Ezekiel 5:2

¹ “As for you, son of man, take a sharp sword, use it as a barber’s razor, and shave your head and beard. Then take a set of scales and divide the hair.

When the days of the siege have ended, you are to burn up a third of the hair inside the city; you are also to take a third and slash it with the sword all around the city; and you are to scatter a third to the wind. For I will unleash a sword behind them.

³ But you are to take a few strands of hair and secure them in the folds of your garment.

⁴ Again, take a few of these, throw them into the fire, and burn them. From there a fire will spread to the whole house of Israel.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: When the days of the siege have ended, you are to burn up a third of the hair inside the city; you are also to take a third and slash it with the sword all around the city; and you are to scatter a third to the wind. For I will unleash a sword behind them.
KJV: Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled: and thou shalt take a third part, and smite about it with a knife: and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind; and I will draw out a sword after them.
WEB: A third part you shall burn in the fire in the middle of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled. You shall take a third part, and strike with the sword around it. A third part you shall scatter to the wind, and I will draw out a sword after them.
ASV: A third part shalt thou burn in the fire in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled; and thou shalt take a third part, and smite with the sword round about it; and a third part thou shalt scatter to the wind, and I will draw out a sword after them.
DARBY: A third part shalt thou burn in the fire in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled; and thou shalt take a third part, [and] smite about it with a knife; and a third part thou shalt scatter to the wind, and I will draw out a sword after them.
BLB: A third with fire you shall burn in the midst of the city at the completion of the days of the siege; and you shall take a third and strike [it] with the sword around [it]; and a third you shall scatter to the wind; and I will unsheathe a sword after them.

ÅB: En tredjedel skal du brenne opp midt i byen, når kringsetningsdagene er til ende, og en tredjedel skal du ta og hugge i med sverdet rundt omkring byen, og en tredjedel skal du sprede for vinden, og med draget sverd vil jeg forfølge dem.
OTB: En tredjedel av håret skal du brenne i ilden midt i byen når beleiringens dager er fullført. Ta en annen tredjedel og slå det med sverdet rundt byen, og spre den siste tredjedelen for vinden; for jeg vil forfølge dem med et uskjede sverd.
B1930: En tredjedel skal du brenne op midt i byen, når kringsetningsdagene er til ende, og en tredjedel skal du ta og hugge i med sverdet rundt omkring byen, og en tredjedel skal du sprede for vinden, og med draget sverd vil jeg forfølge dem.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Ezekiel 5:12
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.
Read in context
Leviticus 26:33
But I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out a sword after you as your land becomes desolate and your cities are laid waste.
Read in context
Ezekiel 12:14
And I will scatter to every wind all the attendants around him and all his troops, and I will draw a sword to chase after them.
Read in context
Ezekiel 4:1–8
“Now you, son of man, take a brick, place it before you, and draw on it the city of Jerusalem.
Read in context
Jeremiah 9:16
I will scatter them among the nations that neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send a sword after them until I have finished them off.”
Read in context
Jeremiah 15:2
If they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘Those destined for death, to death; those destined for the sword, to the sword; those destined for famine, to famine; and those destined for captivity, to captivity.’
Read in context
Jeremiah 24:10
And I will send against them sword and famine and plague, until they have perished from the land that I gave to them and their fathers.’”
Read in context
Jeremiah 38:2
“This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war, and he will live.
Read in context