Jezekiel 24

1 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 for yourself daily from this day, on which the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem, [even] from this day.

3 And speak a parable to the provoking house, and you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord; Set on the caldron, and pour water into it:

4 and put the pieces into it, every prime piece, the leg and shoulder taken off from the bones,

5 [which are] taken from choice cattle, and burn the bones under them: her bones are boiled and cooked in the midst of her.

6 Therefore thus says the Lord; O bloody city, the caldron in which there is scum, and the scum has not gone out of, she has brought it forth piece by piece, no lot has fallen upon it.

7 For her blood is in the midst of her; I have set it upon a smooth rock: I have not poured it out upon the earth, so that the earth should cover it;

8 that my wrath should come up for complete vengeance to be taken: I set her blood upon a smooth rock, so as not to cover it.

9 Therefore thus says the Lord, I will also make the firebrand great,

10 and I will multiply the wood, and kindle the fire, that the flesh may be consumed, and the liquor boiled away;

11 and that [it] may stand upon the coals, that her brass may be thoroughly heated, and be melted in the midst of her filthiness, and her scum may be consumed,

12 and her abundant scum may not come forth of her.

13 Her scum shall become shameful, because you did defile yourself: and what if you shall be purged no more until I have accomplished my wrath?

14 I the Lord have spoken; and it shall come, and I will do [it]; I will not delay, neither will I have any mercy: I will judge you, says the Lord, according to your ways, and according to your devices: therefore will I judge you according to your bloodshed, and according to your devices will I judge you, you unclean, notorious, and abundantly provoking one.

15 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

16 Son of man, behold I take from you the desire of your eyes by violence: you shall not lament, neither shall you weep.

17 You shall groan for blood, and have mourning upon your loins; your hair shall not be braided upon you, and your sandals [shall be] on your feet; you shall in no wise be comforted by their lips, and you shall not eat the bread of men.

18 And I spoke to the people in the morning, as he commanded me in the evening, and I did in the morning as it was commanded me.

19 And the people said to me, Will you not tell us what these things are that you do?

20 Then I said to them, The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

21 Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord; Behold, I [will] profane my sanctuary, the boast of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and for which your souls are concerned; and your sons and your daughters, whom you have left, shall fall by the sword.

22 And you shall do as I have done: you shall not be comforted at their mouth, and you shall not eat the bread of men.

23 And your hair [shall be] upon your head, and your shoes on your feet: neither shall you at all lament or weep; but you shall pine away in your iniquities, and shall comfort every one his brother.

24 And Jezekiel shall be for a sign to you: according to all that I have done shall you do, when these things shall come; and you shall know that I am the Lord.

25 And you, son of man, [shall it] not [be] in the day when I take their strength from them, the pride of their boasting, the desires of their eyes, and the pride of their soul, their sons and their daughters,

26 that in that day he that escapes shall come to you, to tell [it] you in your ears?

27 In that day your mouth shall be opened to him that escapes; you shall speak, and shall be no longer dumb: and you shall be for a sign to them, and they shall know that I am the Lord.