Ezekiel 21:17-27

17 Certainly and I shall smite with hand to hand (Truly I shall clap my hands), and I shall [ful]fill mine indignation; I the Lord spake.
18 And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,
19 And thou, son of man, set to thee two ways, (so) that the sword of the king of Babylon (may) come; both shall go out of one land, and by the hand he shall take conjecturing; he shall conjecture in the head of the way of the city (and so carve a signpost, and then place it at the head of the ways to two cities),
20 setting a way, that the sword come to Rabbath of the sons of Ammon, and to Judah into Jerusalem most strong. (pointing the way, so that the sword come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah into the fortified Jerusalem.)
21 For the king of Babylon stood in the meeting of two ways, in the head of two ways, and sought divining, and meddled arrows; he asked idols, and took counsel at entrails. (For the king of Babylon stood at the meeting of two ways, at the head of two ways, and sought divining, and mixed, or mingled, the arrows; he asked idols, and received counsel, or advice, from entrails.)
22 Divining was made to his right side on Jerusalem, that he set engines, that he open [the] mouth in slaying, that he raise [the] voice in yelling, that he set engines against the gates, that he bear together [an heap of] earth, that he build strongholds. (Divining was made at his right hand for Jerusalem, that he set up battering-rams, and that he open his mouth in killing, and that he raise up his voice in yelling, yea, that he set up battering-rams against the gates, and that he bear together heaps of earth, and that he build strongholds.)
23 And he shall be as counselling in (a) vain god's answer before the eyes of them, and serving (on) the rest of sabbaths; but he shall have mind on (their) wickedness, to take (them). (And he shall be like the counselling in an idol's answer before their eyes, and serving on the rest of the sabbaths; but he shall remember their wickedness, to take them captive.)
24 Therefore the Lord God saith these things, For that that ye had mind on your wickednesses, and showed your trespassings, and your sins appeared in all your thoughts, forsooth for that that ye had mind, ye shall be taken by the (enemies?) hand.
25 But thou, cursed wicked duke of Israel, whose day before-determined is come in the time of wickedness, (But thou, cursed wicked prince of Israel, whose predetermined day hath come in the time of wickedness,)
26 the Lord God saith these things, Do away the mitre, take away the crown; whether it is not this that raised the meek man, and made low the high man?
27 Wickedness, wickedness, wickedness, I shall put it; and this shall not be done till he come, whose the doom (it) is, and I shall betake (it) to him. (Ruin, ruin, ruin, so I shall make it; but this shall not be done until he come, who shall render the judgement, and I shall deliver it to him.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.