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 you, son of man, take you a sword sharper than a barber's razor; you shall procure it for yourself, and shall bring it upon your head, and upon your beard: and you shall take a pair of scales, and shall separate 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 fourth part you shall burn in the fire in the midst of the city, at the fulfillment of the days of the siege: and you shall take a fourth part, and burn it up in the midst of it: and a fourth part you shall cut with a sword round about it: and a fourth part you shall scatter to 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.

And you shall take thence a few in number, and shall wrap them in the fold of your garment.

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 you shall take of these again, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them up with fire: from thence shall come forth fire; and you shall say to 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 says the Lord; This is Jerusalem: I have set her and the countries round about her in the midst of the nations.

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.’

And you shall declare mine ordinances to the lawless one from out of the nations; and my statutes [to the sinful one] of the countries round about her: because they have rejected mine 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 says the Lord, Because your occasion [for sin has been taken] from the nations round about you, and you have not walked in my statutes, nor kept mine ordinances, nay, you have not even done according to the ordinances of the nations round about you; therefore thus says the Lord;

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.

Behold, I am against you, and I will execute judgment in the midst of you 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.

And I will do in you things which I have not done, and the like of which I will not do again, for all your abominations.

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 [their] children in the midst of you, and children shall eat [their] fathers; and I will execute judgments in you, and I will scatter all that are left of you to every wind.

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, says the Lord; surely, because you have defiled my holy things with all your abominations, I also will reject you; mine eye shall not spare, and I will have no mercy.

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 fourth part of you shall be cut off by pestilence, and a fourth part of you shall be consumed in the midst of you with famine: and [as for another] fourth part of you, I will scatter them to every wind; and a fourth part of you shall fall by sword round about you, 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].

And my wrath and mine anger shall be accomplished upon them: and you shall know that I the Lord have spoken in my jealousy, when I have accomplished mine anger 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.

And I will make you desolate, and your daughters round about you, in the sight of every one that passes through.

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 you shall be mourned over and miserable among the nations round about you, when I have executed judgments in you in the vengeance of my wrath. I the Lord have spoken.

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.

And when I have sent against them shafts of famine, then they shall be consumed, and I will break the strength of your 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.”

So I will send forth against you famine and evil beasts, and I will take vengeance upon you; and pestilence and blood shall pass through upon you; and I will bring a sword upon you round about. I the Lord have spoken.