Ezekiel 24

1 And the word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, saying,

Again, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

2 Son of man, put down in writing this very day: The king of Babylon let loose the weight of his attack against Jerusalem on this very day.

“Son of man, write the name of the day, this same day. The king of Babylon drew close to Jerusalem this same day.

3 And make a comparison for this uncontrolled people, and say to them, This is what the Lord has said: Put on the cooking-pot, put it on the fire and put water in it:

Utter a parable to the rebellious house, and tell them, ‘The Lord GOD says, “Put the cauldron on the fire. Put it on, and also pour water into it.

4 And get the bits together, the fat tail, every good part, the leg and the top part of it: make it full of the best bones.

Gather its pieces into it, even every good piece: the thigh and the shoulder. Fill it with the choice bones.

5 Take the best of the flock, put much wood under it: see that its bits are boiling well; let the bones be cooked inside it.

Take the choice of the flock, and also a pile of wood for the bones under the cauldron. Make it boil well. Yes, let its bones be boiled within it.”

6 For this is what the Lord has said: A curse is on the town of blood, the cooking-pot which is unclean inside, which has never been made clean! take out its bits; its fate is still to come on it.

“‘Therefore the Lord GOD says: “Woe to the bloody city, to the cauldron whose rust is in it, and whose rust has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece without casting lots for it.

7 For her blood is in her; she has put it on the open rock not draining it on to the earth so that it might be covered with dust;

“‘“For the blood she shed is in the middle of her. She set it on the bare rock. She did not pour it on the ground, to cover it with dust.

8 In order that it might make wrath come up to give punishment, she has put her blood on the open rock, so that it may not be covered.

That it may cause wrath to come up to take vengeance, I have set her blood on the bare rock, that it should not be covered.”

9 For this cause the Lord has said: A curse is on the town of blood! and I will make great the burning mass.

“‘Therefore the Lord GOD says: “Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great.

10 Put on much wood, heating up the fire, boiling the flesh well, and making the soup thick, and let the bones be burned.

Heap on the wood. Make the fire hot. Boil the meat well. Make the broth thick, and let the bones be burned.

11 And I will put her on the coals so that she may be heated and her brass burned, so that what is unclean in her may become soft and her waste be completely taken away.

Then set it empty on its coals, that it may be hot, and its bronze may burn, and that its filthiness may be molten in it, that its rust may be consumed.

12 I have made myself tired to no purpose: still all the waste which is in her has not come out, it has an evil smell.

She is weary with toil; yet her great rust, rust by fire, does not leave her.

13 As for your unclean purpose: because I have been attempting to make you clean, but you have not been made clean from it, you will not be made clean till I have let loose my passion on you in full measure.

“‘“In your filthiness is lewdness. Because I have cleansed you and you were not cleansed, you will not be cleansed from your filthiness any more, until I have caused my wrath toward you to rest.

14 I the Lord have said the word and I will do it; I will not go back or have mercy, and my purpose will not be changed; in the measure of your ways and of your evil doings you will be judged, says the Lord.

“‘“I, the LORD, have spoken it. It will happen, and I will do it. I will not go back. I will not spare. I will not repent. According to your ways and according to your doings, they will judge you,” says the Lord GOD.’”

15 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

Also the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

16 Son of man, see, I am taking away the desire of your eyes by disease: but let there be no sorrow or weeping or drops running from your eyes.

“Son of man, behold, I will take away from you the desire of your eyes with one stroke; yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, neither shall your tears run down.

17 Let there be no sound of sorrow; make no weeping for your dead, put on your head-dress and your shoes on your feet, let not your lips be covered, and do not take the food of those in grief.

Sigh, but not aloud. Make no mourning for the dead. Bind your headdress on you, and put your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your lips, and do not eat mourner’s bread.”

18 So in the morning I was teaching the people and in the evening death took my wife; and in the morning I did what I had been ordered to do.

So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. So I did in the morning as I was commanded.

19 And the people said to me, Will you not make clear to us the sense of these things; is it for us you do them?

The people asked me, “Will not you tell us what these things mean to us, that you act like this?”

20 Then I said to them, The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

Then I said to them, “The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

21 Say to the people of Israel, The Lord has said, See, I will make my holy place unclean, the pride of your strength, the pleasure of your eyes, and the desire of your soul; and your sons and daughters, who did not come with you here, will be put to the sword.

‘Speak to the house of Israel, “The Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pities; and your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword.

22 And you will do as I have done, not covering your lips or taking the food of those in grief.

You will do as I have done. You will not cover your lips or eat mourner’s bread.

23 And your head-dresses will be on your heads and your shoes on your feet: there will be no sorrow or weeping; but you will be wasting away in the punishment of your evil-doing, and you will be looking at one another in wonder.

Your turbans will be on your heads, and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep; but you will pine away in your iniquities, and moan one toward another.

24 And Ezekiel will be a sign to you; everything he has done you will do: when this takes place, you will be certain that I am the Lord.

Thus Ezekiel will be a sign to you; according to all that he has done, you will do. When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’”’”

25 And as for you, son of man, your mouth will be shut in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that on which their hearts are fixed, and their sons and daughters.

“You, son of man, should not it be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their heart—their sons and their daughters—

26 In that day, one who has got away safe will come to you to give you news of it.

that in that day he who escapes will come to you, to cause you to hear it with your ears?

27 In that day your mouth will be open to him who has got away safe, and you will say words to him and your lips will no longer be shut: so you will be a sign to them and they will be certain that I am the Lord.

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