Ezekiel 5

1 And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp instrument, even a barber's razor, and cause it to pass upon thy head and thy beard; and take thee weighing-balances, and divide the hair.

“As for you, son of man, take a sharp sword, use it as a barber’s razor, and shave your head and beard. Then take a set of scales and divide the hair.

2 A third part shalt thou burn with fire in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled; and thou shalt take a third part and smite it round about with the sword; and a third part shalt thou scatter in the wind, and I will draw out a sword after them.

When the days of the siege have ended, you are to burn up a third of the hair inside the city; you are also to take a third and slash it with the sword all around the city; and you are to scatter a third to the wind. For I will unleash a sword behind them.

3 Thou shalt also take thereof a small number, and bind them in thy skirts.

But you are to take a few strands of hair and secure them in the folds of your garment.

4 And of these again take some and cast them into the fire, and burn them in the fire. From them shall a fire come forth upon the whole house of Israel.

Again, take a few of these, throw them into the fire, and burn them. From there a fire will spread to the whole house of Israel.

5 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: This is Jerusalem; in the midst of the nations have I set her, and countries are round about her.

This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with countries all around her.

6 But she hath wickedly resisted my ordinances more than the nations, and my statutes more than the countries, that are round about her. For they have refused my ordinances, and have not walked in my statutes.

But she has rebelled against My ordinances more wickedly than the nations, and against My statutes worse than the countries around her. For her people have rejected My ordinances and have not walked in My statutes.’

7 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because ye have been rebellious more than the nations that are round about you, and have not walked in my statutes, nor kept my ordinances, but have done according to the ordinances of the nations which are round about you,

Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You have been more insubordinate than the nations around you; you have not walked in My statutes or kept My ordinances, nor have you even conformed to the ordinances of the nations around you.’

8 therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold I, even I, am against thee, and will execute judgments against thee in the sight of the nations.

Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I Myself am against you, Jerusalem, and I will execute judgments among you in the sight of the nations.

9 I will do to thee that which I have not yet done, and the like of which I shall not do again, because of all thine iniquities.

Because of all your abominations, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again.

10 Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments in thee, and I will scatter the whole remnant of thee to all the winds.

As a result, fathers among you will eat their sons, and sons will eat their fathers. I will execute judgments against you and scatter all your remnant to every wind.’

11 Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, because thou hast polluted my sanctuary with all thy detestable things, and with all thine abominations, therefore will I also withdraw mine eye from thee; neither will I spare, neither will I have any pity.

Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and abominations, I Myself will withdraw My favor; I will not look upon you with pity, nor will I spare you.

12 A third part of thee shall die by the pestilence, or be consumed with hunger in the midst of thee; and a third part shall die by the sword round about thee; and a third part will I scatter to all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.

A third of your people will die by plague or be consumed by famine within you, a third will fall by the sword outside your walls, and a third I will scatter to every wind and unleash a sword behind them.

13 Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will satiate my fury upon them, and receive satisfaction; and they shall know that I, Jehovah, have spoken it in my zeal, when I shall have accomplished my fury upon them.

And when My anger is spent and I have vented My wrath against them, I will be appeased. And when I have spent My wrath on them, they will know that I, the LORD, in My zeal have spoken.

14 Moreover, I will make thee a waste, and a reproach among the nations that are round about thee, in the sight of all that pass by.

I will make you a ruin and a disgrace among the nations around you, in the sight of all who pass by.

15 And thou shalt be a reproach, and a reviling, and a warning, and an astonishment to the nations that are round about thee, when I shall execute judgments upon thee in anger, and in fury, and in furious rebukes; —I, Jehovah, have spoken it; —

So you will be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and a horror to the nations around you, when I execute judgments against you in anger, wrath, and raging fury. I, the LORD, have spoken.

16 when I shall send upon you the evil arrows of famine which bring destruction, which I send to destroy you, and increase the famine upon you, and break your staff of bread.

When I shower you with the deadly arrows of famine and destruction that I will send to destroy you, I will intensify the famine against you and cut off your supply of food.

17 And I will send upon you famine, and evil beasts, which shall make thee childless; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and the sword will I bring upon thee. I, Jehovah, have spoken it.

I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring a sword against you. I, the LORD, have spoken.”