Ezekiel 24

1 On the tenth day of the tenth month of the ninth year, a message from the Lord came to me, saying,

And the word of the LORD came unto me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, saying:

2 “Son of man, write down today's date, because this is the day that the king of Babylon started his siege of Jerusalem.

'Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this selfsame day; this selfsame day the king of Babylon hath invested Jerusalem.

3 Then repeat the following parable to these rebellious people. Tell them that this is what the Lord God says: Get a pot and set it on the fire. Pour in some water.

And utter a parable concerning the rebellious house, and say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Set on the pot, set it on, and also pour water into it;

4 Fill it with some good cuts of meat from the thigh and the shoulder. Put in the best bones.

Gather into it the pieces belonging to it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones.

5 Choose the best animal from the flock. Pile up the fuel underneath it. Get it boiling and cook the bones in it.

Take the choice of the flock, and pile also the bones under it; make it boil well, that the bones thereof may also be seethed in the midst of it.

6 So this is what the Lord God says: Disaster is coming to the city of that has shed so much blood! It is symbolized by the rusted pot, whose rust can't be cleaned off. Take out the meat bit by bit as it comes—don't choose which piece.

Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose filth is therein, and whose filth is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; no lot is fallen upon it.

7 For the blood she shed is still inside the city. She shed it openly on bare rock—she didn't even spill it on the ground and cover it up with dirt.

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;

8 In my anger and to punish, I have spilled her blood openly on bare rock, so it wouldn't be covered up.

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

9 So this is what the Lord God says: Disaster is coming to the city of that has shed so much blood. I will also pile up a large heap of firewood.

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great,

10 Put on plenty of wood and light the fire. Make sure the meat is well cooked and add spices. Burn the bones.

heaping on the wood, kindling the fire, that the flesh may be consumed; and preparing the mixture, that the bones also may be burned;

11 Then put the empty pot back on the burning coals until it's hot and the copper metal glows. This will melt the dirt inside it and get rid of the rust.

then will I set it empty upon the coals thereof, that it may be hot, and the bottom thereof may burn, and that the impurity of it may be molten in it, that the filth of it may be consumed.

12 So far it's been impossible to clean it —even fire couldn't burn out all its rust.

It hath wearied itself with toil; yet its great filth goeth not forth out of it, yea, its noisome filth.

13 Because of your immorality you had made yourself unclean and I tried to clean you, but you refused to let me clean away your filth. So now you won't be pure again until I've finished being angry with you.

Because of thy filthy lewdness, because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have satisfied My fury upon thee.

14 I, the Lord, have spoken. The time is soon coming when I will do what I say. I won't change my mind or show pity, I won't stop. I will judge you by your attitude and actions, declares the Lord God.”

I the LORD have spoken it; it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord GOD.'

15 A message from the Lord came to me, saying,

Also the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

16 “Son of man, look, I'm about to take away the one you love the most. She will die. But you must not mourn or weep. Don't cry any tears.

'Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke; yet neither shalt thou make lamentation nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.

17 Mourn in silence. Don't have any rituals for the dead. Dress normally—have your turban on and put your sandals on your feet. Don't veil your face and don't eat the bread used by mourners.”

Sigh in silence; make no mourning for the dead, bind thy headtire upon thee, and put thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thine upper lip, and eat not the bread of men.'

18 I talked to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. The next morning I did as I'd been told.

So I spoke unto the people in the morning, and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.

19 The people asked me, “What are you doing? Aren't you going to explain to us what this means?”

And the people said unto me: 'Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?'

20 So I told them, “A message from the Lord came to me, saying:

Then I said unto them: 'The word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

21 Tell the people of Israel that this is what the Lord God says: I am about to make my sanctuary unclean, this place you're so proud of that you think gives you power, the place you love so much, the place that makes you happy. Your sons and daughters that you left behind will be killed by the sword.

Speak unto the house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will profane My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the longing of your soul; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left behind shall fall by the sword.

22 Then you'll do what I did. You won't veil your face or eat the bread used by mourners.

And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover your upper lips, nor eat the bread of men;

23 You will keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You won't mourn or weep, but you will die inside because of your sins, and you will groan to one another.

and your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet; ye shall not make lamentation nor weep; but ye shall pine away in your iniquities, and moan one toward another.

24 In this way Ezekiel will be a sign for you; you will do everything that he did. When this happens, then you will know that I am the Lord God.

Thus shall Ezekiel be unto you a sign; according to all that he hath done shall ye do; when this cometh, then shall ye know that I am the Lord GOD.

25 You, son of man, should know that when I destroy their fortress that is their pride and joy, the place they looked to for comfort and happiness —and their sons and daughters too—

And thou, son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their stronghold, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and the yearning of their soul, their sons and their daughters,

26 when that happens someone who managed to get away will come and give you the news.

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

27 On that day you will be able to speak; you won't be mute any longer. This is how you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.”

In that day shall thy mouth be opened together with 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 the LORD.'