Ezekiel 21 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition (NRSVACE)

The Drawn Sword of God

21 [a] The word of the Lord came to me: 2 Mortal, set your face towards Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries; prophesy against the land of Israel 3 and say to the land of Israel, Thus says the Lord: I am coming against you, and will draw my sword out of its sheath, and 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 go out of its sheath against all flesh from south to north; 5 and all flesh shall know that I the Lord have drawn my sword out of its sheath; it shall not be sheathed again. 6 Moan therefore, mortal; moan with breaking heart and bitter grief before their eyes. 7 And when they say to you, ‘Why do you moan?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news that has come. Every heart will fail and all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint and all knees will turn to water. See, it comes and it will be fulfilled,’ says the Lord God.

8 And the word of the Lord came to me: 9 Mortal, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord; Say:

A sword, a sword is sharpened,
it is also polished;
10 it is sharpened for slaughter,
honed to flash like lightning!
How can we make merry?
You have despised the rod
and all discipline.[b]
11 The sword[c] is given to be polished,
to be grasped in the hand;
it is sharpened, the sword is polished,
to be placed in the slayer’s hand.
12 Cry and wail, O mortal,
for it is against my people;
it is against all Israel’s princes;
they are thrown to the sword,
together with my people.
Ah! Strike the thigh!

13 For consider: What! If you despise the rod, will it not happen?[d] says the Lord God.

14 And you, mortal, prophesy;
strike hand to hand.
Let the sword fall twice, thrice;
it is a sword for killing.
A sword for great slaughter—
it surrounds them;
15 therefore hearts fail
and many stumble.
At all their gates I have set
the point[e] of the sword.
Ah! It is made for flashing,
it is polished[f] for slaughter.
16 Attack to the right!
Engage to the left!—
wherever your edge is directed.
17 I too will strike hand to hand,
I will satisfy my fury;
I the Lord have spoken.

18 The word of the Lord came to me: 19 Mortal, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to come; both of them shall issue from the same land. And make a signpost, make it for a fork in the road leading to a city; 20 mark out the road for the sword to come to Rabbah of the Ammonites or to Judah and to[g] Jerusalem the fortified. 21 For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the fork in the two roads, to use divination; he shakes the arrows, he consults the teraphim,[h] he inspects the liver. 22 Into his right hand comes the lot for Jerusalem, to set battering-rams, to call out for slaughter, for raising the battle cry, to set battering-rams against the gates, to cast up ramps, to build siege-towers. 23 But to them it will seem like a false divination; they have sworn solemn oaths; but he brings their guilt to remembrance, bringing about their capture.

24 Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Because you have brought your guilt to remembrance, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your deeds your sins appear—because you have come to remembrance, you shall be taken in hand.[i]

25 As for you, vile, wicked prince of Israel,
you whose day has come,
the time of final punishment,
26 thus says the Lord God:
Remove the turban, take off the crown;
things shall not remain as they are.
Exalt that which is low,
abase that which is high.
27 A ruin, a ruin, a ruin—
I will make it!
(Such has never occurred.)
Until he comes whose right it is;
to him I will give it.

28 As for you, mortal, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord God concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach; say:

A sword, a sword! Drawn for slaughter,
polished to consume,[j] to flash like lightning.
29 Offering false visions for you,
divining lies for you,
they place you over the necks
of the vile, wicked ones—
those whose day has come,
the time of final punishment.
30 Return it to its sheath!
In the place where you were created,
in the land of your origin,
I will judge you.
31 I will pour out my indignation upon you,
with the fire of my wrath
I will blow upon you.
I will deliver you into brutish hands,
those skilful to destroy.
32 You shall be fuel for the fire,
your blood shall enter the earth;
you shall be remembered no more,
for I the Lord have spoken.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 21:1 Ch 21.6 in Heb
  2. Ezekiel 21:10 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  3. Ezekiel 21:11 Heb It
  4. Ezekiel 21:13 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  5. Ezekiel 21:15 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  6. Ezekiel 21:15 Tg: Heb wrapped up
  7. Ezekiel 21:20 Gk Syr: Heb Judah in
  8. Ezekiel 21:21 Or the household gods
  9. Ezekiel 21:24 Or be taken captive
  10. Ezekiel 21:28 Cn: Heb to contain

You Might Also Like:

Ezekiel 21 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

21 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, 2 `Son of man, set thy face unto Jerusalem, and prophesy unto the holy places, and prophesy unto the ground of Israel; 3 and thou hast said unto the ground of Israel: Thus said Jehovah: Lo, I [am] against thee, And have brought out My sword from its...
Read More

Ezekiel 21 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

21 And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said, 2 Thou, son of man, set thy face to Jerusalem, and drop thou (thy word) to the saintuaries, and prophesy thou against the earth of Israel. (Thou, son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thou thy word against the sanctuaries, and pr...
Read More

Ezekiel 21 - World English Bible (WEB)

21 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, and preach toward the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel. 3 Tell the land of Israel, ‘Yahweh says: “Behold, I am against you, and will draw my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from you th...
Read More

Ezekiel 21 - The Voice (VOICE)

21 The word of the Eternal once again came to me with a similar message. Eternal One: 2 Son of man, look toward Jerusalem, and speak against My temple. Prophesy against the whole land of Israel, 3 and tell the land of Israel what the Eternal One says: “Pay attention. I am against you. I will draw M...
Read More

Ezekiel 21 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

The Parable of the Sword21 The word of Adonai came to me saying: 2 “Son of man, set your face toward Teman and proclaim to the South. Prophesy against the brush land of the Negev. 3 Say to the brush land of the South: ‘Hear the word of Adonai!’ Thus says Adonai Elohim: ‘Behold, I will kindle a fir...
Read More

Ezekiel 21 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Drawn Sword of God21 [a] The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries; prophesy against the land of Israel 3 and say to the land of Israel, Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am against you, and will draw forth my sword out of its...
Read More

Ezekiel 21 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Drawn Sword of God21 [a] The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries; prophesy against the land of Israel 3 and say to the land of Israel, Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am against you, and will draw forth my sword out of its...
Read More

Ezekiel 21 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Drawn Sword of God21 [a] The word of the Lord came to me: 2 Mortal, set your face towards Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries; prophesy against the land of Israel 3 and say to the land of Israel, Thus says the Lord: I am coming against you, and will draw my sword out of its sheath, an...
Read More

Ezekiel 21 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Drawn Sword of God21 [a]The word of the Lord came to me: 2 Mortal, set your face toward Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries; prophesy against the land of Israel(A)3 and say to the land of Israel: Thus says the Lord: I am coming against you and will draw my sword out of its sheath and wi...
Read More

Ezekiel 21 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The Lord’s Sword of Judgment21 [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 rig...
Read More

Ezekiel 21 - New Life Version (NLV)

Babylon Is God’s Sword21 The Word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, look toward Jerusalem and speak against the holy places. Speak against the land of Israel. 3 Tell the land of Israel, ‘The Lord says, “See, I am against you. I will take My sword out of its holder and destroy from you ...
Read More

Ezekiel 21 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Babylon, the Sword of God21 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 (A)“Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, (B)preach[a] against the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel; 3 and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I am (C)against you, and I will d...
Read More

Ezekiel 21 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Babylon as God’s sword of judgment21 [a]The word of the Lord came to me: 2 ‘Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary. Prophesy against the land of Israel 3 and say to her: “This is what the Lord says: I am against you. I will draw my sword from its sheath and cu...
Read More

Ezekiel 21 - New International Version (NIV)

Babylon as God’s Sword of Judgment21 [a]The word of the Lord came to me:(A) 2 “Son of man, set your face against(B) Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary.(C) Prophesy against(D) the land of Israel 3 and say to her: ‘This is what the Lord says: I am against you.(E) I will draw my sword(F) from i...
Read More

Ezekiel 21 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

God Uses the Babylonians to Judge Israel21 A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 2 “Son of man, turn your attention to Jerusalem. Preach against the temple. Prophesy against the land of Israel. 3 Tell them, ‘The Lord says, “I am against you. I will pull out my sword. I will remove fro...
Read More

Ezekiel 21 - New English Translation (NET)

The Sword of Judgment21 (21:6)[a] The Lord’s message came to me: 2 “Son of man, turn toward[b] Jerusalem and speak out against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel 3 and say to them,[c] ‘This is what the Lord says: Look,[d] I am against you.[e] I will draw my sword[f] from its shea...
Read More