Ezekiel 5: A Few Kept Safe

God told Ezekiel to shave his head and beard and divide the hair into three parts with balances. The parts showed what would happen to the people of Jerusalem when the city fell. But Ezekiel was to take a small number of hairs and bind them in the folds of his robe, a sign that God would keep a few. God said he had set Jerusalem in the middle of the nations, but she had rebelled against his ordinances and statutes more than the nations around her. Because she had defiled his sanctuary, judgment would come, and the people would know that Yahweh had spoken.

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Read Ezekiel 5

World English Bible · 17 verses

¹ “You, son of man, take a sharp sword. You shall take it as a barber’s razor to yourself, and shall cause it to pass over your head and over your beard. Then take balances to weigh and divide the hair.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
² A third part you shall burn in the fire in the middle of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled. You shall take a third part, and strike with the sword around it. A third part you shall scatter to the wind, and I will draw out a sword after them.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
³ You shall take a small number of these and bind them in the folds of your robe.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁴ Of these again you shall take, and cast them into the middle of the fire, and burn them in the fire. From it a fire will come out into all the house of Israel.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁵ “The Lord Yahweh says: ‘This is Jerusalem. I have set her in the middle of the nations, and countries are around her.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁶ She has rebelled against my ordinances in doing wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries that are around her; for they have rejected my ordinances, and as for my statutes, they have not walked in them.’This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁷ “Therefore the Lord Yahweh says: ‘Because you are more turbulent than the nations that are around you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my ordinances, neither have followed the ordinances of the nations that are around you;This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁸ therefore the Lord Yahweh says: ‘Behold, I, even I, am against you; and I will execute judgments among you in the sight of the nations.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁹ I will do in you that which I have not done, and which I will not do anything like it any more, because of all your abominations.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁰ Therefore the fathers will eat the sons within you, and the sons will eat their fathers. I will execute judgments on you; and I will scatter the whole remnant of you to all the winds.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹¹ Therefore as I live,’ says the Lord Yahweh, ‘surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things, and with all your abominations, therefore I will also diminish you. My eye won’t spare, and I will have no pity.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹² A third part of you will die with the pestilence, and they will be consumed with famine within you. A third part will fall by the sword around you. A third part I will scatter to all the winds, and will draw out a sword after them.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹³ “‘Thus my anger will be accomplished, and I will cause my wrath toward them to rest, and I will be comforted. They will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken in my zeal, when I have accomplished my wrath on them.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁴ “‘Moreover I will make you a desolation and a reproach among the nations that are around you, in the sight of all that pass by.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁵ So it will be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment, to the nations that are around you, when I execute judgments on you in anger and in wrath, and in wrathful rebukes—I, Yahweh, have spoken it—This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁶ when I send on them the evil arrows of famine that are for destruction, which I will send to destroy you. I will increase the famine on you and will break your staff of bread.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁷ I will send on you famine and evil animals, and they will bereave you. Pestilence and blood will pass through you. I will bring the sword on you. I, Yahweh, have spoken it.’”This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org

Worksheets

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Ezekiel 5 · Preschool

Kept Safe

Name Date

Color the robe and the little bundle. God keeps His people safe!

Can you find these in the picture? Circle each one!

Bible Verse

“You shall take a small number of these and bind them in the folds of your robe.”

Ezekiel 5:3 (WEB)

Prayer

Thank You, God, for making me!

Take It Home

Read the verse aloud. Say: Ezekiel tied a few hairs into his robe to keep them safe. It was a picture that God would keep some of His people safe. Let's thank God for taking care of us.

Open Grade 4 on its own page

Ezekiel 5 · Grade 4

This Is Jerusalem

Name Date

Read and Think

God told Ezekiel to use a sharp blade like a barber's razor to shave his head and beard. He weighed the hair on balances and divided it into three parts. When the days of his siege sign were finished, each part would picture a different hard outcome for the people of Jerusalem.

Yet God also told him to take a small number of hairs and bind them in the folds of his robe. Even in judgment, God would keep a remnant.

