Ezekiel 35:4
New International Version
I will turn your towns into ruins and you will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

New Living Translation
I will demolish your cities and make you desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

English Standard Version
I will lay your cities waste, and you shall become a desolation, and you shall know that I am the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible
I will turn your cities into ruins, and you will become a desolation. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

King James Bible
I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.

New King James Version
I shall lay your cities waste, And you shall be desolate. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.

New American Standard Bible
“I will turn your cities to ruins, And you will become a desolation. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

NASB 1995
“I will lay waste your cities And you will become a desolation. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

NASB 1977
“I will lay waste your cities, And you will become a desolation. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

Legacy Standard Bible
I will lay waste your cities, And you will become a desolation. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.

Amplified Bible
“I will destroy your cities And you will become a wasteland. Then you shall know [without any doubt] that I am the LORD.

Christian Standard Bible
I will turn your cities into ruins, and you will become a desolation. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I will turn your cities into ruins, and you will become a desolation. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.”

American Standard Version
I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah.

Contemporary English Version
leaving your towns in ruins. Your land will be a desert, and then you will know that I am the LORD.

English Revised Version
I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I will turn your cities into ruins, and you will become a wasteland. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

Good News Translation
I will leave your cities in ruins And your land desolate; Then you will know that I am the LORD.

International Standard Version
I'm going to turn your cities into ghost towns, and you will become a ruin. Then you will learn that I am the LORD.

Majority Standard Bible
I will turn your cities into ruins, and you will become a desolation. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

NET Bible
I will lay waste your cities; and you will become desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD!

New Heart English Bible
I will lay your cities waste, and you shall be desolate; and you shall know that I am the LORD.

Webster's Bible Translation
I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.

World English Bible
I will lay your cities waste, and you will be desolate. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
I make your cities a ruin, and you are a desolation, "" And you have known that I [am] YHWH.

Young's Literal Translation
Thy cities a waste I make, and thou art a desolation, And thou hast known that I am Jehovah.

Smith's Literal Translation
I will set thy cities a waste, and thou shalt be a desolation, and thou knewest that I am Jehovah.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
I will destroy thy cities, and thou shalt be desolate: and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.

Catholic Public Domain Version
I will tear down your cities, and you will be deserted. And you shall know that I am the Lord.

New American Bible
Your cities I will turn into ruins, and you shall be a desolation; then you shall know that I am the LORD.

New Revised Standard Version
I lay your towns in ruins; you shall become a desolation, and you shall know that I am the LORD.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And I will lay your cities waste, and you shall be desolate, and you shall know that I am the LORD.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And your cities I shall make a wilderness and you shall be a desolation, and you shall know that I AM LORD JEHOVAH
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I will cause desolation in thy cities, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Prophecy Against Mount Seir
3and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against you, O Mount Seir. I will stretch out My hand against you and make you a desolate waste. 4I will turn your cities into ruins, and you will become a desolation. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 5Because you harbored an ancient hatred and delivered the Israelites over to the sword in the time of their disaster at the final stage of their punishment,…

Cross References
Isaiah 34:10-15
It will not be quenched—day or night. Its smoke will ascend forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever again pass through it. / The desert owl and screech owl will possess it, and the great owl and raven will dwell in it. The LORD will stretch out over Edom a measuring line of chaos and a plumb line of destruction. / No nobles will be left to proclaim a king, and all her princes will come to nothing. ...

Jeremiah 49:17-18
“Edom will become an object of horror. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff at all her wounds. / As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown along with their neighbors,” says the LORD, “no one will dwell there; no man will abide there.

Obadiah 1:10-14
Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame and cut off forever. / On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gate and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were just like one of them. / But you should not gloat in that day, your brother’s day of misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast proudly in the day of their distress. ...

Malachi 1:3-4
but Esau I have hated, and I have made his mountains a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.” / Though Edom may say, “We have been devastated, but we will rebuild the ruins,” this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Land of Wickedness, and a people with whom the LORD is indignant forever.

Isaiah 13:19-22
And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. / She will never be inhabited or settled from generation to generation; no nomad will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flock there. / But desert creatures will lie down there, and howling creatures will fill her houses. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will leap about. ...

Jeremiah 50:3
For a nation from the north will come against her; it will make her land a desolation. No one will live in it; both man and beast will flee.”

Jeremiah 51:26
No one shall retrieve from you a cornerstone or a foundation stone, because you will become desolate forever,” declares the LORD.

Isaiah 14:23
“I will make her a place for owls and for swamplands; I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of Hosts.

Isaiah 25:2
Indeed, You have made the city a heap of rubble, the fortified town a ruin. The fortress of strangers is a city no more; it will never be rebuilt.

