Ezekiel 21:16

Bishop's Bible

Get thee one way or other, either vpon the right hande or vpon the left, whyther soeuer thy face turneth.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Sword, be sharp! Cut on the right side. Cut straight ahead. Cut on the left side. Go wherever your edge was chosen to go.

New Living Translation
O sword, slash to the right, then slash to the left, wherever you will, wherever you want.

New American Standard Bible
"Prove yourself sharp, go to the right; set yourself; go to the left, wherever your edge is ordered.

New Century Version
Sword, cut on the right side; then cut on the left side. Cut anywhere your blade is turned.

New English Translation
Cut sharply on the right! Swing to the left, wherever your edge is appointed to strike.

Update Bible Version
Gather yourself together, go to the right, set yourself in array, go to the left, wherever your face is set.

Webster's Bible Translation
Go thee one way or other, [either] on the right hand, [or] on the left, whithersoever thy face [is] set.

Amplified Bible
"Turn O sword and cut right or cut left, whichever way your thirst for blood and your edge direct you.

English Standard Version
Cut sharply to the right; set yourself to the left, wherever your face is directed.

World English Bible
Gather you together, go to the right, set yourself in array, go to the left, wherever your face is set.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Be thou maad scharp, go thou to the riyt side, ether to the left side, whidur euer the desir of thi face is.

English Revised Version
Gather thee together, go to the right; set thyself in array, go to the left; whithersoever thy face is set.

Berean Standard Bible
Slash to the right; set your blade to the left-wherever your blade is directed.

Contemporary English Version
It will slash right and left, wherever the blade is pointed.

American Standard Version
Gather thee together, go to the right, set thyself in array, go to the left, whithersoever thy face is set.

Bible in Basic English
Be pointed to the right, to the left, wherever your edge is ordered.

Complete Jewish Bible
The sword was given to be polished, so that it could be wielded; it was sharpened and polished to be placed in the slaughterer's hand.'

Darby Translation
Gather up [strength], go to the right hand, turn thee, go to the left, whithersoever thy face is appointed.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it is given to be furbished, that it may be handled; the sword, it is sharpened, yea, it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.

King James Version (1611)
Goe thee one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, whithersoeuer thy face is set.

New Life Bible
O sharp sword, cut to the left and to the right. Cut wherever you have been sent.

New Revised Standard
Attack to the right! Engage to the left! —wherever your edge is directed.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Get thee alone: goe to the right hande, or get thy selfe to the left hande, whithersoeuer thy face turneth.

George Lamsa Translation
Take hold firmly my right hand, take hold firmly my left hand, wherever my face is turned;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
One firm stroke to the right. Turn to the left,- Whithersoever thine edge is directed,

Douay-Rheims Bible
Be thou sharpened, go to the right hand, or to the left, which way soever thou hast a mind to set thy face.

Revised Standard Version
Cut sharply to right and left where your edge is directed.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And do thou go on, sharpen thyself on the right and on the left whithersoever thy face may set itself.

Good News Translation
Cut to the right and the left, you sharp sword! Cut wherever you turn.

Christian Standard Bible®
Slash to the right;turn to the left—wherever your blade is directed.

Hebrew Names Version
Gather you together, go to the right, set yourself in array, go to the left, wherever your face is set.

King James Version
Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set.

Lexham English Bible
Gather together, strike to the right; cause to go to the left, where your edge is directed.

Literal Translation
Sharpen yourself on the right! Set yourself on the left, wherever your face is appointed.

Young's Literal Translation
Take possession of the right, place thyself at the left, Whither thy face is appointed.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Get the to some place alone, ether vpon the right honde or on the lefte, whither so euer thy face turneth.

New King James Version
"Swords at the ready! Thrust right! Set your blade! Thrust left-- Wherever your edge is ordered!

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Show yourself sharp, go to the right; set yourself; go to the left, wherever your edge is appointed.

Legacy Standard Bible
Show yourself sharp, go to the right; set yourself; go to the left, wherever your edge is appointed.

Contextual Overview

⁸ Agayne, the worde of the Lorde came vnto me, saying: ⁹ Thou sonne of man, prophecie and speake, thus saith the Lorde God, Speake, the sworde the sworde is sharpened and well furbished. ¹⁰ Sharpened is it to make a great slaughter, and furbished that it may glitter: Shall we then make mirth? It contemneth the rodde of my sonne [as] all other trees. ¹¹ He hath geuen it to be furbished, to holde it in the hande: this sworde is sharpened, and furbished, to geue it into the hande of the slayer. ¹² Crye and houle sonne of man, for it commeth vpon my people [it commeth] vpon all the princes of Israel: the terrours of the sworde shalbe vpon my people, smite therfore thou vpon thy thygh. ¹³ Because it is a triall: and what if it contemne the rodde? It shalbe no more saith the Lorde. ¹⁴ Prophecie thou sonne of man, & smite thy handes together, & let the sworde be doubled thrise, [euen] the sworde of the great slaughter, entryng into their priuie chaumbers, ¹⁵ To make them faynt at the heartes, and to multiplie their falles, in all their gates, haue I geuen the terrour of the sworde: Ah it is made bright, and dressed for the slaughter. ¹⁶ Get thee one way or other, either vpon the right hande or vpon the left, whyther soeuer thy face turneth. ¹⁷ I will smite my handes together also, and make my wrathfull indignation to rest: euen I the Lorde haue sayde it.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Go: Ezekiel 21:4, Ezekiel 21:20, Ezekiel 14:17, Ezekiel 16:46

