Ezekiel 21:21 - Compare All Versions
Ezekiel 21:18-22 MSG (The Message)
GOD’s Message came to me: “Son of man, lay out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take. Start them from the same place. Place a signpost at the beginning of each road. Post one sign to mark the road of the sword to Rabbah of the Ammonites. Post the other to mark the road to Judah and Fort Jerusalem. The king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road and he decides by divination which of the two roads to take. He draws straws, he throws god-dice, he examines a goat liver. He opens his right hand: The omen says, ‘Head for Jerusalem!’ So he’s on his way with battering rams, roused to kill, sounding the battle cry, pounding down city gates, building siege works.
Ezekiel 21:21 KJV (King James Version)
For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver.
Ezekiel 21:21 NASB1995 (New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995)
For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination; he shakes the arrows, he consults the household idols, he looks at the liver.
Ezekiel 21:21 NCV (New Century Version)
The king of Babylon has come to where the road divides, and he is using magic. He throws lots with arrows and asks questions of his family idols. He looks at the liver of a sacrificed animal to learn where he should go.
Ezekiel 21:21 ASV (American Standard Version)
For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he shook the arrows to and fro, he consulted the teraphim, he looked in the liver.
Ezekiel 21:21 NIV (New International Version)
For the king of Babylon will stop at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He will cast lots with arrows, he will consult his idols, he will examine the liver.
Ezekiel 21:21 NKJV (New King James Version)
For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the road, at the fork of the two roads, to use divination: he shakes the arrows, he consults the images, he looks at the liver.
Ezekiel 21:21 AMP (Amplified Bible)
For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the fork of the two ways, to use divination. He shakes the arrows, he consults the teraphim (household idols), he looks at the liver [of an animal for an omen].
Ezekiel 21:21 NLT (New Living Translation)
The king of Babylon now stands at the fork, uncertain whether to attack Jerusalem or Rabbah. He calls his magicians to look for omens. They cast lots by shaking arrows from the quiver. They inspect the livers of animal sacrifices.
Ezekiel 21:21 TPT (The Passion Translation)
For the king of Babylon is already at the place where the two roads begin. He is consulting his gods to decide which way to go by shuffling arrows and throwing them on the ground to see where they point. He asks his favorite idols for advice, and he examines the liver of a sacrificed animal.
Ezekiel 21:21 ESV (English Standard Version 2025)
For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination. He shakes the arrows; he consults the teraphim; he looks at the liver.