I the LORD have spoken … says the Lord GOD: In this verse God repeats twice that he is speaking to stress that this prophecy is true (see also verses 1, 3, 6, and 9). I the LORD have spoken may be rendered “I, Yahweh, have said this.” This clause may be translated “I, the Lord Yahweh, declare this.”

The prophecy ends with five clauses that show that Jerusalem’s punishment described in the previous verses will come to pass.

It shall come to pass, I will do it: The Hebrew here may be taken as two separate clauses, focusing in the first clause on the punishment coming very soon and in the second one on God’s intention to do what he said (so Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, King James Version / New King James Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). However, it is better to take it as one clause, meaning “The time has come for me to act” (Good News Translation, New International Version, New International Reader’s Version, New Century Version).

I will not go back, I will not spare, I will not repent: These three clauses all imply that God will not change his mind, he will do what he said he would do. Go back renders a Hebrew verb that means to “refrain” (New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Moffatt) or “hold back [from punishing]” (New International Version, New International Reader’s Version, New Living Translation, New Century Version, New King James Version ) in this context. The Hebrew verb for spare means “to be lenient, let off, not punish.” Good News Translation renders I will not spare as “I will not … show pity.” The Hebrew verb for repent does not mean turn away from sin, but rather “be sorry” (New American Standard Bible), “be merciful” (Good News Translation), or “show … compassion” (Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible).

According to your ways and your doings I will judge you: God will punish the people of Jerusalem as they deserve. According to your ways and your doings refers to their way of life and activity. This phrase may be rendered “as your conduct and actions deserve” (Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible; similarly New International Version), “as you have lived and acted” (Moffatt), “for what you have done” (Good News Translation), or “for the evil you have done” (similarly Contemporary English Version). Instead of I will judge you, the Hebrew text has “they will judge you” (so King James Version / New King James Version). Some Hebrew manuscripts and many translations read “I will judge you” (Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, New Century Version, New American Standard Bible, Septuagint, Vulgate , Syriac; similarly Jerusalem Bible, Moffatt). This reading fits the context well, and in many languages it may be necessary to have God speaking in the first person here, because there is no indication of who the plural subject might be in the Hebrew clause for “they will judge you.” However, for those languages that follow the Hebrew text here, it is probably best to use an impersonal passive expression, such as “you will be judged” (New International Version, New International Reader’s Version, New Living Translation, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible; similarly Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). In many languages translators will reverse the word order of this clause by saying “I will judge you according to the way you have lived and acted.”

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 .