That you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame: That introduces the results of the previous verse. You may remember means the people of Jerusalem will not forget their sins. The Hebrew verb rendered be confounded is better translated “be ashamed” (New International Version), as in verse 52. Never open your mouth again because of your shame means their shame will be so great that they will “be too ashamed to say a word” (Contemporary English Version). The reason for their shame is not clear. For most translations they will be ashamed to say anything because of their sins. But it is also possible that the background of this verse is the feeling of the people that God has broken his promises in the covenant by allowing the Babylonians to defeat Jerusalem. So, after he has renewed the covenant and forgiven their sins, they will never again be able to say that he has been unfaithful. Translators may follow either interpretation.

When I forgive you all that you have done: Unlike the usual sequence of shame bringing repentance and then forgiveness, here the shame comes after forgiveness. Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch begin the verse with this clause to make this clear, which other languages may find helpful.

Says the Lord GOD: God’s formal declaration closes the prophecy and the chapter (see Ezek 16.8).

A model for this verse is:

• Then I will forgive all the sins that you have done, so that you will not forget them. You will be so ashamed of them that you will not be able to say anything. I am the Lord Yahweh. This is my solemn declaration.”

A model for those following the second interpretation of not being able to say anything is:

• Then I will forgive all the sins that you have done, so that you will not forget them, and so that you will be ashamed of them, and so that you will never again open your mouth to blame me for breaking the agreement. I am the Lord Yahweh. This is my solemn declaration.”

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 .