Ezekiel 5:12

Easy-to-Read Version

A third of your people will die inside the city from diseases and hunger. Another third will die in battle outside the city. And then I will pull out my sword and chase the last third of your people into faraway countries.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
A third of your people will die by plague and be consumed by famine within you; a third will fall by the sword all around you; and I will scatter a third to every direction of the wind, and I will draw a sword to chase after them.

Hebrew Names Version
A third part of you shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of you; and a third part shall fall by the sword round about you; and a third part I will scatter to all the winds, and will draw out a sword after them.

King James Version
A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.

English Standard Version
A third part of you shall die of pestilence and be consumed with famine in your midst; a third part shall fall by the sword all around you; and a third part I will scatter to all the winds and will unsheathe the sword after them.

New American Standard Bible
'A third of you will die by plague or perish by famine among you, a third will fall by the sword around you, and a third I will scatter to every wind, and I will unsheathe a sword behind them.

New Century Version
A third of you will die by disease or be destroyed by hunger inside your walls. A third will fall dead by the sword outside your walls. And a third I will scatter in every direction as I chase them with a sword.

Amplified Bible
'One third of you will die of virulent disease or be consumed by famine among you; one third will fall by the sword around you; and one third I will scatter to all the winds, and I will unsheathe a sword behind them.

World English Bible
A third part of you shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of you; and a third part shall fall by the sword round about you; and a third part I will scatter to all the winds, and will draw out a sword after them.

Geneva Bible (1587)
The third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they bee consumed in the middes of thee: and another third part shall fall by the sword round about thee: and I will scatter the last third part into all windes, and I will drawe out a sword after them.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
'One third of you will die by plague or be consumed by famine among you, one third will fall by the sword around you, and one third I will scatter to every wind, and I will unsheathe a sword behind them.

Legacy Standard Bible
One-third of you will die by the plague or be consumed by the famine among you, one-third will fall by the sword around you, and one-third I will scatter to every wind, and I will unsheathe a sword behind them.

Berean Standard Bible
A third of your people will die by plague or be consumed by famine within you, a third will fall by the sword outside your walls, and a third I will scatter to every wind and unleash a sword behind them.

Contemporary English Version
A third of you will die here in Jerusalem from disease or starvation. Another third will be killed in war. And I will scatter the last third of you in every direction, then track you down and kill you.

Complete Jewish Bible
A third of you will die from plague or be consumed by famine inside [Yerushalayim]; a third will fall by the sword all around [Yerushalayim]; and a third I will scatter to all the winds and pursue with the sword.'

Darby Translation
A third part of thee shall die by the pestilence, and shall be consumed by the famine in the midst of thee; and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part to all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.

George Lamsa Translation
A third part of you shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of you; and a third part shall fall by the sword round about you; and a third part I will scatter to all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.

Good News Translation
A third of your people will die from sickness and hunger in the city; a third will be cut down by swords outside the city; and I will scatter the last third to the winds and pursue them with a sword.

Lexham English Bible
A third of you will die because of the plague, and because of the famine they will perish in the midst of you, and a third will fall through the sword around you, and a third I will scatter to every direction of the wind, and I will draw the sword behind them.

Literal Translation
A third part of you shall die by the plague and shall be consumed by the famine in your midst. And a third part shall fall by the sword all around you. And a third part I will scatter into every wind, and I will draw out a sword after them.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
One thirde parte within the, shall die of the pestilence and of honger: Another thirde parte shall be slayne downe rounde aboute the, with the swearde: The other thirde parte that remayneth, will I scatre abrode towarde all the wyndes, and drawe out the swearde after them.

American Standard Version
A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee; and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and a third part I will scatter unto all the winds, and will draw out a sword after them.

Bible in Basic English
A third of you will come to death from disease, wasting away among you through need of food; a third will be put to the sword round about you; and a third I will send away to every wind, letting loose a sword after them.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee; and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and a third part I will scatter unto all the winds, and will draw out a sword after them.

King James Version (1611)
A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the middest of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee: and I will scatter a third part into all the windes, and I wil draw out a sword after them.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
One thirde part within thee shall dye of the pestilence and be consumed of hunger, another thirde part shalbe slayne downe rounde about thee with the sworde, the other thirde part that remayneth, wyll I scatter abrode towarde all the wyndes, and drawe out a sworde after them.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
A fourth part of thee shall be cut off by pestilence, and a fourth part of thee shall be consumed in the midst of thee with famine: and as for another fourth part of thee, I will scatter them to every wind; and a fourth part of thee shall fall by sword round about thee, and I will draw out a sword after them.

English Revised Version
A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee; and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and a third part I will scatter unto all the winds, and will draw out a sword after them.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The thridde part of thee schal die bi pestilence, and schal be wastid bi hungur in the middis of thee; and the thridde part of thee schal falle doun bi swerd in thi cumpas; forsothe Y schal scatere thi thridde part in to ech wynd, and Y schal drawe out a swerd after hem.

Update Bible Version
A third part of you shall die with the pestilence, and with famine they shall be consumed in the midst of you; and a third part shall fall by the sword round about you; and a third part I will scatter to all the winds, and will draw out a sword after them.

Webster's Bible Translation
A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword around thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.

New English Translation
A third of your people will die of plague or be overcome by the famine within you. A third of your people will fall by the sword surrounding you, and a third I will scatter to the winds. I will unleash a sword behind them.

New King James Version
One-third of you shall die of the pestilence, and be consumed with famine in your midst; and one-third shall fall by the sword all around you; and I will scatter another third to all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.

New Living Translation
A third of your people will die in the city from disease and famine. A third of them will be slaughtered by the enemy outside the city walls. And I will scatter a third to the winds, chasing them with my sword.

New Life Bible
One third of you will die by disease or be destroyed by hunger among you. A third will be killed by the sword around you. And a third I will spread to every wind, and go after them with a sword.

New Revised Standard
One third of you shall die of pestilence or be consumed by famine among you; one third shall fall by the sword around you; and one third I will scatter to every wind and will unsheathe the sword after them.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The third part of thee by pestilence, shall die, and by famine, be consumed in thy midst And the third part by the sword, shall fall round about thee,- And the third part to every wind, will I scatter, and a sword, will I make bare after them.

Douay-Rheims Bible
A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and shall be consumed with famine in the midst of thee: and a third part of thee shall fall by the sword round about thee: and a third part of thee will I scatter into every wind, and I will draw out a sword after them.

Revised Standard Version
A third part of you shall die of pestilence and be consumed with famine in the midst of you; a third part shall fall by the sword round about you; and a third part I will scatter to all the winds and will unsheathe the sword after them.

Young's Literal Translation
Thy third part -- by pestilence they die, And by famine are consumed in thy midst, And the third part, by sword they fall round about thee, And the third part, to every wind I scatter, And a sword I draw out after them.

Contextual Overview

⁵ Then the Lord God said to me, "The brick is a picture of Jerusalem. I put Jerusalem in the middle of other nations with countries all around her. ⁶ The people rebelled against my commands. They were worse than any of the other nations! They broke more of my laws than any of the people in the countries around them. They refused to listen to my commands. They did not obey my laws." ⁷ So the Lord God says, "I will do this because you did not obey my laws and commands. You broke more of my laws than the people who lived around you, and you did what even they know is wrong!" ⁸ So the Lord God says, "So now, even I am against you! I will punish you while those other people watch. ⁹ I will do things to you that I have never done before. And I will never do those terrible things again, because you did so many terrible things. ¹⁰ People in Jerusalem will be so hungry that parents will eat their own children, and children will eat their own parents. I will punish you in many ways, and those who are left alive, I will scatter to the winds." ¹¹ The Lord God says, "Jerusalem, I promise by my life that I will punish you! I promise that I will punish you, because you did terrible things to my Holy Place. You did horrible things that made it dirty. I will punish you. I will not show any mercy or feel sorry for you. ¹² A third of your people will die inside the city from diseases and hunger. Another third will die in battle outside the city. And then I will pull out my sword and chase the last third of your people into faraway countries. ¹³ Only then will I stop being angry with your people. I will know that they have been punished for the bad things they did to me. They will know that I am the Lord and that I spoke to them because of my strong love for them!" ¹⁴ God said, "Jerusalem, I will destroy you—you will be nothing but a pile of rocks. The people around you will make fun of you. Everyone who walks by will make fun of you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

