Ezekiel 24

1 And in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

Almost nine [after we had been taken to Babylonia], on the tenth day of the tenth month [of that year], Yahweh gave me this message:

2 Son of man, write thee the name of the day, of this selfsame day: on this selfsame day the king of Babylon draws near to Jerusalem.

“You human, write down what day of the month this is. On this [the army of] King of Babylon has surrounded Jerusalem.

3 And propose a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Set on the pot, set [it] on, and also pour water into it.

Tell those rebellious Israeli people [MTY] [in Babylon] a parable. Say this to them: This is what Yahweh the Lord says: ‘Pour water into the [cooking] pot and put the pot [the fire].

4 Gather the pieces thereof into it, every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder; fill [it] with the choice bones:

Put into the pot some pieces of [from one of your best sheep]: Put in the leg and shoulder, [which are] the best pieces. [Then] fill [the rest of] the pot with the best bones.

5 take the choice of the flock; and also [put] a pile of wood under it, for the bones; make it boil well, and let the bones of it seethe therein.

Pile wood on the fire, and cook the bones and the meat in the boiling water.’

6 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose rust is therein, and whose rust is not gone out of it! Bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it:

[Do that] because this is what Yahweh the Lord says: ‘Terrible things will happen [Jerusalem]; it is city that is full of murderers [MTY], [a city that is like] [MET] a scorched pot whose black residue inside cannot be removed. Take the pieces [of meat] out of the pot, but do not choose which pieces to take out.

7 for her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the bare rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust.

The blood of the people who were murdered in Jerusalem is still there; they were murdered on the bare rocks, not on the soil, where their blood could be covered.

8 That it might cause fury to come up to execute vengeance, I have set her blood upon the bare rock, that it should not be covered.

But I am the one who caused the blood of those who were murdered [MTY] to be smeared on the bare rock, where their blood could not be covered; I did that in order [I could see it and] then be angry and get revenge.’

9 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great.

Therefore, this is what [I], Yahweh the Lord say: ‘Terrible things will happen to that city that is full of murderers [MTY]! [It will be as though] I also will pile high [the wood in the fire].

10 Heap on the wood, kindle the fire, boil thoroughly the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burned.

[So], heap on the wood and light the fire! Cook the meat well, and mix some spices with it; cook it until the bones are charred.

11 Then set it empty upon its coals, that it may be hot, and the brass of it may burn, and that its filthiness may be molten in it, [and] that its rust may be consumed.

Then set the empty pot on the [of the fire] until the pot becomes [very] hot and the copper glows, with the result that the impurities and the rust will be burned up.

12 She hath exhausted [her] labours, yet her great rust goeth not forth out of her: let her rust be in the fire.

[It is as though] I tried to get rid of that rust, but I was not able to do it, [not even] by putting that pot in a fire.

13 In thy filthiness is lewdness, for I have purged thee, and thou art not pure. Thou shalt no more be purged from thy filthiness, till I have satisfied my fury upon thee.

The [in the pot represents] your immoral behavior. I tried to cleanse you from your wicked behavior, but you did not allow me to do that. So you will not be [from the guilt of your sin] [I have punished you and] I am no longer angry.

14 I Jehovah have spoken [it]: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, nor will I repent. According to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord Jehovah.

I, Yahweh, have said [that I will surely punish you]. [And it is time] for me to do that. I will not change my mind; I will not refrain from punishing you, and I will not pity you. I will judge you [and punish you] as you deserve to be punished for your sinful behavior. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh the Lord, have said it.”’”

15 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

[One day] Yahweh gave me this message:

16 Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke; yet thou shalt not mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.

“You human, I am going to suddenly take from [your wife], whom you love very much. [when she dies], do [show that you are] sad or lament or cry.

17 Sigh in silence, make no mourning for the dead; bind thy turban upon thee, and put thy sandals upon thy feet, and cover not the beard, and eat not the bread of men.

Groan quietly; do not cry [openly] for her. [Keep] your turban wrapped around your head, [instead of being barefoot, keep] your sandals on your feet. Do not cover the lower part of your [to show that you are sad]. And do not eat the kind of food that people who are mourning usually eat.”

18 — And I spoke unto the people in the morning; and at even my wife died. And I did in the morning as I was commanded.

[one morning] I talked to the [as usual], and that evening my wife [suddenly] died. The next morning I did what [Yahweh] had told me to do.

19 And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, which thou doest?

Then the people asked me, “What do the things that you are doing signify to us?”

20 And I said to them, The word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

So I said to them, “[This is what] Yahweh told me:

21 Say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and your soul's longing; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left behind shall fall by the sword.

‘Tell the Israeli people [MTY] that I am about to destroy the temple, [the building] that you are very proud of, the building that you delight to look at. Your children whom you [in Jerusalem when you were forced to come to Babylon] will be killed [their enemies’] swords.

22 And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover the beard, neither eat the bread of men;

[When that happens], you will do like I have done: You will not cover the lower part of your faces, or eat the kinds of food that people who are mourning usually eat.

23 and your turbans shall be upon your heads, and your sandals upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall waste away in your iniquities and moan one toward another.

[You will keep] your turbans wrapped around your heads and [keep] your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or cry, but your bodies will become very thin and slowly die because of your sins. And you will groan to each other.

24 Thus Ezekiel shall be unto you a sign; according to all that he hath done shall ye do: when it cometh, then ye shall know that I [am] the Lord Jehovah.

Ezekiel will be a warning to you, and you must do what he has done. When that happens, you will know that I, Yahweh the [have the power to do what I say that I will do].’”

25 And thou, 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 whereunto they lift up their soul, their sons and their daughters,

[Then Yahweh said to me], “You human, [soon] I will destroy their sacred temple, which they rejoice about and which they respect and delight to look at, and [I will get rid of] their sons and daughters also.

26 that in that day he that escapeth shall come unto thee, to cause [thine] ears to hear [it]?

On that day, someone will escape [from Jerusalem] and come and tell you what has happened [there].

27 In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him that is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb. So shalt thou be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I [am] Jehovah.

When that happens, you will be able to speak again [MTY] [without constraint]. You two will talk together [DOU]. You will be a warning to the people; and they will know that I, Yahweh the Lord, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].”