Ezekiel 24

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

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

2 Son of man, write thee the name of this day, on which the king of Babylon hath set himself against Jerusalem today.

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

3 And thou shalt speak by a figure a parable to the provoking house, and say to them: Thus saith the Lord God: Set on a pot, set it on, I say, and put water into it.

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.

4 Heap together into if the pieces thereof, every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder, choice pieces and full of bones.

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

5 Take the fattest of the flock, and lay together piles of bones under it: the seething thereof is boiling hot, and the bones thereof are thoroughly sodden in the midst of it.

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

6 Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose rust is in it, and its rust is not gone out of it: cast it out piece by piece, there hath no lot fallen upon it.

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.

7 For her blood is in the midst of her, she hath shed it upon the smooth rock: she hath not shed it upon the ground, that it might be covered with dust.

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.

8 And that I might bring my indignation upon her, and take my vengeance: I have shed her blood upon the smooth rock, that it should not be covered.

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.’

9 Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city, of which I will make a great bonfire.

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

10 Heap together the bones, which I will burn with Are: the flesh shall be consumed, and the whole composition shall be sodden, and the bones shall be consumed.

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

11 Then set it empty upon burning coals, that it may be hot, and the brass thereof may be melted: and let the filth of it be melted in the midst thereof, and let the rust of it be consumed.

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.

12 Great pains have been taken, and the great rust thereof is not gone out, not even by fire.

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

13 Thy uncleanness is execrable: because I desired to cleanse thee, and thou art not cleansed from thy filthiness: neither shalt thou be cleansed, before I cause my indignation to rest in thee.

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.

14 I the Lord have spoken: it shall come to pass, and I will do it: I will not pass by, nor spare, nor be pacified: I will judge thee according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, saith the Lord.

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,’

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

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

16 Son of man, behold I take from thee the desire of thy eyes with a stroke: and thou shalt not lament, nor weep: neither shall thy tears run down.

“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.

17 Sigh in silence, make no mourning for the dead: let the tire of thy head be upon thee, and thy shoes on thy feet, and cover not thy face, nor eat the meat of mourners.

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.”

18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening: and I did in the morning as he had commanded me.

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.

19 And the people said to me: Why dost thou not tell us what these things mean that thou doest?

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

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

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

21 Speak to the house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I will profane my sanctuary, the glory of your realm, and the thing that your eyes desire, and for which your soul feareth: your sons, and your daughters, whom you have left, shall fall by the sword.

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.’

22 And you shall do as I have done: you shall not cover your faces, nor shall you eat the meat of mourners.

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

23 You shall have crowns on your heads, and shoes on your feet: you shall not lament nor weep, but you shall pine away for your iniquities, and every one shall sigh with his brother.

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.

24 And Ezechiel shall be unto you for a sign of things to come: according to all that he hath done, so shall you do, when this shall come to pass: and you shall know that I am the Lord God.

‘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.’

25 And thou, O son of man, behold in the day wherein I will take away from them their strength, and the joy of their glory, and the desire of their eyes, upon which their souls rest, their sons and their daughters.

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,

26 In that day when he that escapeth shall come to thee, to tell thee:

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

27 In that day, I say, shall thy mouth be opened to him that hath escaped, and thou shalt speak, and shalt be silent no more: and thou shalt be unto them for a sign of things to come, and you shall know that I am the Lord.

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.”