< 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 word of YHWH came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, write for yourself the name of this day, on which the king of Babylon was confirmed against Jerusalem today.
"Son of man, write the name of the day, even of this same day: the king of Babylon drew close to Jerusalem this same day.
3 And you shall speak, through a proverb, a parable to the inciting house. And you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Set out a cooking pot; set it out, I say, and put water into it.
Utter a parable to the rebellious house, and tell them, 'Thus says the Lord YHWH, "Set on the caldron, set it on, and also pour water into it:
4 Pile together within it every morsel, every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder, the choice pieces and those full of bones.
gather its pieces into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones.
5 Take the fattest from the flock, and arrange also a heap of bones under it. Its cooking has boiled over, and its bones in its midst have been thoroughly cooked.
Take the choice of the flock, and also a pile of wood for the bones under the caldron; make it boil well; yes, let its bones be boiled in its midst."'
6 Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Woe to the city of blood, to the cooking pot that has rust in it, and whose rust has not gone out of it! Cast it out piece by piece! No lot has fallen upon it.
"Therefore thus says YHWH: 'Woe to the bloody city, to the caldron whose rust is in it, and whose rust is not gone out of it. Take out of it piece after piece; No lot is fallen on it.
7 For her blood is in her midst; she has shed it upon the smoothest rock. She has not shed it upon the ground, so that it could be covered with dust.
For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it on the bare rock; she didn't pour it on the ground, to cover it with dust.
8 So shall I bring my indignation over her, and take my vengeance. I have presented her blood upon the smoothest rock, so that it would 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 Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Woe to the city of blood, out of which I will make a great funeral pyre.
"Therefore thus says YHWH: 'Woe to the bloody city. I also will make the pile great.
10 Pile together the bones, which I will burn with fire. The flesh shall be consumed, and the entire composition shall be boiled, and the bones shall deteriorate.
Pile on the wood, make the fire hot, boil the meat well, and mix in the spices, and let the bones be burned up.
11 Also, place it empty on burning coals, so that it may be heated, and its brass may melt. And let the filth of it be melted in its midst, and let its rust be consumed.
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 There has been much sweat and labor, and yet its extensive rust has not gone out of it, not even by fire.
She has wearied herself with toil; yet her great rust doesn't go forth out of her; her rust doesn't go forth by fire.
13 Your uncleanness is execrable. For I wanted to cleanse you, and you have not been cleansed from your filth. So then, neither will you be cleansed before I cause my indignation over you to cease.
In your filthiness is lewdness: because I have cleansed you and you weren't cleansed, you shall not be cleansed from your filthiness any more, until I have caused my wrath toward you to rest.
14 I, the Lord, have spoken. It shall happen, and I will act. I will not pass over, nor be lenient, nor be placated. I will judge you according to your ways and according to your intentions, says the Lord.”
I, YHWH, have spoken it: it shall happen, and I will do it: I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to your ways and according to your deeds I will judge you,' says YHWH."
15 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
Also the word of YHWH came to me, saying,
16 “Son of man, behold, I am taking away from you, with a stroke, the desire of your eyes. And you shall not lament, and you shall not weep. And your tears shall not flow down.
"Son of man, look, I will take away from you the desire of your eyes with a stroke: yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, neither shall your tears run down.
17 Groan silently; you shall make no mourning for the dead. Let the band of your crown be on you, and let your shoes be on your feet. And you shall not cover your face, nor shall you eat the food of those who mourn.”
Sigh, but not aloud, make no mourning for the dead; bind your headdress on you, and put your shoes on your feet, and do not cover your lips, and do not eat men's bread."
18 Therefore, I spoke to the people in the morning. And my wife died in the evening. And in the morning, I did just as he had instructed me.
So I spoke to the people in the morning; and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.
19 And the people said to me: “Why won’t you explain to us what these things signify, which you are doing?”
The people said to me, "Won't you tell us what these things are to us, that you do so?"
20 And I said to them: “The word of the Lord came to me, saying:
Then I said to them, "The word of YHWH came to me, saying,
21 ‘Speak to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will defile my sanctuary, the pride of your realm, and the desire of your eyes, and the dread of your soul. Your sons and your daughters, whom you have forsaken, will fall by the sword.’
'Speak to the house of Israel, "Thus says YHWH: Look, 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 shall fall by the sword.
22 And so, you shall do just as I have done. You shall not cover your faces, and you shall not eat the food of those who mourn.
You shall do as I have done: you shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.
23 You shall have crowns on your heads, and shoes on your feet. You shall not lament, and you shall not weep. Instead, you will waste away in your iniquities, and each one will groan to his brother.
Your turbans shall be on your heads, and your shoes on your feet: you shall not mourn nor weep; but you shall pine away in your iniquities, and moan one toward another.
24 ‘And Ezekiel shall be a portent for you. In accord with all that he has done, so shall you do, when this will happen. And you shall know that I am the Lord God.’”
Thus Ezekiel shall 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 YHWH."'"
25 “And as for you, son of man, behold, in the day when I will take away from them their strength, and the joy of their dignity, and the desire of their eyes, in which their souls find rest: their sons and their daughters,
"You, son of man, shall it not 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, when one who is fleeing will come to you, so that he may report to you,
that in that day he who escapes shall come to you, to cause you to hear it with your ears?
27 in that day, I say, your mouth shall be opened to him who has fled. And you shall speak, and you shall no longer be silent. And you shall be for them a portent. And you shall know that I am the Lord.”
In that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped, and you shall speak, and be no more mute: so you will be a sign to them; and they shall know that I am YHWH."