Eze 21:18-23 | NET2full | STEP | The Lord ’s message came to me:

‏ Ezekiel 21:18-23

18 The Lord’s message came to me: 19 “You, son of man, mark out two routes for the king of Babylon’s sword to take; both of them will originate in a single land. Make a signpost and put it at the beginning of the road leading to the city. 20 Mark out the routes for the sword to take: ‘Rabbah of the Ammonites’ and ‘Judah with Jerusalem in it.’ ^{▼▼tc The MT reads “Judah in fortified Jerusalem,” a geographic impossibility. The translation follows the LXX, which assumes בְּתוֹכָהּ (betokhah, “in it”) for בְּצוּרָה (betsurah, “fortified”).} ^{▼▼sn As the Babylonians approached from the north, one road would branch off to the left and lead down the east side of the Jordan River to Ammon. The other road would veer to the right and lead down west of the Jordan to Jerusalem.} 21 For the king of Babylon stands at the fork ^{▼▼tn Heb “mother.”} in the road at the head of the two routes. He looks for omens: ^{▼▼sn Mesopotamian kings believed that the gods revealed the future through omens. They employed various divination techniques, some of which are included in the list that follows. A particularly popular technique was the examination and interpretation of the livers of animals. See R. R. Wilson, Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel, 90-110.} He shakes arrows, he consults idols, ^{▼▼tn This word refers to personal idols that were apparently used for divination purposes (Gen 31:19; 1 Sam 19:13, 16).} he examines ^{▼▼tn Heb “sees.”} animal livers. ^{▼▼tn Heb “the liver.”} 22 Into his right hand ^{▼▼tn Or “on the right side,” i.e., the omen mark on the right side of the liver.} comes the portent for Jerusalem—to set up battering rams, to give the signal ^{▼▼tn Heb “to open the mouth” for slaughter.} for slaughter, to shout out the battle cry, ^{▼▼tn Heb “to raise up a voice in a battle cry.”} to set up battering rams against the gates, to erect a siege ramp, and to build a siege wall. 23 But those in Jerusalem ^{▼▼tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people in Jerusalem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} will view it as a false omen. They have sworn solemn oaths, ^{▼▼sn When the people of Judah realized the Babylonians’ intentions, they would object on grounds that they had made a treaty with the Babylonian king (see 17:13).} but the king of Babylon ^{▼▼tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king of Babylon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} will accuse them of violations ^{▼▼tn Or “iniquity.”} in order to seize them. ^{▼▼tn Heb “and he will remind of guilt to be captured.” The king would counter their objections by pointing out that they had violated their treaty with him (see 17:18), thus justifying their capture.}