King James Version

Ezekiel 14:16

Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.

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Hebrew

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שְׁלֹ֨שֶׁתsheloshetthirdשָׁלוֹשׁadjective, cardinal, masculine, singular, construct — “third”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7969three; occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multiple) thrice[phrase] fork, [phrase] often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, [phrase] thrice. Compare H7991 (שָׁלִישׁ).הָאֲנָשִׁ֣יםhaanashimthe a certainאִישׁdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…הָאֵלֶּה֮haelehthe theseאֵלֶּהdefinite article, pronoun, demonstrative, common, plural — “the these”H428these or thosean-(the) other; one sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those, thus, which, who(-m).בְּתוֹכָהּ֒betokhahin amongתָּוֶךְpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “in among”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8432a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the centreamong(-st), [idiom] between, half, [idiom] (there-, where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night), midst (among), [idiom] out (of), [idiom] through, [idiom] with(-in).חַיchaylifeחַיadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “life”, the ordinary formH2416alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively[phrase] age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, [phrase] merry, multitude, [phrase] (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.אָ֗נִיanimineאֲנִיpronoun, personal, 1st person, common, singular — “mine”H589II, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, [idiom] which, [idiom] who.נְאֻם֙neumsaidנְאֻםnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “said”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5002an oracle(hath) said, saith.אֲדֹנָ֣יadonayLordאֲדֹנָיnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “Lord”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH136the Lord (used as a proper name of God only)(my) Lord.יְהוִ֔הyehviGodיְהֹוִהnoun, proper name — “God”H3069{YHWH}God.אִםimoh thatאִםconjunction — “oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…בָּנִ֥יםbanimsonבֵּןnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “son”, the ordinary formH1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […וְאִםveimand oh thatאִםconjunction, conjunction — “and oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…בָּנ֖וֹתbanotdaughterבַּתnoun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “daughter”, the ordinary formH1323a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter, [idiom] first, [idiom] old, [phrase] owl, town, village.יַצִּ֑ילוּyatsilvdefendנָצַלverb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “defend”, an unfinished actionH5337to snatch away, whether in a good or a bad sense[idiom] at all, defend, deliver (self), escape, [idiom] without fail, part, pluck, preserve, recover, rescue, rid, save, spoil, strip, [idiom] surely, take (out).הֵ֤מָּהhemahtheyהֵםpronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “they”H1992they (only used when emphatic)it, like, [idiom] (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, [idiom] so, [idiom] such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.לְבַדָּם֙levadamto apartבַּדpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “to apart”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH905properly, separation; by implication, a part of the body, branch of atree, bar forcarrying; figuratively, chief of a city; especially (with prepositional prefix) as an adverb, apart, only, besidesalone, apart, bar, besides, branch, by self, of each alike, except, only, part, staff, strength.יִנָּצֵ֔לוּyinatselvdefendנָצַלverb, niphal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “defend”, an unfinished actionH5337to snatch away, whether in a good or a bad sense[idiom] at all, defend, deliver (self), escape, [idiom] without fail, part, pluck, preserve, recover, rescue, rid, save, spoil, strip, [idiom] surely, take (out).וְהָאָ֖רֶץvehaaretsand the earthאֶרֶץconjunction, definite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “and the earth”, the ordinary formH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.תִּהְיֶ֥הtihyehbeהָיָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “be”, an unfinished actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.שְׁמָמָֽהshemamahdesolateשְׁמָמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “desolate”, the ordinary formH8077devastation; figuratively, astonishment(laid, [idiom] most) desolate(-ion), waste.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only should be delivered, but the land should be desolate.

Young’s Literal Translation

these three men in its midst: I live — an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah — neither sons nor daughters do they deliver; they alone are delivered, and the land is a desolation.

World English Bible

though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters. They only would be delivered, but the land would be desolate.

Darby Translation

— though these three men should be in it, [as] I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters: they only should be delivered, and the land should be a desolation.

Douay-Rheims

If these three men shall be in it, as I live, saith the Lord, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters: but they only shall be delivered, and the land shall be made desolate.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

and if these three men should be in the midst of it, as I live, saith the Lord, neither sons nor daughters shall be saved, but these only shall be saved, and the land shall be destroyed.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

καὶ οἱ τρεῖς ἄνδρες οὗτοι ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς ὦσι, ζῶ ἐγὼ, λέγει Κύριος, εἰ υἱοὶ ἢ θυγατέρες σωθήσονται, ἀλλʼ ἢ αὐτοὶ μόνοι σωθήσονται, ἡ δὲ γῆ ἔσται εἰς ὄλεθρον.