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 Yahweh came unto me. in the ninth year in the tenth month, on the tenth 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, this selfsame day, —the king of Babylon cast himself against Jerusalem, on this selfsame day.
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.
Put thou forth therefore, against the perverse house a parable, and say unto them Thus saith My Lord, Yahweh: Set on the caldron set it on, Moreover also pour into it water:
4 Fill it with some good cuts of meat from the thigh and the shoulder. Put in the best bones.
Gather the pieces thereof into it, Every good piece thigh and shoulder, With the choice of the bones, fill it:
5 Choose the best animal from the flock. Pile up the fuel underneath it. Get it boiling and cook the bones in it.
Take of the choice of the rock, Moreover also pile of bones place under it, - Boil the pieces thereof, Yea let the bones of it seethe in the midst thereof.
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 My Lord Yahweh, Woe! city of bloodshed. The caldron whose scum is in it, and whose scum, hath not gone out of it: Piece by piece, bring it out, There hath fallen thereon no lot.
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 own blood, hath come to be in her midst, Upon the smooth face of the cliff, hath she set it, - She hath not poured it out on the earth, that she might 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.
To bring up indignation to execute an avenging, have I set her blood upon the smooth face of the cliff, —that it may 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.
Wherefore Thus, saith My Lord Yahweh, Woe! city of bloodshed, —Even I myself, will make large the pile.
10 Put on plenty of wood and light the fire. Make sure the meat is well cooked and add spices. Burn the bones.
Heap on the wood Kindle the fire, Consume the flesh, Yea season with spice, And let the bones be scorched.
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 set it upon the live coals thereof empty, —that the copper of it may be scorched and burn. So that the impurity thereof may be annihilated within it The scum thereof be consumed,
12 So far it's been impossible to clean it —even fire couldn't burn out all its rust.
With toils, hath she wearied herself, —Since her abundant scum will not go out of her, into the fire, with her scum!
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.
In thine uncleanness, is lewdness; be- cause I purified thee and thou wast not purified, from thine uncleanness, thou shalt not be purified any more, until I have let mine indignation rest 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 Yahweh, have spoken It cometh and I will perform I will not let alone, neither will I shield, Nor will I repent, - According to thy ways and according to thy doings, have they judged thee, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.
15 A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
And the word of Yahweh 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 me! taking away from thee the delight of thine eyes, with a stroke, - But thou shall not lament Neither shalt thou weep, Neither shall come—thy tears:
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.”
To groan, forbear, Over the dead—no mourning, shalt thou make Thy chaplet, bind thou on thee And thy sandals: , put thou on thy feet, And thou shalt not cover thy beard, And the bread of other men, shalt thou not eat.
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 spake unto the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening, —and I did in the morning, as I had been commanded.
19 The people asked me, “What are you doing? Aren't you going to explain to us what this means?”
Then said the people unto me: Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou shouldst be acting thus?
20 So I told them, “A message from the Lord came to me, saying:
So I said unto them: The word of Yahweh hath come 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.
Say to the house of Israel thus, saith My Lord. Yahweh, Behold me! profaning my sanctuary. The pride of your strength, The delight of your eyes And the object of the tender regard of your soul, - And your sons and your daughters whom ye have left behind, by the sword, shall fall.
22 Then you'll do what I did. You won't veil your face or eat the bread used by mourners.
Then shall ye do, as I have done.— The beard, shall ye not cover, And the bread of other men: , shall ye not eat;
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 chaplets shall be on your heads. And your sandals on your feet, Ye shall neither lament, nor weep, - Yet shall ye pine away in your iniquities, and shall groan one to 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.
So shall Ezekiel become to you a wonder, According to all that he hath done, shall ye do: When it cometh, then shall ye know that I am The Lord, Yahweh.
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—
Thou, therefore Son of man, Shall it not be— In the day when I take away from them Their strength, The joy of their adorning, — The delight of their eyes And the desire 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, one that hath escaped shall come in unto thee, —to cause thee to hear it with thine own 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.”
That in that day, thy mouth shall be opened unto him that hath escaped, And thou shalt speak and not be dumb any longer? So shalt thou become to them a wonder, And they shall know that, I, am Yahweh.
