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 there is a word of Jehovah unto me, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in 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 for thee the name of the day — this self-same day leaned hath the king of Babylon toward Jerusalem in this self-same 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.

and use unto the rebellious house a simile, and thou hast said unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: To set on the pot, to set [it] on, and also to pour into it water,

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

To gather its pieces unto it, every good piece, Thigh and shoulder, the choice of the bones to fill in.

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

The choice of the flock to take, And also to pile of the bones under it, Boil it thoroughly, yea, cook its bones in its midst.

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.

Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Woe [to] the city of blood, A pot whose scum [is] in it, And its scum hath not come out of it, By piece of it, by piece of it bring it out, Not fallen on it hath a 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 blood in her midst hath been, On a clear place of a rock she hath set it, She hath not poured it on the earth, To cover it over 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 cause fury to come up to take vengeance, I have put her blood on a clear place of a rock — not to 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 said the Lord Jehovah: Woe [to] the city of blood, yea, I — I make great 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.

Make abundant the wood, Kindle the fire, consume the flesh, And make the compound, And let the bones be burnt.

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.

And cause it to stand on its coals empty, So that its brass is hot and burning, Melted hath been in its midst its uncleanness, Consumed is its scum.

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

[With] sorrows she hath wearied herself, And the abundance of her scum goeth not out of her, In the fire [is] 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] wickedness, Because I have cleansed thee, And thou hast not been cleansed, From thine uncleanness thou art not cleansed again, Till I have caused My fury to rest on 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, Jehovah, hath spoken, It hath come, and I have done [it], I do not free, nor do I spare, nor do I repent, According to thy ways, and according to thine acts, they have judged thee, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'

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

And there is a word of Jehovah 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, lo, I am taking from thee the desire of thine eyes by a stroke, and thou dost not mourn, nor weep, nor let thy tear come.

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.”

Cease to groan, [for] the dead thou dost make no mourning, thy bonnet bind on thee, and thy shoes thou dost put on thy feet, and thou dost not cover over the upper lip, and bread of men thou dost 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.

And I speak unto the people in the morning, and my wife dieth in the evening, and I do in the morning as I have been commanded.

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

And the people say unto me, 'Dost thou not declare to us what these [are] to us, that thou art doing?'

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

And I say unto them, 'A word of Jehovah hath been 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 said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am polluting My sanctuary, The excellency of your strength, The desire of your eyes, and the pitied of your soul, And your sons and your daughters whom ye have left, by sword they do fall.

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

And ye have done as I have done, On the upper lip ye are not covered, And bread of men ye do 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 bonnets [are] on your heads, And your shoes [are] on your feet, Ye do not mourn nor do ye weep, And ye have wasted away for your iniquities, And ye have howled one unto 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.

And Ezekiel hath been to you for a type, According to all that he hath done ye do; In its coming in — ye have known that I [am] the Lord Jehovah.

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, Is it not in the day of My taking from them their strength, The joy of their beauty, the desire of their eyes, And the song 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.

In that day come doth the escaped one to thee. To cause the ears to hear.

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 opened is thy mouth with the escaped, And thou speakest, and art not silent any more, And thou hast been to them for a type. And they have known that I [am] Jehovah.'