Ezekiel 5

1 “Also, you human, [when you start doing those things, ] take a sharp sword and use it like [SIM] a razor to shave your head and your beard. Then put the hair that you shaved off on scales, and divide the [into three equal parts].

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.

2 When the time during [you will symbolize that] the city will be [by enemy troops] ends, put a third of the hair inside [drawing of the] city and burn it. Take another third of the hair, [scatter it] all [the drawing of] the city, and then strike it with your sword. That will symbolize that I will strike the people of Jerusalem [their enemies’] swords. Then allow the wind to scatter the other third of the hair. That will symbolize [even if they flee from the city], I will [cause their enemies to] pursue them and attack them with swords.

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.

3 Take a few of your hairs and tuck them into the folds of your robe.

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

4 Then take a few of those hairs, throw them into the fire, and burn them up. [That will symbolize that] a fire will spread from Jerusalem [and destroy things] throughout Israel.

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.

5 This is what [I, ] Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘[drawing will represent] Jerusalem, [the city which] I have set in the center of the nations, with [other] countries around it.

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

6 But the wicked people of Jerusalem rebelled against [obeying] my commands, and [they show that] they are more wicked than the people of the surrounding countries. They rejected my laws and refused to obey my commands.’

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.

7 Therefore, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘You people of Jerusalem have been more rebellious than the people of the nations around you; you have not obeyed any of my laws [DOU]. You have not even obeyed the laws of the nations around you!’

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,

8 Therefore, this is [I, ] Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘I am opposed to [you people of] Jerusalem. I will punish you, and the [people of other] nations will see it happen.

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.

9 Because of all your detestable [idols], I will punish [people of Jerusalem] like I have never done before and will never do again.

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.

10 As a result, parents among you will eat their children, and children will eat their [because there will be nothing else to eat]. I will punish you [severely], and I will cause those who will still be alive to be scattered in all directions [IDM].’

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.

11 Therefore, I, Yahweh the Lord, declare that as surely as I am alive, because you have polluted my temple with all your disgusting [statues of idols] and by the other detestable things that you do, I will no longer bless you. I will not pity [you] or act mercifully [toward you].

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.

12 One-third of your people will die inside the city because of the plagues [they will experience] or by (famine/lack of food). One-third of your people will be killed [your enemies’] swords outside the city. And one-third I will cause to be scattered in all directions; [your enemies] will [still] pursue you and kill you with their swords.

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.

13 Then I will no longer be angry with you; I will stop punishing [MTY] you after I have gotten revenge on you. And when I stop punishing you, you will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken to you because I have been very strongly concerned [what you have done].

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.

14 I will cause your [city] to be a ruins, with the result that [people of other] nations that are around you will pass by and see it and sneer at you.

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.

15 They will make fun of you and taunt you. When I severely punish you because of my being very angry [DOU] with you, they will be horrified and they will be warned. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it.

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; —

16 When I cut off your food supply and cause there to be more famine, [it will be as though] [MET] I am shooting at you with my arrows that will destroy you.

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.

17 I will cause you to experience a famine, and I will send wild beasts to attack you and your children, and [all] your children will be killed. You will experience plagues and wars, and I will cause [your enemies] to attack you with their swords. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it.”

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.