« | Ezekiel 21 | » |
1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2 Therefore prophesy, son of man, set your face steadfastly toward Jerusalem, and look toward their holy places, and you shall prophesy against the land of Israel,
3 and you shall say to the land of Israel, Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am against you, and I will draw forth My sword out of its sheath, and I will destroy out of you the transgressor and the unrighteous.
4 Because I will destroy out of you the unrighteous and the transgressor, [therefore] so shall My sword come forth out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north;
5 and all flesh shall know that I the Lord have drawn forth My sword out of its sheath: it shall not return anymore.
6 And you, son of man, groan with the breaking of your loins; you shall even groan heavily in their sight.
7 And it shall come to pass, if they shall say to you, Why do you groan? That you shall say, For the report; because it comes: and every heart shall break, and all hands shall become feeble, and all flesh and every spirit shall faint, and all thighs shall be defiled with moisture: behold, it comes, says the Lord.
8 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
9 Son of man, prophesy, and you shall say, Thus says the Lord: Say, Sword, sword, be sharpened and rage,
10 that you may slay victims; be sharpened, that you may be bright, ready for slaughter, slay, set at nought, despise every tree.
11 And He made it ready for His hand to hold. The sword is sharpened, it is ready to put into the hand of the slayer.
12 Cry out and howl, son of man: for this [sword] has come upon My people, this [sword has come] upon all the princes of Israel: they shall be as strangers: [judgment] with the sword has come upon My people; therefore clap your hands, for sentence has been passed;
13 and what if even the tribe be rejected? It shall not be, says the Lord God.
14 And you, son of man, prophesy, and clap your hands, and take a second sword: the third sword is [the sword] of the slain, the great sword of the slain; and you shall strike them with amazement, lest the heart should faint,
15 and the weak ones be multiplied at every gate- they are given up to the slaughter of the sword; it is well fitted for slaughter, it is well fitted for glittering.
16 And go on, sharpen yourself on the right and on the left, wherever your face may set itself.
17 And I also will clap My hands, and let loose My fury. The Lord has spoken [it].
18 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
19 And you, son of man, appoint for yourself two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may enter in: the two shall go forth from one country; and [there shall be] a force at the top of the way of the city, you shall set [it] at the top of the road,
20 that the sword may enter in upon Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and upon Judea, and upon Jerusalem in the midst thereof.
21 For the king of Babylon shall stand on the old road, at the head of the two roads, to use divination, to make bright the arrow, and to inquire of the graven images, and to examine [the victims.] [
22 On his right was the divination against Jerusalem, to cast a mound, to open the mouth in shouting, to lift up the voice with crying, to cast a mound against her gates, to cast up a heap, and to build forts.
23 And he was to them as one using divination before them, and he himself recounting his iniquities, that they might be borne in mind.
24 Therefore thus says the Lord: Because you have caused your iniquities to be remembered, in the discovery of your wickedness, so that your sins should be seen, in all your wickedness and in your [evil] practices; because you have caused remembrance [of them], in these shall you be taken.
25 And you, O profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day, [even] and end, has come in a sea of iniquity, thus says the Lord:
26 You have taken off the turban and put on the crown, it shall not have such [another] after it: you have abased that which was high, and exalted that which was low.
27 Injustice, injustice, injustice, will I make it; woe to it. Such shall it be until he comes to whom it belongs; and I will deliver [it] to him.
28 And you, son of man, prophesy, and you shall say, Thus says the Lord, concerning the children of Ammon, and concerning their reproach: and you shall say, O sword, sword, drawn for slaughter, and drawn for destruction, awake, that you may gleam.
29 While you are seeing vain [visions], and while you are prophesying falsehoods, to bring yourself upon the necks of ungodly transgressors, the day has come, [even] an end, in a season of iniquity.
30 Turn, rest not in this place in which you were born: in your own land will I judge you.
31 And I will pour out My wrath upon you, I will blow upon you with the fire of My wrath, and I will deliver you into the hands of barbarians skilled in working destruction.
32 You shall be fuel for fire; your blood shall be in the midst of your land; there shall be no remembrance at all of you: for I the Lord have spoken [it].
The Apostles’ Bible Complete (ABC)
The Apostles’ Bible Complete (ABC) is a modern translation of the Bible that strives to offer a clear and faithful rendering of the scriptures in contemporary language. This translation is designed to be accessible to a wide audience, providing an easy-to-read yet accurate version of the biblical text. The ABC translation aims to bridge the gap between the ancient languages in which the Bible was originally written and the modern vernacular, making it an ideal choice for both personal study and public reading.
One of the notable features of the Apostles’ Bible Complete is its dedication to maintaining the integrity of the original manuscripts. The translators of the ABC worked meticulously with the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts to ensure that their translation accurately reflects the original meaning and intent of the scriptures. By employing a balance of formal equivalence (word-for-word) and dynamic equivalence (thought-for-thought) translation techniques, the ABC aims to preserve the nuances and richness of the original languages while ensuring readability and clarity for modern readers.
The ABC also incorporates extensive cross-references and study aids to enhance the reader’s understanding of the biblical text. These tools include footnotes that provide historical and cultural context, as well as explanations of difficult or ambiguous passages. This approach helps readers to grasp the deeper meanings of the scriptures and to see how different parts of the Bible interconnect. The inclusion of these study aids makes the ABC particularly useful for those who are new to the Bible, as well as for more experienced readers who are looking to deepen their understanding of the text.
Despite its strengths, the Apostles’ Bible Complete has faced some criticisms. Some readers feel that the translation could benefit from further refinement in certain passages, as the balance between formal and dynamic equivalence can sometimes lead to inconsistencies in style and tone. Others have noted that while the study aids are helpful, they can occasionally overwhelm the main text, making it difficult to focus on the scripture itself. Nonetheless, the ABC remains a valuable and respected translation, appreciated for its commitment to accuracy, clarity, and accessibility, and for its ability to bring the ancient words of the Bible to life for contemporary readers.