Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, August 27th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Ezekiel 12:20

Every town will lie in ruins, and the land will be a barren desert. Then they will know that I am the Lord .

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Instruction;   Symbols and Similitudes;   Wicked (People);  

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Ezekiel;   Gestures;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Tin;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Babylonish Captivity, the;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Triennial Cycle;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The inhabited cities will be destroyed, and the land will become dreadful. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
Hebrew Names Version
The cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be a desolation; and you shall know that I am the LORD.
King James Version
And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the Lord .
English Standard Version
And the inhabited cities shall be laid waste, and the land shall become a desolation; and you shall know that I am the Lord ."
New American Standard Bible
"The inhabited cities will be in ruins, and the land will be a desolation. So you will know that I am the LORD."'"
New Century Version
The cities where people live will become ruins, and the land will become empty. Then you will know that I am the Lord .'"
Amplified Bible
"The cities that are inhabited will be in ruins and the land will be deserted; and you will know [without any doubt] that I am the LORD."'"
World English Bible
The cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be a desolation; and you shall know that I am Yahweh.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the cities that are inhabited, shal be left voyde, and the land shall be desolate, and yee shall knowe that I am the Lorde.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"The inhabited cities will be laid waste and the land will be a desolation. So you will know that I am the LORD."'"
Legacy Standard Bible
The inhabited cities will be laid waste, and the land will be a desolation. So you will know that I am Yahweh."'"
Berean Standard Bible
The inhabited cities will be laid waste, and the land will become desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'"
Complete Jewish Bible
The inhabited cities will be laid waste, the land will be desolate, and you will know that I am Adonai ."'"
Darby Translation
And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be a desolation; and ye shall know that I [am] Jehovah.
Easy-to-Read Version
Many people live in your cities now, but those cities will be ruined. Your whole country will be destroyed! Then you will know that I am the Lord .'"
George Lamsa Translation
And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall become desolate; and you shall know that I am the LORD.
Good News Translation
Cities that are now full of people will be destroyed, and the country will be made a wilderness. Then they will know that I am the Lord ."
Lexham English Bible
And the inhabited cites will be desolate, and the land will be a desolation, and you will know that I am Yahweh."'"
Literal Translation
And the cities that have people shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate. And you shall know that I am Jehovah.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the cities that now be well occupied, shal be voyde, and the londe desolate: that ye maye knowe, how that I am the LORDE.
American Standard Version
And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be a desolation; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.
Bible in Basic English
And the peopled towns will be made waste, and the land will become a wonder; and you will be certain that I am the Lord.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.'
King James Version (1611)
And the cities that are inhabited, shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate, and yee shall know that I am the Lord.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the cities that nowe be well inhabited, shalbe voyde, & the lande desolate, that ye may knowe that I am the Lorde.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And their inhabited cities shall be laid utterly waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
English Revised Version
And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be a desolation; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And citees that ben now enhabitid, shulen be desolat, and the lond schal be forsakun; and ye schulen wite, that Y am the Lord.
Update Bible Version
And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be a desolation; and you shall know that I am Yahweh.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD.
New English Translation
The inhabited towns will be left in ruins and the land will be devastated. Then you will know that I am the Lord .'"
New King James Version
Then the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall become desolate; and you shall know that I am the LORD.""'
New Living Translation
The cities will be destroyed and the farmland made desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord .'"
New Life Bible
The cities where people live will be laid waste, and the land will be destroyed. Then you will know that I am the Lord."'"
New Revised Standard
The inhabited cities shall be laid waste, and the land shall become a desolation; and you shall know that I am the Lord .
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Yea the cities that are inhabited I shall be laid waste, And the land, shall become m astonish- men, - So shall ye know that, I am Yahweh.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the cities that are now inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate: and you shall know that I am the Lord.
Revised Standard Version
And the inhabited cities shall be laid waste, and the land shall become a desolation; and you shall know that I am the LORD."
Young's Literal Translation
And the cities that are inhabited are laid waste, and the land is a desolation, and ye have known that I [am] Jehovah.'

Contextual Overview

17 The Lord said: 18 Ezekiel, son of man, shake with fear when you eat, and tremble when you drink. 19 Tell the people of Israel that I, the Lord , say that someday everyone in Jerusalem will shake when they eat and tremble when they drink. Their country will be destroyed and left empty, because they have been cruel and violent. 20 Every town will lie in ruins, and the land will be a barren desert. Then they will know that I am the Lord .

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ezekiel 15:6, Ezekiel 15:8, Isaiah 3:26, Isaiah 7:23, Isaiah 7:24, Isaiah 24:3, Isaiah 24:12, Isaiah 64:10, Isaiah 64:11, Jeremiah 4:7, Jeremiah 4:23-29, Jeremiah 12:10-12, Jeremiah 16:9, Jeremiah 19:11, Jeremiah 24:8-10, Jeremiah 25:9, Jeremiah 34:22, Lamentations 5:18, Daniel 9:17

Reciprocal: Ezekiel 7:4 - and ye Ezekiel 12:15 - General Ezekiel 13:9 - and ye Ezekiel 33:28 - I will lay

Cross-References

Genesis 12:6
Abram went as far as the sacred tree of Moreh in a place called Shechem. The Canaanites were still living in the land at that time,
Genesis 12:14
As soon as Abram and Sarai arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians noticed how beautiful she was.
Genesis 12:15
The king's officials told him about her, and she was taken to his house.
Exodus 18:27
After Moses and his father-in-law Jethro had said good-by to each other, Jethro returned home.
Proverbs 21:1
The Lord controls rulers, just as he determines the course of rivers.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste,.... Not only the city of Jerusalem, but the other cities of Judea; as they were by the Chaldeans, which were then full of inhabitants:

and the land shall be desolate; the whole land of Judea be destitute of men and cattle, and lie uncultivated, and become barren and unfruitful:

and ye shall know that I [am] the Lord; who were then captives in Babylon, as well as those who should be dispersed among the nations would; see Ezekiel 12:15.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The people of the land - Chaldaea.

Of the inhabitants - In respect to β€œthe inhabitants.”

Desolate from, all that is therein - i. e., stripped of all its inhabitants and of all its wealth.

At one and the same time, Jeremiah was prophesying in Jerusalem, and Ezekiel in Chaldaea; the prophecies of the former were sent to the exiles, and those of Ezekiel to the dwellers at Jerusalem, that the guiding hand of One God in different places might be made clear (Jerome).


 
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