Ezekiel 21:9

Easy-to-Read Version

"Son of man, speak to the people for me. Say this, ‘This is what the Lord says: "‘Look, a sword, a sharp sword, and it has been polished.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Son of man, prophesy, ‘This is what the Lord says!’ You are to proclaim,

Hebrew Names Version
Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the LORD: Say, A sword, a sword, it is sharpened, and also furbished;

King James Version
Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord ; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:

English Standard Version
"Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord, say: "A sword, a sword is sharpened and also polished,

New American Standard Bible
"Son of man, prophesy and say, 'This is what the LORD says:' Say, 'A sword, a sword sharpened And also polished!

New Century Version
"Human, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord says: A sword, a sword, made sharp and polished.

Amplified Bible
"Son of man, prophesy and say, 'Thus says the LORD.' Say, 'A sword, a sword [from Babylon] is sharpened And also polished!

World English Bible
Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says Yahweh: Say, A sword, a sword, it is sharpened, and also furbished;

Geneva Bible (1587)
Sonne of man, prophecie, and say, Thus saith the Lorde God, say, A sworde, a sworde both sharpe, and fourbished.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Son of man, prophesy and say, 'Thus says the LORD.' Say, 'A sword, a sword sharpened And also polished!

Legacy Standard Bible
"Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord.' Say,‘A sword, a sword sharpenedAnd also polished!

Berean Standard Bible
"Son of man, prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord says: 'A sword, a sword, sharpened and polished-

Contemporary English Version
Ezekiel, son of man, tell the people of Jerusalem: I have sharpened my sword to slaughter you; it is shiny and will flash like lightning! Don't celebrate— punishment is coming, because everyone has ignored my warnings. <

Complete Jewish Bible
Since I am going to rid you of both righteous and evildoers, my sword will also go out of its scabbard against everyone, from the Negev to the north.

Darby Translation
Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith Jehovah: Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished.

George Lamsa Translation
Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the LORD God: A sword, a sword is sharpened;

Good News Translation
"Mortal man, prophesy. Tell the people what I, the Lord, am saying: A sword, a sword is sharpened and polished.

Lexham English Bible
"Son of man, prophesy, and you must say, ‘Thus says the Lord,' say, ‘A sword, a sword is sharpened and is also polished.

Literal Translation
Son of man, prophesy and say, So says the Lord: Say, A sword! A sword is sharpened and also is polished!

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thou sonne of man, prophecie, and speake: Thus saieth the LORDE God: speake, the swearde is sharpened & wel scoured.

American Standard Version
Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith Jehovah: Say, A sword, a sword, it is sharpened, and also furbished;

Bible in Basic English
Son of man, say as a prophet, These are the words of the Lord: Say, A sword, a sword which has been made sharp and polished:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall My sword go forth out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north;

King James Version (1611)
Sonne of man, prophecie and say, Thus sayth the Lord, Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also fourbished.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thou sonne of man, prophecie and speake, thus saith the Lorde God, Speake, the sworde the sworde is sharpened and well furbished.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Son of man, prophesy, and thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord; Say, Sword, sword, be sharpened and rage,

English Revised Version
Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD: Say, A sword, a sword, it is sharpened, and also furbished:

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and he seide, Sone of man, profesie thou; and thou schalt seie, The Lord God seith these thingis, Speke thou, The swerd, the swerd is maad scharp, and is maad briyt;

Update Bible Version
Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says Yahweh: Say, A sword, a sword, it is sharpened, and also furbished;

Webster's Bible Translation
Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:

New English Translation
"Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Lord says: "‘A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also polished.

New King James Version
"Son of man, prophesy and say, "Thus says the LORD!' Say: "A sword, a sword is sharpened And also polished!

New Living Translation
"Son of man, give the people this message from the Lord: "A sword, a sword is being sharpened and polished.

New Life Bible
"Son of man, speak in My name and tell them, ‘The Lord says, "A sword, a sharp and shining sword!

New Revised Standard
Mortal, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord; Say: A sword, a sword is sharpened, it is also polished;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Son of man, Prophesy and thou shalt say, Thus saith My Lord, - Say, A sword! a sword! Sharpened moreover also furbished:

Douay-Rheims Bible
Son of man, prophesy, and say: Thus saith the Lord God: Say: The sword, the sword is sharpened, and furbished.

Revised Standard Version
"Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord, Say: A sword, a sword is sharpened and also polished,

Young's Literal Translation
`Son of man, prophesy, and thou hast said, Thus said Jehovah, say: A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also polished.

Contextual Overview

⁸ The word of the Lord came to me. He said, ⁹ "Son of man, speak to the people for me. Say this, ‘This is what the Lord says: "‘Look, a sword, a sharp sword, and it has been polished. ¹⁰ The sword was made sharp for killing. It was polished to flash like lightning. My son, you ran away from the stick I used to punish you. You refused to be punished with that wooden stick. ¹¹ So the sword has been polished. Now it can be used. The sword was sharpened and polished. Now it can be put in the hand of the killer. ¹² "‘Son of man, shout out and scream because the sword will be used against my people and all the rulers of Israel. They wanted war—so they will be with my people when the sword comes. So slap your thigh to show your sadness, ¹³ because it is not just a test. You refused to be punished with the wooden stick, so what else should I use to punish you? A sword? '" This is what the Lord God said. ¹⁴ "Son of man, clap your hands to show your sadness, and speak to the people for me. Let the sword come down twice, no, three times! This sword is for killing the people. This is the sword for the great killing. This sword will cut into them. ¹⁵ Their hearts will melt with fear, and many people will fall. The sword will kill many people by the city gates. Yes, the sword will flash like lightning. It was polished to kill the people! ¹⁶ Sword, be sharp! Cut on the right side. Cut straight ahead. Cut on the left side. Go wherever your edge was chosen to go. ¹⁷ "Then I, too, will clap my hands and stop showing my anger. I, the Lord , have spoken!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

