Ezekiel 24

1 Again in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the word of YHWH came unto 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 Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this same day: the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem 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 And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, Thus saith the Sovereign YHWH; Set on a 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 the pieces thereof into 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 burn also the bones under it, and make it boil well, and let them 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 Wherefore thus saith the Sovereign YHWH; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall up on 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 top of a 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 to take vengeance; I have set her blood upon the top of a 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 Sovereign YHWH; Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire 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 Heap on wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones 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 set it empty upon the coals thereof, that the brass of it may be hot, and may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it, that the scum 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 herself with lies, and her great scum went not forth out of her: her scum shall be in the fire.

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

13 In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest 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 YHWH 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 Sovereign YHWH.

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 YHWH 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 mourn 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 Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, 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 spake 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 answered them, The word of YHWH 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 Sovereign YHWH; Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left 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 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 mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn 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 unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Sovereign YHWH.

‘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 son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their minds, 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 he that escapeth in that day 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 to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am YHWH.

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.”