Ezekiel 12:20
18 “Son of man, eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with quivering and anxiety.
19 Then tell the people of the land that this is what the Lord GOD says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: ‘They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water in dread, for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who dwell in it.
The inhabited cities will be laid waste, and the land will become desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
21 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
22 “Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by, and every vision fails’?
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- The inhabited cities will be laid waste, and the land will become desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
- KJV
- 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.
- WEB
- The cities that are inhabited will be laid waste, and the land will be a desolation. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”’”
- ASV
- 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.
- DARBY
- 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.
- BLB
- And the cities that [were] inhabited will be dried up, and the land will become a desolation; and you⁺ will know that I [am] YHWH!’”
- ÅB
- Og de byer som det nå bor folk i, skal legges øde, og landet bli en ørken, og dere skal kjenne at jeg er Herren.
- OTB
- De bebodde byene vil bli lagt øde, og landet vil bli øde. Da vil dere vite at jeg er Herren.’”
- B1930
- Og de byer som det nu bor folk i, skal legges øde, og landet bli en ørken, og I skal kjenne at jeg er Herren.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Jeremiah 4:7
A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his lair to lay waste your land. Your cities will be reduced to ruins and lie uninhabited.
Read in contextIsaiah 7:23–24
And on that day, in every place that had a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels of silver, only briers and thorns will be found.
Read in contextJeremiah 25:9
behold, I will summon all the families of the north, declares the LORD, and I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, whom I will bring against this land, against its residents, and against all the surrounding nations. So I will devote them to destruction and make them an object of horror and contempt, an everlasting desolation.
Read in contextIsaiah 3:26
And the gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground.
Read in contextIsaiah 64:10–11
Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wasteland and Jerusalem a desolation.
Read in contextIsaiah 24:12
The city is left in ruins; its gate is reduced to rubble.
Read in contextJeremiah 16:9
For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I am going to remove from this place, before your very eyes and in your days, the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of the bride and bridegroom.
Read in contextLamentations 5:18
because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate, patrolled by foxes.
Read in context