God explained the sign: This is Jerusalem. He had set her in the middle of the nations, but she had rebelled against his ordinances more than the countries around her. She had defiled his sanctuary. So hard times would come, and the people would know that Yahweh had spoken.

Show What You Know

What did Ezekiel use to shave his hair?
What did the hairs bound in the robe show?
What had Jerusalem done to God's sanctuary?
What would the people know when it happened?

Word Bank Fill-In

Use the word bank to fill in each blank.

nationsGodbalancesJerusalemrobe

He weighed the hair on and divided it into three parts.
When the days of his siege sign were finished, each part would picture a different hard outcome for the people of .
Yet God also told him to take a small number of hairs and bind them in the folds of his .
Even in judgment, would keep a remnant.
He had set her in the middle of the , but she had rebelled against his ordinances more than the countries around her.

Think About It

God put Jerusalem in the middle of the nations to show them his ways. How can you show God's ways to people around you?
God kept a few hairs safe in the robe. How does this show God's care even in hard times?

Memory Verse

“The Lord Yahweh says: ‘This is Jerusalem. I have set her in the middle of the nations, and countries are around her.

Ezekiel 5:5 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for keeping Your people safe. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

How does it comfort you that God always keeps some of His people faithful?
How can you show God's ways to others?

Open Grade 5 on its own page

Ezekiel 5 · Grade 5

In the Middle of the Nations

Name Date

Read and Think

Ezekiel 5 continues the acted prophecies. God told Ezekiel to shave his head and beard, weigh the hair on balances, and divide it into three parts. Each third pictured a different outcome for Jerusalem's people when the city fell, and the details are severe. A shaved head was a sign of mourning and shame, so the sign itself was a lament.

One small action carried hope. Ezekiel was to take a small number of these and bind them in the folds of his robe. Even some of those would be tested, but the picture shows God preserving a remnant. Later chapters build on this idea, describing a people God would gather and give a new heart.

God then explains the meaning: This is Jerusalem. I have set her in the middle of the nations. Jerusalem had the privilege of God's law and God's house, and she was meant to show the nations what God is like. Instead she rebelled more than the nations, did not walk in his statutes, and defiled his sanctuary. Greater privilege brought greater responsibility, and the people would know that Yahweh had spoken in his zeal.

Show What You Know

Why was shaving the head a fitting sign?
What does the small number of hairs in the robe picture?
Why was Jerusalem's rebellion so serious?
What principle about privilege does this chapter show?

Crossword

Across

I have set her in the middle of the ____

Down

This is ____
And have not walked in my ____
You shall take a small number of these and bind them in the folds of your ____

Think About It

Jerusalem had great privileges but did not use them well. What spiritual privileges do you have, and how can you use them faithfully?
God judged sin seriously but still kept a remnant. How do both God's holiness and his mercy show up in this chapter?

Memory Verse

“The Lord Yahweh says: ‘This is Jerusalem. I have set her in the middle of the nations, and countries are around her.

Ezekiel 5:5 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for keeping Your people safe. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

How should the blessings you have change how you live?
How can you admit your sin and still rest in God's kindness?
What is one way you could live out this chapter this week?

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‹ All Ezekiel chapters · All books

Ezekiel 5: A Few Kept Safe

Read Ezekiel 5

Worksheets

Kept Safe

Prayer

Take It Home

God Keeps Us

Trace the Words

Match the Pictures

Mini Maze

Draw It

Prayer

Take It Home

A Few Hairs in the Robe

Trace the Words

Match the Pictures

A Few Kept Safe

Prayer

Take It Home

Tied in the Robe

Read the Story

Show What You Know

Word Search

Prayer

Take It Home

A Small Number Kept

Read the Story

Answer the Questions

A Few Kept Safe

Word Search

Prayer

Take It Home

This Is Jerusalem

Read and Think

Show What You Know

Word Bank Fill-In

Think About It

Copy It

Prayer

Take It Home

In the Middle of the Nations

Read and Think

Show What You Know

Crossword

Think About It

Copy It

Prayer

Take It Home

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