Ezekiel 24

1 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:

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 the day, even of this selfsame day; this selfsame day the king of Babylon hath invested Jerusalem.

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

3 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;

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

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

5 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.

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

6 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.

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 set it upon the bare rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it 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 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.

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! I also will make the pile great,

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

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

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

11 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.

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

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

13 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.

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; 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.'

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

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

16 '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.

“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, 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.'

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

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

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

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

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

21 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.

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

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

23 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.

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 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.

‘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, 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,

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

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

27 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.'

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.”