Ezekiel 5

1 “Son of man, take a sword sharper than a barber’s razor and run it over your head and beard. Then take scales and divide the hair.” 2 “When the days of the siege are complete, burn a fourth of it in the fire within the city, burn another fourth within it, cut another fourth with a sword around it, and scatter the last fourth to the wind. I will draw a sword after them.” [a] 3 “Take a few of the hairs and wrap them in the fold of your garment.” 4 “Take some of those hairs again, throw them into the fire, and burn them. Fire will spread from there. Then speak to the whole house of Israel.” 5 “This is what the Lord says: This is Jerusalem. I placed her among the nations, with countries surrounding her.” 6 “You will declare my rules to the lawless one among the nations and my practices to the surrounding countries, because they rejected my rules and did not walk in my practices.” 7 “Therefore, this is what the Lord says: Your opportunity came from the surrounding nations. You did not follow or keep my rules, or even act according to the surrounding nations’ rules.” 8 “Therefore, this is what the Lord says: Look, I am against you. I will execute judgment among you before the nations.” 9 “Because of all your detestable things, I will do things among you that I have never done and will never do again.” 10 “Fathers among you will eat their children, and children will eat their fathers. I will execute judgments among you and scatter all your survivors to every wind.” 11 “Therefore, as I live, says the Lord, because you defiled my holy things with all your detestable things, I will reject you. My eye will not spare, and I will show no mercy.” 12 “A fourth of you will be cut off by plague, a fourth will be consumed by famine among you, a fourth I will scatter to every wind, and a fourth will fall by the sword around you. I will draw a sword after them.” 13 “My wrath and anger will be completed against them. When I bring my anger against them to its end, you will know that I, the Lord, spoke in my jealousy.” 14 “I will make you and your surrounding daughters desolate before everyone who passes by.” 15 “When I execute judgments against you in the vengeance of my wrath, the surrounding nations will mourn over you and regard you as miserable. I, the Lord, have spoken.” 16 “When I send the arrows of famine against them, they will be consumed, and I will break your supply of bread.” 17 “I will send famine and dangerous animals against you and take vengeance on you. Plague and bloodshed will pass through you, and I will bring a sword against you on every side. I, the Lord, have spoken.”