The Razor of Judgment
וְאַתָּ֨ה בֶן־אָדָ֜ם קַח־לְךָ֣׀ חֶ֣רֶב חַדָּ֗ה תַּ֤עַר הַגַּלָּבִים֙ תִּקָּחֶ֣נָּה לָּ֔ךְ וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ֥ עַל־רֹאשְׁךָ֖ וְעַל־זְקָנֶ֑ךָ וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ לְךָ֛ מֹאזְנֵ֥י מִשְׁקָ֖ל וְחִלַּקְתָּֽם׃
“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.
שְׁלִשִׁ֗ית בָּא֤וּר תַּבְעִיר֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעִ֔יר כִּמְלֹ֖את יְמֵ֣י הַמָּצ֑וֹר וְלָֽקַחְתָּ֣ אֶת־הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֗ית תַּכֶּ֤ה בַחֶ֙רֶב֙ סְבִ֣יבוֹתֶ֔יהָ וְהַשְּׁלִשִׁית֙ תִּזְרֶ֣ה לָר֔וּחַ וְחֶ֖רֶב אָרִ֥יק אַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃
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.
וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ מִשָּׁ֖ם מְעַ֣ט בְּמִסְפָּ֑ר וְצַרְתָּ֥ אוֹתָ֖ם בִּכְנָפֶֽיךָ׃
But you are to take a few strands of hair and secure them in the folds of your garment.
וּמֵהֶם֙ ע֣וֹד תִּקָּ֔ח וְהִשְׁלַכְתָּ֤ אוֹתָם֙ אֶל־תּ֣וֹךְ הָאֵ֔שׁ וְשָׂרַפְתָּ֥ אֹתָ֖ם בָּאֵ֑שׁ מִמֶּ֥נּוּ תֵצֵא־אֵ֖שׁ אֶל־כָּל־בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ פ
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.
כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהֹוִ֔ה זֹ֚את יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם בְּת֥וֹךְ הַגּוֹיִ֖ם שַׂמְתִּ֑יהָ וּסְבִיבוֹתֶ֖יהָ אֲרָצֽוֹת׃
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with countries all around her.
וַתֶּ֨מֶר אֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֤י לְרִשְׁעָה֙ מִן־הַגּוֹיִ֔ם וְאֶ֨ת־חֻקּוֹתַ֔י מִן־הָאֲרָצ֖וֹת אֲשֶׁ֣ר סְבִיבוֹתֶ֑יהָ כִּ֤י בְמִשְׁפָּטַי֙ מָאָ֔סוּ וְחֻקּוֹתַ֖י לֹא־הָלְכ֥וּ בָהֶֽם׃ ס
But she has rebelled against My ordinances more wickedly than the nations, and against My statutes worse than the countries around her. For her people have rejected My ordinances and have not walked in My statutes.’
לָכֵ֞ן כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה יַ֤עַן הֲמָנְכֶם֙ מִן־הַגּוֹיִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר סְבִיבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֔ם בְּחֻקּוֹתַי֙ לֹ֣א הֲלַכְתֶּ֔ם וְאֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֖י לֹ֣א עֲשִׂיתֶ֑ם וּֽכְמִשְׁפְּטֵ֧י הַגּוֹיִ֛ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר סְבִיבוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם לֹ֥א עֲשִׂיתֶֽם׃ ס
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You have been more insubordinate than the nations around you; you have not walked in My statutes or kept My ordinances, nor have you even conformed to the ordinances of the nations around you.’
לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה הִנְנִ֥י עָלַ֖יִךְ גַּם־אָ֑נִי וְעָשִׂ֧יתִי בְתוֹכֵ֛ךְ מִשְׁפָּטִ֖ים לְעֵינֵ֥י הַגּוֹיִֽם׃
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I Myself am against you, Jerusalem, and I will execute judgments among you in the sight of the nations.
וְעָשִׂ֣יתִי בָ֗ךְ אֵ֚ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־עָשִׂ֔יתִי וְאֵ֛ת אֲשֶֽׁר־לֹֽא־אֶעֱשֶׂ֥ה כָמֹ֖הוּ ע֑וֹד יַ֖עַן כָּל־תּוֹעֲבֹתָֽיִךְ׃ ס
Because of all your abominations, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again.
