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:

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 '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 for yourself the name of this day, on which the king of Babylon was confirmed against Jerusalem today.

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;

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

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 midst of her; she set it upon the bare rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover 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 fury to come up, that vengeance might be taken, I have set her blood upon the bare rock, that it should not be covered.

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 the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile 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 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 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 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.

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

There has been much sweat and labor, and yet its extensive rust has not gone out of it, not even by 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.

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 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. 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 word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

And 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 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 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 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 spoke unto the people in the morning, and at even my wife died; 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 unto me: 'Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, 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 said unto them: 'The word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

And I said to 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.

‘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 do as I have done: ye shall not cover your upper lips, nor eat 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 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.

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 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.

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

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 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.'

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.”