Zephaniah 2:13-15
And He will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as a desert. / Herds will lie down in her midst, creatures of every kind. Both the desert owl and screech owl will roost atop her pillars. Their calls will sound from the window, but desolation will lie on the threshold, for He will expose the beams of cedar. / This carefree city that dwells securely, that thinks to herself: “I am it, and there is none besides me,” what a ruin she has become, a resting place for beasts. Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist.

Revelation 18:2
And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast.

Revelation 17:16
And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.

Revelation 19:2-3
For His judgments are true and just. He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the blood of His servants that was poured out by her hand.” / And a second time they called out: “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises forever and ever.”

Matthew 23:38
Look, your house is left to you desolate.

Luke 13:35
Look, your house is left to you desolate. And I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”


Treasury of Scripture

I will lay your cities waste, and you shall be desolate, and you shall know that I am the LORD.

lay

Ezekiel 35:9
I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 6:6
In all your dwellingplaces the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.

Joel 3:19
Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

and thou

Ezekiel 35:9,12
I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the LORD…

Ezekiel 6:7
And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

Exodus 9:14
For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.

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Ezekiel 35
1. The judgment of mount Seir for their hatred of Israel, and insulting over their distress














I will turn
The phrase "I will turn" signifies a divine action initiated by God Himself. In the Hebrew text, the verb used here is "שׁוּב" (shuv), which often means to return or to change. This indicates a transformation that God will bring about, emphasizing His sovereign power to alter the state of nations and peoples. The use of this verb underscores God's active role in the unfolding of history, reminding us that He is not a passive observer but the orchestrator of events.

your cities
The term "cities" refers to the urban centers of Edom, the nation being addressed in this prophecy. In ancient times, cities were not only places of residence but also centers of culture, commerce, and power. The mention of "your cities" highlights the comprehensive nature of the judgment, affecting all aspects of Edomite society. Archaeological evidence from the region shows that Edom was a significant power with fortified cities, which makes this pronouncement of their destruction even more impactful.

into ruins
The phrase "into ruins" conveys total devastation. The Hebrew word "חָרְבָּה" (chorbah) is used here, which means desolation or waste. This term paints a vivid picture of complete destruction, leaving nothing of value behind. Historically, this prophecy was fulfilled as Edom's cities were indeed laid waste, serving as a testament to the accuracy of God's word and His ability to bring about His decrees.

and you will become a desolation
The word "desolation" is translated from the Hebrew "שְׁמָמָה" (shemamah), which implies a state of utter barrenness and abandonment. This is not just a physical desolation but also a spiritual and cultural one, where the identity and influence of Edom would be erased. Theologically, this serves as a warning of the consequences of pride and enmity against God's people, as Edom had been a perpetual adversary to Israel.

Then you will know
This phrase is a recurring theme in Ezekiel, emphasizing the purpose behind God's judgments: to reveal His identity and sovereignty. The Hebrew word "יָדַע" (yada) means to know intimately or experientially. Through the fulfillment of this prophecy, Edom—and by extension, all nations—would come to an undeniable recognition of God's power and authority.

that I am the LORD
The declaration "I am the LORD" is a profound assertion of God's covenant name, "Yahweh." This name is associated with His eternal, self-existent nature and His faithfulness to His promises. In the context of Ezekiel, it serves as a reminder that God is not only the God of Israel but the supreme ruler over all nations. This acknowledgment of His lordship is the ultimate goal of His actions, calling all people to recognize and submit to His divine will.

Verse 4. - They shall know that I am Jehovah. By this expressive formula Ezekiel intimates the moral effect which should be produced upon the nations of the earth, whether by beholding or by experiencing the Divine judgments (Ezekiel 6:7, 13; Ezekiel 7:4, 9; Ezekiel 11:10, 12; Ezekiel 13:9, 14, 21, 23; Ezekiel 14:8; Ezekiel 15:7, et passim; cf. Exodus 6:7; Exodus 7:50 17; 29:46; 31:13; all of which passages belong to Wellhausen's grundschrift, which it is supposed had no existence in the time of Ezekiel).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I will turn your cities
עָרֶ֙יךָ֙ (‘ā·re·ḵā)
Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

into
אָשִׂ֔ים (’ā·śîm)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

ruins,
חָרְבָּ֣ה (ḥā·rə·bāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2723: Waste, desolation, ruin

and you
וְאַתָּ֖ה (wə·’at·tāh)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

will become
תִֽהְיֶ֑ה (ṯih·yeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

a desolation.
שְׁמָמָ֣ה (šə·mā·māh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8077: Devastation, astonishment

Then you will know
וְיָדַעְתָּ֖ (wə·yā·ḏa‘·tā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

that
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I
אֲנִ֥י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

am the LORD.
יְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 35:4 I will lay your cities waste (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 35:3
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