לָכֵ֗ן אָב֞וֹת יֹאכְל֤וּ בָנִים֙ בְּתוֹכֵ֔ךְ וּבָנִ֖ים יֹאכְל֣וּ אֲבוֹתָ֑ם וְעָשִׂ֤יתִי בָךְ֙ שְׁפָטִ֔ים וְזֵרִיתִ֥י אֶת־כָּל־שְׁאֵרִיתֵ֖ךְ לְכָל־רֽוּחַ׃ פ
As a result, fathers among you will eat their sons, and sons will eat their fathers. I will execute judgments against you and scatter all your remnant to every wind.’
Famine, Sword, and Dispersion
לָכֵ֣ן חַי־אָ֗נִי נְאֻם֮ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִה֒ אִם־לֹ֗א יַ֚עַן אֶת־מִקְדָּשִׁ֣י טִמֵּ֔את בְּכָל־שִׁקּוּצַ֖יִךְ וּבְכָל־תּוֹעֲבֹתָ֑יִךְ וְגַם־אֲנִ֤י אֶגְרַע֙ וְלֹא־תָח֣וֹס עֵינִ֔י וְגַם־אֲנִ֖י לֹ֥א אֶחְמֽוֹל׃
Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and abominations, I Myself will withdraw My favor; I will not look upon you with pity, nor will I spare you.
שְׁלִשִׁתֵ֞יךְ בַּדֶּ֣בֶר יָמ֗וּתוּ וּבָֽרָעָב֙ יִכְל֣וּ בְתוֹכֵ֔ךְ וְהַ֨שְּׁלִשִׁ֔ית בַּחֶ֖רֶב יִפְּל֣וּ סְבִיבוֹתָ֑יִךְ וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁית֙ לְכָל־ר֣וּחַ אֱזָרֶ֔ה וְחֶ֖רֶב אָרִ֥יק אַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃
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.
וְכָלָ֣ה אַפִּ֗י וַהֲנִחוֹתִ֧י חֲמָתִ֛י בָּ֖ם וְהִנֶּחָ֑מְתִּי וְֽיָדְע֞וּ כִּי־אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֗ה דִּבַּ֙רְתִּי֙ בְּקִנְאָתִ֔י בְּכַלּוֹתִ֥י חֲמָתִ֖י בָּֽם׃
And when My anger is spent and I have vented My wrath against them, I will be appeased. And when I have spent My wrath on them, they will know that I, the LORD, in My zeal have spoken.
וְאֶתְּנֵךְ֙ לְחָרְבָּ֣ה וּלְחֶרְפָּ֔ה בַּגּוֹיִ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר סְבִיבוֹתָ֑יִךְ לְעֵינֵ֖י כָּל־עוֹבֵֽר׃
I will make you a ruin and a disgrace among the nations around you, in the sight of all who pass by.
וְֽהָ֨יְתָ֜ה חֶרְפָּ֤ה וּגְדוּפָה֙ מוּסָ֣ר וּמְשַׁמָּ֔ה לַגּוֹיִ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר סְבִיבוֹתָ֑יִךְ בַּעֲשׂוֹתִי֩ בָ֨ךְ שְׁפָטִ֜ים בְּאַ֤ף וּבְחֵמָה֙ וּבְתֹכְח֣וֹת חֵמָ֔ה אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה דִּבַּֽרְתִּי׃
So you will be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and a horror to the nations around you, when I execute judgments against you in anger, wrath, and raging fury. I, the LORD, have spoken.
בְּֽשַׁלְּחִ֡י אֶת־חִצֵּי֩ הָרָעָ֨ב הָרָעִ֤ים בָּהֶם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָי֣וּ לְמַשְׁחִ֔ית אֲשֶׁר־אֲשַׁלַּ֥ח אוֹתָ֖ם לְשַֽׁחֶתְכֶ֑ם וְרָעָב֙ אֹסֵ֣ף עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם וְשָׁבַרְתִּ֥י לָכֶ֖ם מַטֵּה־לָֽחֶם׃
When I shower you with the deadly arrows of famine and destruction that I will send to destroy you, I will intensify the famine against you and cut off your supply of food.
וְשִׁלַּחְתִּ֣י עֲ֠לֵיכֶם רָעָ֞ב וְחַיָּ֤ה רָעָה֙ וְשִׁכְּלֻ֔ךְ וְדֶ֥בֶר וָדָ֖ם יַעֲבָר־בָּ֑ךְ וְחֶ֙רֶב֙ אָבִ֣יא עָלַ֔יִךְ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה דִּבַּֽרְתִּי׃ פ
I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring a sword against you. I, the LORD, have spoken.”