Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, December 20th, 2025
the Third Week of Advent
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Ezekiel 4:13

When I scatter the people of Israel among the nations, they will also have to eat food that is unclean, just as you must do.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Instruction;   Israel, Prophecies Concerning;   Prayer;   Symbols and Similitudes;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Prophets;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Dung;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Fuel;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ezekiel;   Meshach;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Beyond the River;   Dung;   Ezekiel;   Gestures;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Fuel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Synagogue;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Bread;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Dispersion, the;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Banishment;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The Lord said, “This is how the Israelites will eat their bread—ceremonially unclean—among the nations where I will banish them.”
Hebrew Names Version
The LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Yisra'el eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them.
King James Version
And the Lord said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them.
English Standard Version
And the Lord said, "Thus shall the people of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them."
New American Standard Bible
Then the LORD said, "In this way the sons of Israel will eat their bread unclean among the nations where I will scatter them."
New Century Version
Then the Lord said, "In the same way Israel will eat unclean food among the nations where I force them to go."
Amplified Bible
Then the LORD said, "Thus the children of Israel will eat their bread unclean and defiled among the nations where I will banish them."
World English Bible
Yahweh said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the Lord said, So shall the children of Israel eate their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will cast them.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the LORD said, "Thus will the sons of Israel eat their bread unclean among the nations where I will banish them."
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Yahweh said, "Thus will the sons of Israel eat their bread unclean among the nations where I will banish them."
Berean Standard Bible
Then the LORD said, "This is how the Israelites will eat their defiled bread among the nations to which I will banish them."
Complete Jewish Bible
Adonai said, "This is how the people of Isra'el will eat their food — unclean — in the nations where I am driving them."
Darby Translation
And Jehovah said, So shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean among the nations whither I will drive them.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then the Lord said, "This will show that the family of Israel will eat unclean bread in foreign countries and that I am the one who forced them to leave Israel and go to those countries!"
George Lamsa Translation
And the LORD said, Thus shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean among the Gentiles, whither I shall drive them.
Good News Translation
The Lord said, "This represents the way the Israelites will have to eat food which the Law forbids, when I scatter them to foreign countries."
Lexham English Bible
And Yahweh said, "Thus shall the Israelites eat their unclean food among the nations where I will scatter them."
Literal Translation
And Jehovah said, Even so the sons of Israel shall eat their defiled bread among the nations there where I will drive them.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And with that, sayde the LORDE: Euen thus shal the children of Israel eate their defyled bred in the myddest off the Gentiles, amonge whom I will scatre them.
American Standard Version
And Jehovah said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations whither I will drive them.
Bible in Basic English
And the Lord said, Even so the children of Israel will have unclean bread for their food among the nations where I am driving them.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the LORD said: 'Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations whither I will drive them.'
King James Version (1611)
And the Lord said, Euen thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will driue them.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And with that sayde the Lord, Euen thus shall the chyldren of Israel eate their defiled bread among the gentiles whyther I wyll cast them.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Thus shall the children of Israel eat unclean things among the Gentiles.
English Revised Version
And the LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations whither I will drive them.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The Lord seith these thingis, So the sones of Israel schulen ete her breed defoulid among hethene men, to whiche Y schal caste hem out.
Update Bible Version
And Yahweh said, Even thus shall the sons of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them.
New English Translation
And the Lord said, "This is how the people of Israel will eat their unclean food among the nations where I will banish them."
New King James Version
Then the LORD said, "So shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, where I will drive them."
New Living Translation
Then the Lord said, "This is how Israel will eat defiled bread in the Gentile lands to which I will banish them!"
New Life Bible
The Lord said, "In this way the people of Israel will eat unclean food among the nations where I will drive them."
New Revised Standard
The Lord said, "Thus shall the people of Israel eat their bread, unclean, among the nations to which I will drive them."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Yahweh, In like manner, shall the sons of Israel eat their bread defiled, - among the nations whither I will drive them.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord said: So shall the children of Israel eat their bread all filthy among the nations whither I will cast them out.
Revised Standard Version
And the LORD said, "Thus shall the people of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations whither I will drive them."
Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah saith, `Thus do the sons of Israel eat their defiled bread among the nations whither I drive them.'
THE MESSAGE
God said, "This is what the people of Israel are going to do: Among the pagan nations where I will drive them, they will eat foods that are strictly taboo to a holy people."

Contextual Overview

9 Get a large bowl. Then mix together wheat, barley, beans, lentils, and millet, and make some bread. This is what you will eat for the three hundred ninety days you are lying down. 10 Eat only a small loaf of bread each day 11 and drink only two large cups of water. 12 Use dried human waste to start a fire, then bake the bread on the coals where everyone can watch you. 13 When I scatter the people of Israel among the nations, they will also have to eat food that is unclean, just as you must do. 14 I said, " Lord God, please don't make me do that! Never in my life have I eaten food that would make me unacceptable to you. I've never eaten anything that died a natural death or was killed by a wild animal or that you said was unclean." 15 The Lord replied, "Instead of human waste, I will let you bake your bread on a fire made from cow manure. 16 Ezekiel, the people of Jerusalem will starve. They will have so little food and water that they will be afraid and hopeless. 17 Everyone will be shocked at what is happening, and, because of their sins, they will die a slow death."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Daniel 1:8, Hosea 9:3, Hosea 9:4

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 6:25 - an ass's head 2 Kings 18:27 - eat Isaiah 30:20 - the bread Ezekiel 4:9 - wheat Amos 7:17 - die

Cross-References

Job 15:22
Darkness, despair, and death are their destiny.
Revelation 16:9
Everyone was scorched by its great heat, and all of them cursed the name of God who had power over these terrible troubles. But no one turned to God and praised him.
Revelation 16:11
And because of their painful sores, they cursed the God who rules in heaven. But still they did not stop doing evil things.
Revelation 16:21
Hailstones, weighing about a hundred pounds each, fell from the sky on people. Finally, the people cursed God, because the hail was so terrible.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Lord said, even thus shall the children of Israel,.... Not the ten tribes only, or those who were among the other two, but all the Jews in captivity:

eat the defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them; so called, not because mixed, but baked in the above manner; which was a symbol of the defilements which they should contract upon various accounts, by dwelling among the Gentiles; so that this foretells their captivity; their pollution among the nations of the world; and that they should not be the holy people to the Lord they had been, and had boasted of. The Jews k cite this passage to prove that he that eats bread without drying his hands is as if he ate defiled bread.

k T. Bab. Sota, fol, 4. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The ceremonial ordinances in relation to food were intended to keep the nation free from idolatrous usages; everywhere among the pagan idol feasts formed a leading part in their religious services, and idol meats were partaken of in common life. Dispersion among the Gentiles must have exposed the Jews to much which they regarded as common and unclean. In Ezekiel’s case there was a mitigation Ezekiel 4:15 of the defilement, but still legal defilement remained, and the chosen people in exile were subjected to it as to a degradation.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile