Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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Read the Bible

Good News Translation

Ezekiel 21:25

"You wicked, unholy ruler of Israel, your day, the day of your final punishment, is coming.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Government;   Rulers;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Babylon;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Zedekiah;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Repentance;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ezekiel;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Mitre;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ezekiel;   Profane;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Lots;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
And you, profane and wicked prince of Israel, the day has come for your punishment.
Hebrew Names Version
You, deadly wounded wicked one, the prince of Yisra'el, whose day is come, in the time of the iniquity of the end,
King James Version
And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end,
English Standard Version
And you, O profane wicked one, prince of Israel, whose day has come, the time of your final punishment,
New American Standard Bible
'And you, slain, wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day has come, in the time of the punishment of the end,'
New Century Version
"‘You unclean and evil leader of Israel, you will be killed! The time of your final punishment has come.
Amplified Bible
'And you, O dishonored and wicked one [Zedekiah], the prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose time of final punishment is here,'
World English Bible
You, deadly wounded wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day is come, in the time of the iniquity of the end,
Geneva Bible (1587)
And thou prince of Israel polluted, and wicked, whose day is come, when iniquitie shall haue an ende,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'And you, O slain, wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day has come, in the time of the punishment of the end,'
Legacy Standard Bible
And you, O slain, wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day has come, in the time of the iniquity of the end,'
Berean Standard Bible
And you, O profane and wicked prince of Israel, the day has come for your final punishment.'
Contemporary English Version
And now, you evil and wicked ruler of Israel, your day of final punishment is almost here.
Complete Jewish Bible
Make a road, so that the sword can come to Rabbah of the people of ‘Amon and to Y'hudah in fortified Yerushalayim.
Darby Translation
And thou, profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, at the time of the iniquity of the end,
Easy-to-Read Version
And you, evil leader of Israel, you will be killed. Your time of punishment has come! The end is here!"
George Lamsa Translation
And as for you, filthy wicked prince of Israel, your day and the time of your iniquity and your end has come.
Lexham English Bible
And as for you, profane one, wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come with the time of the punishment of the end,
Literal Translation
And you, O slain, wicked prince of Israel, of whom has come his day in the time of iniquity of the end,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
O thou shameful wicked gyde of Israel, whose daye is come: euen the tyme that wickednesse shall haue an ende:
American Standard Version
And thou, O deadly wounded wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day is come, in the time of the iniquity of the end,
Bible in Basic English
And you, O evil one, wounded to death, O ruler of Israel, whose day has come in the time of the last punishment;
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thou shalt make a way, that the sword may come to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and to Judah in Jerusalem the fortified.
King James Version (1611)
And thou prophane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquitie shall haue an end,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
O thou shamefull wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, euen when wickednesse shall haue an ende,
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And thou profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day, even and end, is come in a sea of iniquity, thus saith the Lord;
English Revised Version
And thou, O deadly wounded wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day is come, in the time of the iniquity of the end;
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But thou, cursid wickid duyk of Israel, whos dai bifor determyned is comun in the tyme of wickidnesse,
Update Bible Version
And you, O deadly wounded wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day has come, in the time of the iniquity of the end,
Webster's Bible Translation
And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity [shall have] an end,
New English Translation
"‘As for you, profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, the time of final punishment,
New King James Version
"Now to you, O profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose iniquity shall end,
New Living Translation
"O you corrupt and wicked prince of Israel, your final day of reckoning is here!
New Life Bible
And you, O bad and sinful one, the leader of Israel, the day of your punishment has come. Your sin will end.'
New Revised Standard
As for you, vile, wicked prince of Israel, you whose day has come, the time of final punishment,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thou therefore, O profane, lawless one, prince of Israel,- Whose day hath come, in a time of final iniquity:
Douay-Rheims Bible
But thou profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come that hath been appointed in the time of iniquity:
Revised Standard Version
And you, O unhallowed wicked one, prince of Israel, whose day has come, the time of your final punishment,
Young's Literal Translation
And thou, wounded, wicked one, Prince of Israel, whose day hath come, In the time of the iniquity of the end!
THE MESSAGE
"‘O Zedekiah, blasphemous and evil prince of Israel: Time's up. It's "punishment payday." God says, Take your royal crown off your head. No more "business as usual." The underdog will be promoted and the top dog will be demoted. Ruins, ruins, ruins! I'll turn the whole place into ruins. And ruins it will remain until the one comes who has a right to it. Then I'll give it to him.'

Contextual Overview

18 The Lord spoke to me. 19 "Mortal man," he said, "mark out two roads by which the king of Babylonia can come with his sword. Both of them are to start in the same country. Put up a signpost where the roads fork. 20 One will show the king the way to the Ammonite city of Rabbah, and the other the way to Judah, to the fortified city, Jerusalem. 21 The king of Babylonia stands by the signpost at the fork of the road. To discover which way to go, he shakes the arrows; he consults his idols; he examines the liver of a sacrificed animal. 22 Now! His right hand holds the arrow marked ‘Jerusalem'! It tells him to go and set up battering rams, to shout the battle cry, to place battering rams against the gates, to throw up earthworks, and to dig trenches. 23 The people of Jerusalem won't believe this because of the treaties they have made. But this prediction is to remind them of their sins and to warn them that they will be captured. 24 This then is what I, the Sovereign Lord , am saying: Your sins are exposed. Everyone knows how guilty you are. You show your sins in your every action. You stand condemned, and I will hand you over to your enemies. 25 "You wicked, unholy ruler of Israel, your day, the day of your final punishment, is coming. 26 I, the Sovereign Lord , have spoken. Take off your crown and your turban. Nothing will be the same again. Raise the poor to power! Bring down those who are ruling! 27 Ruin, ruin! Yes, I will make the city a ruin. But this will not happen until the one comes whom I have chosen to punish the city. To him I will give it.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

profane: Ezekiel 17:19, 2 Chronicles 36:13, Jeremiah 24:8, Jeremiah 52:2

whose: Ezekiel 21:29, Ezekiel 7:6, Ezekiel 30:3, Ezekiel 35:5, Psalms 7:9, Psalms 9:5, Psalms 9:6, Jeremiah 51:13

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 24:19 - And he did 2 Kings 25:6 - they took Job 18:20 - his day Psalms 37:13 - his day Jeremiah 21:7 - I will Jeremiah 32:4 - General Jeremiah 34:3 - and thine Jeremiah 37:2 - neither Jeremiah 37:17 - thou shalt Jeremiah 38:18 - then Jeremiah 47:4 - the day Jeremiah 52:9 - they took Ezekiel 7:27 - king Ezekiel 12:10 - prince Ezekiel 17:15 - shall he escape Ezekiel 19:14 - she hath Ezekiel 21:10 - General Ezekiel 21:13 - contemn Amos 9:11 - the tabernacle 1 Timothy 1:9 - profane

Cross-References

Genesis 13:7
So quarrels broke out between the men who took care of Abram's animals and those who took care of Lot's animals. (At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were still living in the land.)
Genesis 21:15
When the water was all gone, she left the child under a bush
Genesis 21:17
God heard the boy crying, and from heaven the angel of God spoke to Hagar, "What are you troubled about, Hagar? Don't be afraid. God has heard the boy crying.
Genesis 21:22
At that time Abimelech went with Phicol, the commander of his army, and said to Abraham, "God is with you in everything you do.
Genesis 29:8
They answered, "We can't do that until all the flocks are here and the stone has been rolled back; then we will water the flocks."
Judges 1:15
She answered, "I want some water holes. The land you have given me is in the dry country." So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.
Proverbs 17:10
An intelligent person learns more from one rebuke than a fool learns from being beaten a hundred times.
Proverbs 25:9
If you and your neighbor have a difference of opinion, settle it between yourselves and do not reveal any secrets.
Proverbs 27:5
Better to correct someone openly than to let him think you don't care for him at all.
Matthew 18:15
"If your brother sins against you, go to him and show him his fault. But do it privately, just between yourselves. If he listens to you, you have won your brother back.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel,.... Meaning Zedekiah, the then reigning prince; who is so called, because he had profaned or violated the oath and covenant he made with the king of Babylon, as well as because of other sins he was guilty of; and his being a prince of Israel was an aggravation of his crimes: now, though it is "not fit" in common, or for ordinary persons, "to say to a king thou art wicked, and to princes ye are ungodly", Job 34:18, yet a prophet from the Lord, and in his name, may say so; and he ought, when he has a commission from God for it:

whose day is come; the time of his downfall and ruin; and so the Targum,

"whose day of destruction is come:''

when iniquity shall have an end; a stop put to the torrent of it, both in the king and his subjects; they not having the opportunity and means of sinning in captivity as before; or when the measure of iniquity is filled up, then comes punishment; or when the punishment of iniquity shall be completed. So the Targum,

"the time of the recompence of his sins.''

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The third word of judgment. The king of Babylon’s march upon Judaea and upon the Ammonites. Destruction is to go forth not on Judah only, but also on such neighboring tribes as the Ammonites (compare Jeremiah 27:2-3).

