Ezekiel 24

1 In the ninth year, on the tenth day of the tenth month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth of the month, saying,

2 “Son of man, write down today’s date, for on this very day the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem.

'Son of man, write for thee the name of the day — this self-same day leaned hath the king of Babylon toward Jerusalem in this self-same day —

3 Now speak a parable to this rebellious house and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Put the pot on the fire; put it on and pour in the water.

and use unto the rebellious house a simile, and thou hast said unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: To set on the pot, to set [it] on, and also to pour into it water,

4 Put in the pieces of meat, every good piece— thigh and shoulder— fill it with choice bones.

To gather its pieces unto it, every good piece, Thigh and shoulder, the choice of the bones to fill in.

5 Take the choicest of the flock and pile the fuel beneath it. Bring it to a boil and cook the bones in it.’

The choice of the flock to take, And also to pile of the bones under it, Boil it thoroughly, yea, cook its bones in its midst.

6 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed, to the pot now rusted, whose rust will not come off! Empty it piece by piece; cast no lots for its contents.

Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Woe [to] the city of blood, A pot whose scum [is] in it, And its scum hath not come out of it, By piece of it, by piece of it bring it out, Not fallen on it hath a lot.

7 For the blood she shed is still within her; she poured it out on the bare rock; she did not pour it on the ground to cover it with dust.

For her blood in her midst hath been, On a clear place of a rock she hath set it, She hath not poured it on the earth, To cover it over with dust.

8 In order to stir up wrath and take vengeance, I have placed her blood on the bare rock, so that it would not be covered.’

To cause fury to come up to take vengeance, I have put her blood on a clear place of a rock — not to be covered.

9 Yes, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed! I, too, will pile the kindling high.

Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Woe [to] the city of blood, yea, I — I make great the pile.

10 Pile on the logs and kindle the fire; cook the meat well and mix in the spices; let the bones be burned.

Make abundant the wood, Kindle the fire, consume the flesh, And make the compound, And let the bones be burnt.

11 Set the empty pot on its coals until it becomes hot and its copper glows. Then its impurity will melt within; its rust will be consumed.

And cause it to stand on its coals empty, So that its brass is hot and burning, Melted hath been in its midst its uncleanness, Consumed is its scum.

12 It has frustrated every effort; its thick rust has not been removed, even by the fire.

[With] sorrows she hath wearied herself, And the abundance of her scum goeth not out of her, In the fire [is] her scum.

13 Because of the indecency of your uncleanness I tried to cleanse you, but you would not be purified from your filthiness. You will not be pure again until My wrath against you has subsided.

In thine uncleanness [is] wickedness, Because I have cleansed thee, And thou hast not been cleansed, From thine uncleanness thou art not cleansed again, Till I have caused My fury to rest on thee.

14 I, the LORD, have spoken; the time is coming, and I will act. I will not refrain or show pity, nor will I relent. I will judge you according to your ways and deeds,’

I, Jehovah, hath spoken, It hath come, and I have done [it], I do not free, nor do I spare, nor do I repent, According to thy ways, and according to thine acts, they have judged thee, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'

15 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

16 “Son of man, behold, I am about to take away the desire of your eyes with a fatal blow. But you must not mourn or weep or let your tears flow.

'Son of man, lo, I am taking from thee the desire of thine eyes by a stroke, and thou dost not mourn, nor weep, nor let thy tear come.

17 Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.”

Cease to groan, [for] the dead thou dost make no mourning, thy bonnet bind on thee, and thy shoes thou dost put on thy feet, and thou dost not cover over the upper lip, and bread of men thou dost not eat.'

18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And the next morning I did as I had been commanded.

And I speak unto the people in the morning, and my wife dieth in the evening, and I do in the morning as I have been commanded.

19 Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things you are doing mean to us?”

And the people say unto me, 'Dost thou not declare to us what these [are] to us, that thou art doing?'

20 So I answered them, “The word of the LORD came to me, saying:

And I say unto them, 'A word of Jehovah hath been unto me, saying:

21 Tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I am about to desecrate My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the delight of your soul. And the sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.’

Say to the house of Israel: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am polluting My sanctuary, The excellency of your strength, The desire of your eyes, and the pitied of your soul, And your sons and your daughters whom ye have left, by sword they do fall.

22 Then you will do as I have done: You will not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.

And ye have done as I have done, On the upper lip ye are not covered, And bread of men ye do not eat.

23 Your turbans will remain on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep, but you will waste away because of your sins, and you will groan among yourselves.

And your bonnets [are] on your heads, And your shoes [are] on your feet, Ye do not mourn nor do ye weep, And ye have wasted away for your iniquities, And ye have howled one unto another.

24 ‘Thus Ezekiel will be a sign for you; you will do everything that he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’

And Ezekiel hath been to you for a type, According to all that he hath done ye do; In its coming in — ye have known that I [am] the Lord Jehovah.

25 And you, son of man, know that on the day I take away their stronghold, their pride and joy—the desire of their eyes which uplifted their souls—and their sons and daughters as well,

And thou, son of man, Is it not in the day of My taking from them their strength, The joy of their beauty, the desire of their eyes, And the song of their soul, Their sons and their daughters?

26 on that day a fugitive will come and tell you the news.

In that day come doth the escaped one to thee. To cause the ears to hear.

27 On that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped; you will speak and no longer be mute. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD.”

In that day opened is thy mouth with the escaped, And thou speakest, and art not silent any more, And thou hast been to them for a type. And they have known that I [am] Jehovah.'