Ezekiel 21:28 - Easy To Read Version \{God said,\} “Son of man, {\cf2\super [164]} speak to the people for me. Say these things, ‘The Lord my Master says these things to the people of Ammon and their shameful \{god\}: Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 And thou, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach; even say thou, The sword, the sword is drawn: for the slaughter it is furbished, to consume because of the glittering: Amplified Bible - Classic Edition And you, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord God concerning the sons of Ammon and concerning their reproach: Say, A sword, a sword is drawn for the slaughter; it is polished to cause it to devour to the uttermost and to flash like lightning, American Standard Version (1901) And thou, son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah concerning the children of Ammon, and concerning their reproach; and say thou, A sword, a sword is drawn, for the slaughter it is furbished, to cause it to devour, that it may be as lightning; Common English Bible You, human one, prophesy and say, The LORD God proclaims to the Ammonites concerning their disgrace. Say, Sword! Sword unsheathed for slaughter, burnished, battle-ready, flashing like lightning: Catholic Public Domain Version And as for you, son of man, prophesy, and say: Thus says the Lord God to the sons of Ammon, and to their disgrace, and you shall say: O sword, O sword, unsheathe yourself so as to slay; polish yourself so as to kill and to shine, Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version And thou son of man, prophesy and say: Thus saith the Lord God concerning the children of Ammon and concerning their reproach. And thou shalt say: O sword, O sword, come out of the scabbard to kill, be furbished to destroy and to glitter, |
So God brought the King of Babylon to attack the people of Judah and Jerusalem. {\cf2\super [455]} The king of Babylon killed the young men even when they were in the temple. He didn’t have mercy on the people of Judah and Jerusalem. The king of Babylon killed young and old people. He killed men and women. He killed sick and healthy people. God permitted Nebuchadnezzar to punish the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
It is true that Assyria {\cf2\super [292]} will be defeated with a sword. But that sword will not be a man’s sword. Assyria will be destroyed. But that destruction will not come from a man’s sword. Assyria will run away from God’s sword. But the young men will be caught and made slaves.
Soldiers came to take things\par from every place in that empty land.\par The Lord used those armies\par to punish that land.\par People from one end of the land\par to the other were punished.\par No person was safe.\par
“But at that time, our Master,\par the Lord All-Powerful, will win.\par At that time, he will give the punishment\par that they deserve.\par The Lord’s enemies will get the punishment\par that they should have.\par The sword will kill until it is finished.\par The sword will kill until it satisfies\par its thirst for blood.\par This will happen because there is a sacrifice\par for our Master, the Lord All-Powerful.\par That sacrifice is \{Egypt’s army\}\par in the land of the north,\par by the Euphrates River.\par
“Announce this message in Egypt.\par Tell it in the city of Migdol.\par Tell it in Memphis and Tahpanhes.\par ‘Get ready for war.\par Why? Because people all around you\par are being killed with swords.’\par
Then Nebuchadnezzar made an agreement with a man from the king’s family. Nebuchadnezzar forced that man to make a promise. So this man promised to be loyal to Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar made this man the new king of Judah. Then he took all the powerful men away from Judah.
But this new king tried to rebel against Nebuchadnezzar anyway! He sent messengers to Egypt to ask for help. The new king asked for many horses and soldiers. Now, do you think the new king of Judah will succeed? Do you think the new king will have enough power to break the agreement and escape punishment?”
\{Use the sign\} to show which road the sword will use. One road leads to the Ammonite city of Rabbah. The other road leads to Judah, to the protected city, Jerusalem!
“I won’t let those other nations insult you any more. You won’t be hurt by those people any more. You won’t take the children away from your people again.” The Lord my Master said those things.
The Israelites have gone deep into ruin like in the time of Gibeah. {\cf2\super [91]} The Lord will remember the Israelites’ sins. He will punish their sins.