either: Genesis 13:9

or on the left: Heb. set thyself, take the left hand

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 49:21 - earth

Cross-References

Genesis 27:38
And Esau sayde vnto his father: hast thou but that one blessyng my father? blesse me, I am also [thy sonne] O my father. So lyfted vp Esau his voyce, and wept.

Genesis 29:11
And Iacob kyssed Rachel, and lift vp his voyce and wept.

Genesis 44:34
For howe can I go vp to my father, if the ladde be not with me? vnlesse I woulde see the wretchednesse that shall come on my father.

Judges 2:4
And when the angel of the Lord spake these wordes vnto all the children of Israel, the people cryed out and wept:

Ruth 1:9
And the Lord geue you, that you may fynde rest, either of you in the house of her husbande. And when she kyssed them, they lift vp their voyce and wept,

1 Samuel 24:16
When Dauid had made an ende of speaking these wordes to Saul, Saul sayde: Is this thy voyce my sonne Dauid? And Saul lift vp his voyce, and wept,

1 Samuel 30:4
Then Dauid & the people that were with him, lift vp their voyces and wept, vntill they could weepe no more.

1 Kings 3:26
Then spake the woman whose the liuing childe was, vnto the king (for her bowelles yerned vpon her sonne) and sayde: I besech thee my lorde geue her the liuing childe, and in no wyse slay it: But the other sayde, Let it be neither myne nor thyne, but deuide it.

Esther 8:6
For how can I suffer and see the euill that shall come vnto my people? or how can I beare and loke vpon the destruction of my kindred?

Isaiah 49:15
Will a woman forget her owne infant, and not pitie the sonne of her owne wombe? And though they do forget, yet wyll I not forget thee.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Go thee one way or another,.... Go to some one place: or "unite thyself" a; to other swords, or join other soldiers holding swords; the address is to the sword, to steer its course some one way, and slay as it goes along, sparing none:

either on the right, or on the left; or south, or north; so the Targum,

"unsheathe, and slay on the south, and destroy on the north:''

whithersoever thy face is set; or prepared, as the Targum, or appointed for destruction; this is the usual interpretation: but why may not the words be an apostrophe to the prophet, to go alone or single, either to the right or left, south or north, as his face was set, Ezekiel 21:2, sighing and crying, smiting his hands together, in order to affect the minds of the people with the sense of their calamities coming upon them?

a התאחדי "unito Montanus", Piscator, Polanus; "unitor te", Starckius; "in unum dirigitor", Cocceius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The second word of judgment: the glittering and destroying sword. The passage may be called the “Lay of the Sword;” it is written in the form of Hebrew poetry, with its characteristic parallelism.

Ezekiel 21:10

It contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree - The rod is the scepter of dominion, assigned to Judah Genesis 49:10. The destroying sword of Babylon despises the scepter of Judah; it despises every tree. Others render the verse, “Shall we make mirth” (saying), “the rod of my son,” (the rod which corrects my people) “contemneth” (treats with scorn, utterly confounds) “every tree” (every other nation); or, the scepter of my people “contemneth” (proudly despises) every other nation. Proud as the people are, they shall be brought to sorrow.

Ezekiel 21:12

Terrors - Better as in the margin.

Smite upon thy thigh - A token of mourning (compare the marginal reference note).

Ezekiel 21:13

Or,

For it is put to the proof, and if it contemneth even the rod, What shall not be? saith the Lord

i. e., What horrors will not arise when the sword shall cut down without regard the ruling scepter of Judah!

Ezekiel 21:14

Doubled the third time - i. e., “thrice doubled” to express its violence and force.

The sword of the slain - The sword whereby men are to be slain.

Of the great men ... - Or, The sword of the mighty slain, which presseth hard upon them.

Ezekiel 21:15

The point of the sword - The threatening sword or terror; as in Genesis 3:24, “the flaming sword.”

And their ruins be multiplied - literally, “to the multiplication of stumblingblocks,” that is, so that the causes of their fall may be more numerous. Compare Jeremiah 46:16.

Made bright ... - Or,

Ah! It is prepared for a lightning-flash, Drawn for slaughter.

Ezekiel 21:16

The prophet addresses the sword,

Gather thyself up, O sword, to the right or to the left.

Another rendering is: “Turn thee backwards! get thee to the right! Set thee forwards (?)!get thee to the left! O whither is thy face appointed?

Ezekiel 21:17

The Lord smites together His hands in anger (marginal reference), man in consternation.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 21:16. Go thee one way or other — Thou shalt prosper, O sword, whithersoever thou turnest; against Ammon, or Judea, or Egypt.