King James Version

Ezekiel 21:19

Also, thou son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come: both twain shall come forth out of one land: and choose thou a place, choose it at the head of the way to the city.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Ezekiel 21:24.

וְאַתָּ֨הveatahand theeאַתָּהconjunction, pronoun, personal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and thee”H859thou and thee, or (plural) ye and youthee, thou, ye, you.בֶןvensonבֵּןnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “son”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1121a 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, […אָדָ֜םadampersonאָדָםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “person”, the ordinary formH120ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)[idiom] another, [phrase] hypocrite, [phrase] common sort, [idiom] low, man (mean, of low degree), person.שִׂיםsimputשׂוּםverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “put”, a commandH7760to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)[idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase]…לְךָ֣lekhatoלְךָ֣preposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “to”toשְׁנַ֣יִםshenayimtwoשְׁנַיִםadjective, cardinal, masculine, dual, absolute — “two”, the ordinary formH8147two; also (as ordinal) twofoldboth, couple, double, second, twain, [phrase] twelfth, [phrase] twelve, [phrase] twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.דְּרָכִ֗יםderakhimalongדֶּרֶךְnoun, common, both genders, plural, absolute — “along”, the ordinary formH1870a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverbalong, away, because of, [phrase] by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever).לָבוֹא֙lavoto to comeבּוֹאpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to to come”, the to-form of the verbH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…חֶ֣רֶבcherevknifeחֶרֶבnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “knife”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2719drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implementaxe, dagger, knife, mattock, sword, tool.מֶֽלֶךְmelekhkingמֶלֶךְnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “king”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4428a kingking, royal.בָּבֶ֔לbavelBabelבָּבֶלnoun, proper name — “Babel”H894Babel (i.e. Babylon), including Babylonia and the Babylonian empireBabel, Babylon.מֵאֶ֥רֶץmeeretsfrom earthאֶרֶץpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “from earth”, the ordinary formH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.אֶחָ֖דechadfirstאֶחָדadjective, cardinal, masculine, singular, absolute — “first”, the ordinary formH259properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) firsta, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), [phrase] eleven, every, few, first, [phrase] highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,יֵצְא֣וּyetsevbring forthיָצָאverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “bring forth”, an unfinished actionH3318to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.[idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail…שְׁנֵיהֶ֑םsheneyhemtwoשְׁנַיִםadjective, cardinal, masculine, dual, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “two”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8147two; also (as ordinal) twofoldboth, couple, double, second, twain, [phrase] twelfth, [phrase] twelve, [phrase] twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.וְיָ֣דveyadand handיָדconjunction, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “and hand”, the ordinary formH3027a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, […בָּרֵ֔אbarecreateבָּרָאverb, piel, infinitive absolute — “create”, the verb used for emphasisH1254(absolutely) to create; (qualified) to cut down (a wood), select, feed (as formative processes)choose, create (creator), cut down, dispatch, do, make (fat).בְּרֹ֥אשׁberoshin headרֹאשׁpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in head”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7218the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.)band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, [idiom] every (man), excellent, first, forefront, (be-)head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), [idiom] lead, [idiom] poor, principal, ruler, sum, top.דֶּֽרֶךְderekhalongדֶּרֶךְnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “along”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1870a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverbalong, away, because of, [phrase] by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever).עִ֖ירircityעִירnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “city”, the ordinary formH5892a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.בָּרֵֽאbarecreateבָּרָאverb, piel, infinitive absolute — “create”, the verb used for emphasisH1254(absolutely) to create; (qualified) to cut down (a wood), select, feed (as formative processes)choose, create (creator), cut down, dispatch, do, make (fat).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(21-24) 'Now, thou son of man, make thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come; they twain shall come forth out of one land; and mark a signpost, mark it clear at the head of the way to the city.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Also, thou son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come; they twain shall come forth out of one land: and mark out a place, mark it out at the head of the way to the city.

Young’s Literal Translation

'And thou, son of man, appoint for thee two ways, for the coming in of the sword of the king of Babylon; from one land they come forth, both of them, and a station prepare thou, at the top of the way of the city prepare [it].

World English Bible

“Also, you son of man, appoint two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come. They both will come out of one land, and mark out a place. Mark it out at the head of the way to the city.

Darby Translation

And thou, son of man, set thee two ways, by which the sword of the king of Babylon may come — out of one land shall they both come — and make thee a signpost, make it at the head of the way to the city.

Douay-Rheims

And thou son of man, set thee two ways, for the sword of the king of Babylon to come: both shall come forth out of one land: and with his hand he shall draw lots, he shall consult at the head of the way of the city.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And thou, son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may enter in: the two shall go forth of one country; and there shall be a force at the top of the way of the city, thou shalt set it at the top of the way,

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

καὶ σὺ, υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, διάταξον σεαυτῷ δύο ὁδοὺς, τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν ῥομφαίαν βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος, ἐκ χώρας μιᾶς ἐξελεύσονται αἱ δύο, καὶ χεὶρ ἐν ἀρχῇ ὁδοῦ πόλεως, ἐπʼ ἀρχῆς ὁδοῦ διατάξεις,