Eze 5:1-4 | NETfull | STEP | “As for you, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber’s razor. Shave off some of the hair from your head and your beard. Then take scales and divide up the hair you cut off.

Ezekiel 5:1-4

1 “As for you, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber’s razor. ^{▼▼ The Hebrew word occurs only here in the OT.} Shave off some of the hair from your head and your beard. ^{▼▼ Heb, “pass (it) over your head and your beard.”} Then take scales and divide up the hair you cut off. 2 Burn a third of it in the fire inside the city when the days of your siege are completed. Take a third and slash it with a sword all around the city. Scatter a third to the wind, and I will unleash a sword behind them. 3 But take a few strands of hair ^{▼▼ Heb “from there a few in number.” The word “strands” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.} from those and tie them in the ends of your garment. ^{▼▼ Objects could be carried in the end of a garment (Hag 2:12).} 4 Again, take more of them and throw them into the fire, ^{▼▼ Heb “into the midst of” (so KJV, ASV). This phrase has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.} and burn them up. From there a fire will spread to all the house of Israel.