third part of: Ezekiel 5:2, Ezekiel 6:12, Jeremiah 15:2, Jeremiah 21:9, Zechariah 13:7-9

and I will scatter: Ezekiel 5:2, Ezekiel 5:10, Ezekiel 6:8, Jeremiah 9:16, Zechariah 7:14

and I will draw: This was particularly fulfilled in the destruction of those who retired to Egypt; and has been remarkably verified in the many persecutions and miseries which the Jews have suffered at different times, in the various countries into which they are dispersed. Ezekiel 5:2, Ezekiel 12:14, Leviticus 26:33, Deuteronomy 28:65, Jeremiah 42:16, Jeremiah 42:17, Jeremiah 42:22, Jeremiah 43:10, Jeremiah 43:11, Jeremiah 44:27, Amos 9:4

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 25:3 - the famine Psalms 92:9 - scattered Isaiah 26:15 - thou hadst Jeremiah 13:24 - will Jeremiah 14:12 - but Jeremiah 15:9 - and the Jeremiah 16:4 - consumed Jeremiah 21:6 - they Jeremiah 24:9 - to be removed Jeremiah 24:10 - General Jeremiah 29:17 - Behold Jeremiah 38:2 - He Jeremiah 40:11 - all the Jews Jeremiah 49:32 - I will scatter Jeremiah 49:36 - scatter Jeremiah 49:37 - I will send the sword Jeremiah 51:2 - fanners Lamentations 1:3 - she Ezekiel 5:17 - and pestilence Ezekiel 6:11 - fall Ezekiel 7:15 - General Ezekiel 14:17 - I bring Ezekiel 14:19 - if I Ezekiel 14:21 - my four Ezekiel 17:21 - all his fugitives Ezekiel 21:3 - will draw Ezekiel 22:15 - scatter Ezekiel 28:23 - I will send Ezekiel 33:27 - surely Ezekiel 36:19 - I scattered Micah 6:14 - and thou Zechariah 2:6 - spread Zechariah 13:8 - two

Cross-References

Luke 3:37
Lamech was the son of Methuselah. Methuselah was the son of Enoch. Enoch was the son of Jared. Jared was the son of Mahalaleel. Mahalaleel was the son of Cainan.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

A third part of them shall die with the pestilence,.... This, with what follows, explains the division of the hair into the three parts, and what was done with them; and shows that the burning of one third part denotes their being destroyed by the pestilence, mentioned along with burning coals, Habakkuk 3:5; and by famine, as follows:

and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee; and though there is no account of the former, yet there is of the latter; and no doubt but the pestilence raged, as well as the famine, at the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar:

and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; signified by the third part of the hair, smitten with a knife; and intends such as perished by the sword of the Chaldeans at the taking of the city, and when they fled out of it; and so are properly said to fall round about it:

and I will scatter a third part into all the winds; the greatest part of which were carried into Babylon, and others into other parts;

Habakkuk 3:5- :;

and I will draw out a sword after them; particularly after them that went into Egypt. The Septuagint and Arabic versions read a "fourth part" in each clause, as before; and make it out thus, "a fourth part of thee shall be consumed with death (the pestilence); and a fourth part of thee shall be consumed with famine in the midst of thee; and a fourth part of thee I will scatter to every wind; and a fourth part of thee shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will draw out the sword after them".

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The judgments Ezekiel 5:12-17 of “famine, pestilence,” and the “sword,” were precisely those which attended the coming siege of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 15:2 ff). The “drawing out the sword after them” indicates that the anger of God will follow them even to the land of their exile (compare Jeremiah 42:19-22; Leviticus 26:25), and that the horrors of the Babylonian siege are but the beginning of the sorrows of the nation.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 5:12. A third part of thee — See Clarke's notes on Ezekiel 5:1-4.