draw a map of the city of Jerusalem on it. 2 Show the city under siege. Build a wall around it so no one can escape. Set up the enemy camp, and surround the city with siege ramps and batte...
Read More

Ezekiel 4 - New Life Version (NLV)

Ezekiel Shows How Jerusalem Will Be Taken4 “Now, son of man, get a hard clay block. Set it down in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. 2 Then build a battle-wall around it to shut it in, and build a hill of dirt against the wall. Cut down trees and lay them on wheels all around the c...
Read More

Ezekiel 4 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Siege of Jerusalem Portrayed4 “You also, son of man, take a clay tablet and lay it before you, and portray on it a city, Jerusalem. 2 (A)Lay siege against it, build a (B)siege wall against it, and heap up a mound against it; set camps against it also, and place battering rams against it all aro...
Read More

Ezekiel 4 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Siege of Jerusalem symbolised4 ‘Now, son of man, take a block of clay, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. 2 Then lay siege to it: erect siege works against it, build a ramp up to it, set up camps against it and put battering-rams around it. 3 Then take an iron pan, place ...
Read More

Ezekiel 4 - New International Version (NIV)

Siege of Jerusalem Symbolized4 “Now, son of man, take a block of clay, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. 2 Then lay siege to it: Erect siege works against it, build a ramp(A) up to it, set up camps against it and put battering rams around it.(B) 3 Then take an iron pan,(C)...
Read More

Ezekiel 4 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

An Attack on Jerusalem Is Pictured4 “Son of man, get a block of clay. Put it in front of you. Draw the city of Jerusalem on it. 2 Then pretend to surround it and attack it. Make some little models of war machines. Build a ramp up to it. Set camps up around it. Surround it with models of logs to be ...
Read More

Ezekiel 4 - New English Translation (NET)

Ominous Object Lessons4 “And you, son of man, take a brick[a] and set it in front of you. Inscribe[b] a city on it—Jerusalem. 2 Lay siege to it! Build siege works against it. Erect a siege ramp[c] against it! Post soldiers outside it[d] and station battering rams around it. 3 Then for your part ta...
Read More