Ezekiel 21:19

Appoint thee - Set before thee.

Choose thou a place, choose it - Rather, “mark a spot, mark it,” as upon a map, at the head of the two roads, one leading to Jerusalem, the other to Ammon. These were the two roads by one or other of which an invading army must march from Babylon to Egypt.

Ezekiel 21:21

The Chaldaean king is depicted standing at the entrance of the holy land from the north, meditating his campaign, using rites of divination that really belonged to the Akkadians, a primitive race which originally occupied the plains of Mesopotamia. The Accadians and the Etruscans belong through the Finnish family to the Turanian stock; this passage therefore shows a characteristic mode of divination in use among two widely separated nations; and as the Romans acquired their divination from the conquered Etruscans, so the Chaldaeans acquired the same art from the races whose soil they had occupied as conquerors.

He made his arrows briqht - Rather, he shook his arrow; a mode of divination much in practice with the Arabians. It was usual to place in some vessel three arrows, on one of which was written, “My God orders me;” on the other, “My God forbids me;” on the third was no inscription. These three arrows were shaken together until one came out; if it was the first, the thing was to be done; if the second, it was to be avoided; if the third, the arrows were again shaken together, until one of the arrows bearing a decided answer should come forth.

Images - Teraphim (Genesis 31:19 note).

He looked in the liver - It was the practice both of the Greeks and the Romans (derived from the Etruscans) to take omens from the inspection of the entrails (especially the liver) of animals offered in sacrifice.

Ezekiel 21:22

The divination for Jerusalem - The lot fixing the campaign against Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 21:23

It shalt be unto them - The Jews in their vain confidence shall look upon the hopes gathered from the divinations by the Babylonians as false and groundless.

To them that have sworn oaths - According to some, “oaths of oaths are theirs;” i. e., they have the most solemn oaths sworn by God to His people, in these they trust, forgetful of the sin which broke the condition upon which these promises were given. More probably the allusion is to the oaths which the Jews had sworn to Nebuchadnezzar as vassals Ezekiel 17:18-19; therefore they trust he will not attack them, forgetting how imperfectly they had kept their oaths, and that Nebuchadnezzar knew this.

But he will call to remembrance the iniquity - The king of Babylon will by punishment remind them of their perjury 2 Kings 25:6-7; 2 Chronicles 36:17.

Ezekiel 21:25

Profane - Rather, “wounded,” - not dead but - having a death-wound. The prophet, turning from the general crowd, addresses Zedekiah.

When iniquity shall have an end - i. e., at the time when iniquity shall be closed with punishment. So in Ezekiel 21:29.

Ezekiel 21:26

The diadem (“the mitre,” the unique head-dress of the high priest) shall be removed, and the crown taken off (this shall not be as it is), the low exalted, and the high abased. Glory shall be removed alike from priest and king; the present glory and power attached to the government of God’s people shall be quite removed.

Ezekiel 21:27

It shall be no more - Or, “This also shall not be;” the present state of things shall not continue: all shall be confusion “until He come” to whom the dominion belongs of right. Not Zedekiah but Jeconiah and his descendants were the rightful heirs of David’s throne. Through the restoration of the true line was there hope for Judah (compare Genesis 49:10), the promised King in whom all power shall rest - the Son of David - Messiah the Prince. Thus the prophecy of destruction ends for Judah in the promise of restoration (as in Ezekiel 20:40 ff).

Ezekiel 21:28

The burden of the Song of the Sword, also in the form of poetry, is again taken up, directed now against the Ammonites, who, exulting in Judah’s destruction, fondly deemed that they were themselves to escape. For Judah there is yet hope, for Ammon irremediable ruin.

Their reproach - The scorn with which they reproach Judah (marginal references).

The sword ... the glittering - Or, “the sword is drawn for the slaughter; it is furbished that it may detour, in order that it may glitter.” In the Septuagint (and Vulgate) the sword is addressed; e. g., Septuagint, “Arise that thou mayest shine.”

Ezekiel 21:29

Whiles ... unto thee - A parenthesis. The Ammonites had their false diviners who deluded with vain hopes.

To bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain - To cast thee (Ammon) upon the heap of slaughtered men.

Shall have an end - Shall have its final doom.

Ezekiel 21:30

Shall I cause it to return ... - Or, Back to its sheath! The work of the sword is over.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 21:25. And thou profane wicked prince of Israel — Zedekiah, called here profane, because he had broken his oath; and wicked, because of his opposition to God and his prophet.

Whose day is come — Who in a short time shalt be delivered into the hands of thy enemies.


 
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