< Ezekiel 24 >
1 And the word of the Lord came unto me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on 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 down the name of this day, of this same day: the king of Babylon hath advanced against Jerusalem on this same day.
Son of man, put down in writing this very day: The king of Babylon let loose the weight of his attack against Jerusalem on this very day.
3 And speak concerning the rebellious family a parable, and say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Set on the pot, set it on, and also pour water into it;
And make a comparison for this uncontrolled people, and say to them, This is what the Lord has said: Put on the cooking-pot, put it on the fire and put water in it:
4 Gather the proper pieces into it, every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it up with the choice bones.
And get the bits together, the fat tail, every good part, the leg and the top part of it: make it full of the best bones.
5 Take the choice of the flock, and make also a fire for the bones under it: cause it to seethe well, that even the bones therein may be fully boiled through.
Take the best of the flock, put much wood under it: see that its bits are boiling well; let the bones be cooked inside it.
6 Therefore thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Woe to the city of blood-guiltiness, to the pot the scum of which is yet in it, and the scum of which is not gone out of it! one of its pieces after the other take out from it: no lot is cast for it.
For this is what the Lord has said: A curse is on the town of blood, the cooking-pot which is unclean inside, which has never been made clean! take out its bits; its fate is still to come on it.
7 For her blood was in the midst of her; on the naked rock did she place it: she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it over with dust.
For her blood is in her; she has put it on the open rock not draining it on to the earth so that it might be covered with dust;
8 To cause my fury to arise to take vengeance, do I place her blood upon the naked rock, so that it shall not be covered up.
In order that it might make wrath come up to give punishment, she has put her blood on the open rock, so that it may not be covered.
9 Therefore thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Woe to the city of blood-guiltiness! I also will myself build up a large burning pile,
For this cause the Lord has said: A curse is on the town of blood! and I will make great the burning mass.
10 Heaping on the wood, kindling the fire, thoroughly boiling the flesh, and stirring the mixture, that the bones may be scorched.
Put on much wood, heating up the fire, boiling the flesh well, and making the soup thick, and let the bones be burned.
11 Then will I set it empty upon its coals, in order that it may become hot, and its copper be made to glow, and its uncleanness may be molten in it, that its scum may be consumed.
And I will put her on the coals so that she may be heated and her brass burned, so that what is unclean in her may become soft and her waste be completely taken away.
12 With fraud hath she wearied [the poor]; therefore shall not go forth from her the greatness of her scum: through fire shall her scum [be removed].
I have made myself tired to no purpose: still all the waste which is in her has not come out, it has an evil smell.
13 In thy uncleanness is [thy] incest; because I endeavored to cleanse thee, and thou wouldst not be clean, thou shalt not be cleansed from thy uncleanness any more, until I have assuaged my fury on thee.
As for your unclean purpose: because I have been attempting to make you clean, but you have not been made clean from it, you will not be made clean till I have let loose my passion on you in full measure.
14 I the Lord have spoken it; it cometh to pass, and I will do it; I will not recall my decree, and I will not have pity, nor will I repent: according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall men judge thee, saith the Lord Eternal.
I the Lord have said the word and I will do it; I will not go back or have mercy, and my purpose will not be changed; in the measure of your ways and of your evil doings you will be judged, says the Lord.
15 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
16 Son of man, behold, I will take away from thee the desire of thy eyes by a sudden death; but thou shalt neither mourn nor weep, nor shalt thou shed a tear.
Son of man, see, I am taking away the desire of your eyes by disease: but let there be no sorrow or weeping or drops running from your eyes.
17 Sigh in silence, make no mourning for the deceased, thy bonnet bind around thy head, and thy shoes put on thy feet, and cover not thyself to thy upper lip, and eat not the bread of [other] men.
Let there be no sound of sorrow; make no weeping for your dead, put on your head-dress and your shoes on your feet, let not your lips be covered, and do not take the food of those in grief.
18 And when I had spoken unto the people in the morning, my wife died at evening: and I did in the morning as I had been commanded.
So in the morning I was teaching the people and in the evening death took my wife; and in the morning I did what I had been ordered to do.
19 And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things mean for us, that thou doest so?
And the people said to me, Will you not make clear to us the sense of these things; is it for us you do them?
20 And I said unto them, The word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Then I said to them, The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
21 Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and the darling of your soul: and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left behind shall fall by the sword.
Say to the people of Israel, The Lord has said, See, I will make my holy place unclean, the pride of your strength, the pleasure of your eyes, and the desire of your soul; and your sons and daughters, who did not come with you here, will be put to the sword.
22 And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover yourselves to your upper lip, and the bread of other men shall ye not eat.
And you will do as I have done, not covering your lips or taking the food of those in grief.
23 And your bonnets shall be around your heads, and your shoes shall be on your feet: ye shall not mourn nor shall ye weep; but ye shall pine away in your iniquities, and groan, looking one at the other.
And your head-dresses will be on your heads and your shoes on your feet: there will be no sorrow or weeping; but you will be wasting away in the punishment of your evil-doing, and you will be looking at one another in wonder.
24 Thus shall Ezekiel be unto you for a token; in accordance with all that he hath done shall ye do: when this cometh, then shall ye know that I am the Lord Eternal.
And Ezekiel will be a sign to you; everything he has done you will do: when this takes place, you will be certain that I am the Lord.
25 Also, thou son of man, behold, on the day when I take from them their stronghold, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and the coveted object of their soul, their sons and their daughters, —
And as for you, son of man, your mouth will be shut in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that on which their hearts are fixed, and their sons and daughters.
26 On that day there shall come one that hath escaped unto thee, and announce it to thy ears.
In that day, one who has got away safe will come to you to give you news of it.
27 On that day shall thy mouth be opened through him that hath escaped, and thou shalt speak, and thou shalt not be silenced any more: and thou shalt be a token unto them, and they shall know that I am the Lord.
In that day your mouth will be open to him who has got away safe, and you will say words to him and your lips will no longer be shut: so you will be a sign to them and they will be certain that I am the Lord.