And all flesh shall know that I the LORD have drawn my sword out of its sheath: As in 20.48 (see the comments there), this prophecy uses a recognition formula that repeats and emphasizes what was said in the previous verses. It may be rendered “Then everyone will know that I, Yahweh, have taken my sword from its sheath.”

It shall not be sheathed again is literally “it [the sword] will not return again [to its sheath].” Again this is the picture of the sword acting alone. Here it gives the idea that once the destruction has started, nothing will stop it (compare the fire that no one will be able to put out in 20.47-48). This clause may be rendered “I will not put it away” (Good News Translation) or “I will not return it to its sheath again.”

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .