Ezekiel 5

1 “As for you, son [descendant, child] of man [human, Adam], take a sharp [keen, cutting] sword, use it as a barber’s [haircutter’s] razor, and shave your head [the top of your body] and beard. Then take a set of scales [balances, for weighing] and divide [apportion, separate] the hair. word study 2 When the days [period of time, seasons] of the siege [surrounding, blockade] have ended, you are to burn up [consume with fire, utterly destroy] a third [one part out of three, a portion] of the hair inside the city [the midst of the town, the urban center]; you are also to take [to seize, to grasp] a third [another portion, a part] and slash it [to cut, to smite] with the sword [a cutting instrument, a weapon] all around [encompassing, surrounding] the city; and you are to scatter [to disperse, to toss] a third [the remaining part, a final portion] to the wind [a blast of air]. For I will unleash [to release, to draw out] a sword [a cutting instrument, a weapon] behind them [after, in pursuit]. word study 3 But you are to take [get, receive] a few [little, small in number] strands of hair [from the head] and secure [bind, tie up] them in the folds [skirts, edges] of your garment [robe, cloak]. word study 4 Again, take [a small portion] a few of these, throw [cast, toss] them into the fire [the refining flames], and burn [consume, destroy] them. From there [this point, this action] a fire [divine judgment, refining presence] will spread [come forth, emerge] to the whole [entire, all-inclusive] house [family, nation] of Israel [God’s chosen people, descendants of Jacob]. word study 5 This is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: ‘This [behold, here] is Jerusalem [the city of peace], which I have set [appointed, established] in the center [midst, middle] of the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples], with countries [lands, regions] all around [surrounding, encompassing] her. word study 6 But she has rebelled [acted in defiance, resisted] against My ordinances [just decrees, righteous judgments] more wickedly [in a more guilty, evil manner] than the nations [Gentile countries, non-Hebrew lands], and against My statutes [divine laws, commanded precepts] worse [more corruptly] than the countries [surrounding lands, neighboring territories] around her. For her people have rejected [spurned, refused] My ordinances [just decrees, righteous judgments] and have not walked [followed, obeyed] in My statutes [divine laws, commanded precepts].’ word study 7 Therefore this is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: ‘You have been more insubordinate [turbulent, rebellious] than the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] around you; you have not walked [followed, obeyed] in My statutes [divine laws, ordinances] or kept My ordinances [judgments, commandments], nor have you even conformed [done, acted] to the ordinances [judgments, customs] of the nations [Gentiles, surrounding peoples] around you.’ word study 8 Therefore [thus, in this manner] this is what the Lord [Adonay, the supreme Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: ‘Behold [look, take notice], I Myself [I, the only true God] am against you, Jerusalem [the city of God’s people], and I will execute [carry out, bring to pass] judgments [righteous verdicts] among you in the sight [before the eyes] of the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples]. word study 9 Because of all [every one of, the entirety of] your abominations [detestable idols, disgusting ways], I will do [perform, bring about] to you what I have never [at no time, not previously] done before [previously, in the past] and will never [not at any time, not again] do again [in the future, once more]. word study 10 As a result [thus, in consequence], fathers [parents, male caregivers] among you will eat [devour, consume] their sons, and sons will eat [feed on, devour] their fathers [ancestors, paternal lineage]. I will execute [carry out, administer] judgments [sentences, verdicts] against you and scatter [disperse, winnow] all your remnant [remaining ones, survivors] to every wind [direction].’ word study 11 Therefore as surely as I live [with absolute certainty, as the Eternal One], declares the Lord GOD [Adonay, the sovereign Master], because you have defiled [made unclean, polluted] My sanctuary [holy place, temple] with all your detestable [abhorrent, disgusting] idols and abominations [disgusting practices, filthy things], I Myself will withdraw [take away, remove] My favor [lovingkindness, mercy]; I will not look upon you with pity [compassion, sympathy], nor will I spare [show mercy, have compassion] you. word study 12 A third [one of three parts] of your people will die by [as a result of] plague [pestilence, disease] or be consumed by [waste away from] famine [hunger, lack of food] within you, a third will fall by the sword [cutting instrument, weapon] outside your walls, and a third I will scatter [disperse, toss about] to every wind [a blast of air] and unleash a sword [cutting instrument, judgment] behind them. word study 13 And when My anger [intense wrath, fierce indignation] is spent [completed, fulfilled] and I have vented [poured out, expressed] My wrath [rage, furious displeasure] against them, I will be appeased [comforted, satisfied]. And when I have spent [exhausted, consumed] My wrath [fury, intense anger] on them, they will know [understand, recognize] that I, the LORD [Yehovah, the sovereign God], in My zeal [passionate devotion, jealous love] have spoken [declared, proclaimed]. word study 14 I will make you a [desolate, waste] ruin and a [reproach, shame] disgrace among the [Gentile, non-Hebrew] nations around you, in the sight [before the eyes] of all who [cross over] pass by. word study 15 So you will be a [shameful] reproach and a [scornful] taunt, a [disciplinary] warning and a [devastating] horror to the [surrounding] nations around you, when I execute [divine] judgments against you in [intense] anger [fierce], wrath, and [burning] raging fury. I, the [Sovereign] LORD, have spoken. word study 16 When I shower you with the deadly [evil, destructive] arrows of famine [hunger, lack of food] and destruction [ruin, devastation] that I will send [dispatch, release] to destroy you, I will intensify [add to, increase] the famine [food shortage, scarcity] against you and cut off [break, shatter] your supply of food [staff of bread, sustenance]. word study 17 I will send [with divine authority] famine [a severe scarcity of food, a time of hunger] and wild beasts [evil animals, ferocious creatures] against you, and they will leave you childless [bereaved, without offspring]. Plague [a contagious disease, a pestilence] and bloodshed [violent death, shedding of blood] will sweep through you, and I will bring a sword [a knife or cutting tool] against you. I, the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], have spoken [declared, uttered my word].” word study