< Ezekiel 24 >

1 Again in the ninth yeere, in the tenth moneth, in the tenth day of the moneth, came the worde of the Lord vnto me, saying,
And the word of the Lord came to me, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, saying:
2 Sonne of man, write thee the name of the day, euen of this same day: for the King of Babel set himselfe against Ierusalem this same day.
“Son of man, write for yourself the name of this day, on which the king of Babylon was confirmed against Jerusalem today.
3 Therefore speake a parable vnto the rebellious house, and say vnto them, Thus sayth the Lord God, Prepare a pot, prepare it, and also powre water into it.
And you shall speak, through a proverb, a parable to the inciting house. And you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Set out a cooking pot; set it out, I say, and put water into it.
4 Gather the pieces thereof into it, euen euery good piece, as the thigh and the shoulder, and fill it with the chiefe bones.
Pile together within it every morsel, every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder, the choice pieces and those full of bones.
5 Take one of the best sheepe, and burne also the bones vnder it, and make it boyle well, and seethe the bones of it therein,
Take the fattest from the flock, and arrange also a heap of bones under it. Its cooking has boiled over, and its bones in its midst have been thoroughly cooked.
6 Because the Lord God sayth thus, Woe to the bloody citie, euen to the pot, whose skomme is therein, and whose skomme is not gone out of it: bring it out piece by piece: let no lot fall vpon it.
Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Woe to the city of blood, to the cooking pot that has rust in it, and whose rust has not gone out of it! Cast it out piece by piece! No lot has fallen upon it.
7 For her blood is in the middes of her: shee set it vpon an high rocke, and powred it not vpon on the ground to couer it with dust,
For her blood is in her midst; she has shed it upon the smoothest rock. She has not shed it upon the ground, so that it could be covered with dust.
8 That it might cause wrath to arise, and take vengeance: euen I haue set her blood vpon an high rocke that it should not be couered.
So shall I bring my indignation over her, and take my vengeance. I have presented her blood upon the smoothest rock, so that it would not be covered.
9 Therefore thus saith ye Lord God, Woe to the bloody citie, for I will make ye burning great.
Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Woe to the city of blood, out of which I will make a great funeral pyre.
10 Heape on much wood: kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and cast in spice, and let the bones be burnt.
Pile together the bones, which I will burn with fire. The flesh shall be consumed, and the entire composition shall be boiled, and the bones shall deteriorate.
11 Then set it emptie vpon the coles thereof, that the brasse of it may be hot, and may burne, and that the filthinesse of it may be molten in it, and that the skomme of it may be consumed.
Also, place it empty on burning coals, so that it may be heated, and its brass may melt. And let the filth of it be melted in its midst, and let its rust be consumed.
12 She hath wearied her selfe with lyes, and her great skomme went not out of her: therefore her skomme shall be consumed with fire.
There has been much sweat and labor, and yet its extensive rust has not gone out of it, not even by fire.
13 Thou remainest in thy filthines and wickednes: because I would haue purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthines, till I haue caused my wrath to light vpon thee.
Your uncleanness is execrable. For I wanted to cleanse you, and you have not been cleansed from your filth. So then, neither will you be cleansed before I cause my indignation over you to cease.
14 I the Lord haue spoken it: it shall come to passe, and I will doe it: I will not goe backe, neither will I spare, neither will I repent: according to thy wayes, and according to thy workes shall they iudge thee, sayeth the Lord God.
I, the Lord, have spoken. It shall happen, and I will act. I will not pass over, nor be lenient, nor be placated. I will judge you according to your ways and according to your intentions, says the Lord.”
15 Also the worde of ye Lord came vnto me, saying,
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
16 Sonne of man beholde, I take away from thee the pleasure of thine eyes with a plague: yet shalt thou neither mourne nor weepe, neither shall thy teares runne downe.
“Son of man, behold, I am taking away from you, with a stroke, the desire of your eyes. And you shall not lament, and you shall not weep. And your tears shall not flow down.
17 Cease from sighing: make no mourning for the dead, and binde the tyre of thine head vpon thee, and put on thy shooes vpon thy feete, and couer not thy lips, and eate not the bread of men.
Groan silently; you shall make no mourning for the dead. Let the band of your crown be on you, and let your shoes be on your feet. And you shall not cover your face, nor shall you eat the food of those who mourn.”
18 So I spake vnto the people in the morning, and at euen my wife dyed: and I did in the morning, as I was commanded.
Therefore, I spoke to the people in the morning. And my wife died in the evening. And in the morning, I did just as he had instructed me.
19 And the people said vnto me, Wilt thou not tell vs what these things meane towarde vs that thou doest so?
And the people said to me: “Why won’t you explain to us what these things signify, which you are doing?”
20 Then I answered them, The worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying,
And I said to them: “The word of the Lord came to me, saying:
21 Speake vnto the house of Israel, Thus sayth the Lord God, Behold, I will pollute my Sanctuarie, euen the pride of your power, the pleasure of your eyes, and your hearts desire, and your sonnes, and your daughters whom ye haue left, shall fall by the sworde.
‘Speak to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will defile my sanctuary, the pride of your realm, and the desire of your eyes, and the dread of your soul. Your sons and your daughters, whom you have forsaken, will fall by the sword.’
22 And ye shall doe as I haue done: ye shall not couer your lippes, neither shall ye eate the bread of men.
And so, you shall do just as I have done. You shall not cover your faces, and you shall not eat the food of those who mourn.
23 And your tyre shalbe vpon your heads, and your shooes vpon your feete: ye shall not mourne nor weepe, but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourne one toward another.
You shall have crowns on your heads, and shoes on your feet. You shall not lament, and you shall not weep. Instead, you will waste away in your iniquities, and each one will groan to his brother.
24 Thus Ezekiel is vnto you a signe: according to all that he hath done, ye shall do: and when this commeth, ye shall know that I am the Lord God.
‘And Ezekiel shall be a portent for you. In accord with all that he has done, so shall you do, when this will happen. And you shall know that I am the Lord God.’”
25 Also, thou sonne of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their power, ye ioy of their honor, ye pleasure of their eyes, and the desire of their heart, their sonnes and their daughters?
“And as for you, son of man, behold, in the day when I will take away from them their strength, and the joy of their dignity, and the desire of their eyes, in which their souls find rest: their sons and their daughters,
26 That he that escapeth in that day, shall come vnto thee to tell thee that which hee hath heard with his eares?
in that day, when one who is fleeing will come to you, so that he may report to you,
27 In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speake, and be no more dumme, and thou shalt be a signe vnto them, and they shall knowe that I am the Lord.
in that day, I say, your mouth shall be opened to him who has fled. And you shall speak, and you shall no longer be silent. And you shall be for them a portent. And you shall know that I am the Lord.”

< Ezekiel 24 >