A sword: Ezekiel 21:3, Ezekiel 21:15, Ezekiel 21:28, Deuteronomy 32:41, Deuteronomy 32:42, Job 20:25, Isaiah 66:16, Jeremiah 12:12, Jeremiah 15:2, Amos 9:4

sharpened: Psalms 7:11-13, Isaiah 27:1, Isaiah 34:5, Isaiah 34:6

Reciprocal: Psalms 7:12 - he will Isaiah 5:28 - arrows Jeremiah 29:16 - General Jeremiah 46:4 - furbish Ezekiel 14:17 - I bring Ezekiel 33:2 - When I bring the sword upon a land Zechariah 13:7 - O sword Matthew 24:6 - ye shall hear

Cross-References

Genesis 16:1
Sarai was Abram's wife, but she did not have any children. She had an Egyptian slave named Hagar.

Genesis 17:20
"You mentioned Ishmael, and I heard you. I will bless him, and he will have many children. He will be the father of twelve great leaders. His family will become a great nation.

Genesis 21:1
The Lord came back to visit Sarah as he said he would, and he kept his promise to her.

Genesis 21:3
Abraham named his son Isaac.

Genesis 21:5
Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born.

Genesis 21:6
Sarah said, "God has made me happy, and everyone who hears about this will be happy with me.

Genesis 21:13
But I will also bless the son of your slave woman. He is your son, so I will make a great nation from his family also."

Genesis 21:14
Early the next morning Abraham took some food and water and gave them to Hagar. She carried them and left with her boy. She left that place and wandered in the desert of Beersheba.

Genesis 21:23
So make a promise to me here before God. Promise that you will be fair with me and with my children. Promise that you will be kind to me and this country where you have lived. Promise that you will be as kind to me as I have been to you."

Genesis 21:24
And Abraham said, "I promise to treat you the same way you have treated me."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Son of man, prophesy and say, thus saith the Lord,.... Deliver out the following prophecy in the name of the Lord:

say, a sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished; it is not only drawn out of its sheath, as before, but is made sharp and bright, and ready for use. It is repeated, either to show the certainty of it, or to express the terror and anguish of mind on account of it; persons in distress generally repeating that which is the occasion of it. The Targum interprets it of two swords, the sword of the Babylonians, and the sword of the Ammonites; first the one was to be used, and then the other: this latter, Jarchi and Kimchi observe, was fulfilled by Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slaying Gedaliah, sent for that purpose by Baalis king of the Ammonites, Jeremiah 40:14, but if two distinct swords are meant, I should rather think the sword of the Chaldeans, and the sword of the Romans, are intended. Cocceius, before observed, interprets it only of the latter; but Abendana both of the sword of the king of Babylon, and of the sword of the Romans.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The second word of judgment: the glittering and destroying sword. The passage may be called the “Lay of the Sword;” it is written in the form of Hebrew poetry, with its characteristic parallelism.

Ezekiel 21:10

It contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree - The rod is the scepter of dominion, assigned to Judah Genesis 49:10. The destroying sword of Babylon despises the scepter of Judah; it despises every tree. Others render the verse, “Shall we make mirth” (saying), “the rod of my son,” (the rod which corrects my people) “contemneth” (treats with scorn, utterly confounds) “every tree” (every other nation); or, the scepter of my people “contemneth” (proudly despises) every other nation. Proud as the people are, they shall be brought to sorrow.

Ezekiel 21:12

Terrors - Better as in the margin.

Smite upon thy thigh - A token of mourning (compare the marginal reference note).

Ezekiel 21:13

Or,

For it is put to the proof, and if it contemneth even the rod, What shall not be? saith the Lord

i. e., What horrors will not arise when the sword shall cut down without regard the ruling scepter of Judah!

Ezekiel 21:14

Doubled the third time - i. e., “thrice doubled” to express its violence and force.

The sword of the slain - The sword whereby men are to be slain.

Of the great men ... - Or, The sword of the mighty slain, which presseth hard upon them.

Ezekiel 21:15

The point of the sword - The threatening sword or terror; as in Genesis 3:24, “the flaming sword.”

And their ruins be multiplied - literally, “to the multiplication of stumblingblocks,” that is, so that the causes of their fall may be more numerous. Compare Jeremiah 46:16.

Made bright ... - Or,

Ah! It is prepared for a lightning-flash, Drawn for slaughter.

Ezekiel 21:16

The prophet addresses the sword,

Gather thyself up, O sword, to the right or to the left.

Another rendering is: “Turn thee backwards! get thee to the right! Set thee forwards (?)!get thee to the left! O whither is thy face appointed?

Ezekiel 21:17

The Lord smites together His hands in anger (marginal reference), man in consternation.