Ezekiel 24

1 And there is a word of YHWH to me, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, saying,

Again, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

2 “Son of man, write! Write the name of the day for yourself, this very day; the king of Babylon has leaned toward Jerusalem in this very day.

“Son of man, write the name of the day, this same day. The king of Babylon drew close to Jerusalem this same day.

3 And use an allegory toward the house of rebellion, and you have said to them, Thus said Lord YHWH: To set on the pot, to set [it] on, and also to pour water into it,

Utter a parable to the rebellious house, and tell them, ‘The Lord GOD says, “Put the cauldron on the fire. Put it on, and also pour water into it.

4 To gather its pieces to it, every good piece, Thigh and shoulder, to fill in the choice of the bones.

Gather its pieces into it, even every good piece: the thigh and the shoulder. Fill it with the choice bones.

5 To take the choice of the flock, And also to pile the bones under it, Boil it thoroughly, indeed, cook its bones in its midst.

Take the choice of the flock, and also a pile of wood for the bones under the cauldron. Make it boil well. Yes, let its bones be boiled within it.”

6 Therefore, thus said Lord YHWH: Woe [to] the city of blood, A pot whose scum [is] in it, And its scum has not come out of it, By piece of it, by piece of it bring it out, a lot has not fallen on it.

“‘Therefore the Lord GOD says: “Woe to the bloody city, to the cauldron whose rust is in it, and whose rust has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece without casting lots for it.

7 For her blood has been in her midst, She has set it on a clear place of a rock, She has not poured it on the earth, To cover it over with dust.

“‘“For the blood she shed is in the middle of her. She set it on the bare rock. She did not pour it on the ground, to cover it with dust.

8 To cause fury to come up to take vengeance, I have put her blood on a clear place of a rock—not to be covered.

That it may cause wrath to come up to take vengeance, I have set her blood on the bare rock, that it should not be covered.”

9 Therefore, thus said Lord YHWH: Woe [to] the city of blood, indeed, I make the pile great.

“‘Therefore the Lord GOD says: “Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great.

10 Make the wood abundant, Kindle the fire, consume the flesh, And make the compound, And let the bones be burned.

Heap on the wood. Make the fire hot. Boil the meat well. Make the broth thick, and let the bones be burned.

11 And cause it to stand empty on its coals, So that its bronze is hot and burning, Its uncleanness has been melted in its midst, Its scum is consumed.

Then set it empty on its coals, that it may be hot, and its bronze may burn, and that its filthiness may be molten in it, that its rust may be consumed.

12 She has wearied herself [with] sorrows, And the abundance of her scum does not go out of her, Her scum [is] in the fire.

She is weary with toil; yet her great rust, rust by fire, does not leave her.

13 Wickedness [is] in your uncleanness, Because I have cleansed you, And you have not been cleansed, You are not cleansed from your uncleanness again, Until I have caused My fury to rest on you.

“‘“In your filthiness is lewdness. Because I have cleansed you and you were not cleansed, you will not be cleansed from your filthiness any more, until I have caused my wrath toward you to rest.

14 I, YHWH, have spoken, It has come, and I have done [it], I do not free, nor do I spare, nor do I regret, According to your ways, and according to your acts, They have judged you, A declaration of Lord YHWH.”

“‘“I, the LORD, have spoken it. It will happen, and I will do it. I will not go back. I will not spare. I will not repent. According to your ways and according to your doings, they will judge you,” says the Lord GOD.’”

15 And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

Also the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

16 “Son of man, behold, I am taking the desire of your eyes from you by a stroke, and you do not mourn, nor weep, nor let your tear come.

“Son of man, behold, I will take away from you the desire of your eyes with one stroke; yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, neither shall your tears run down.

17 Cease to groan [and] make no mourning [for] the dead, bind your headdress on yourself, and put your shoes on your feet, and you do not cover over the upper lip, and you do not eat [the] bread of men.”

Sigh, but not aloud. Make no mourning for the dead. Bind your headdress on you, and put your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your lips, and do not eat mourner’s bread.”

18 And I speak to the people in the morning, and my wife dies in the evening, and I do in the morning as I have been commanded.

So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. So I did in the morning as I was commanded.

19 And the people say to me, “Do you not declare to us what these [are] to us, that you are doing?”

The people asked me, “Will not you tell us what these things mean to us, that you act like this?”

20 And I say to them, “A word of YHWH has been to me, saying,

Then I said to them, “The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

21 Say to the house of Israel, Thus said Lord YHWH: Behold, I am defiling My sanctuary, The excellence of your strength, The desire of your eyes, and the pitied of your soul, And your sons and your daughters whom you have left, fall by sword.

‘Speak to the house of Israel, “The Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pities; and your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword.

22 And you have done as I have done, You have not covered over the upper lip, And you do not eat [the] bread of men.

You will do as I have done. You will not cover your lips or eat mourner’s bread.

23 And your headdresses [are] on your heads, And your shoes [are] on your feet, You do not mourn nor do you weep, And you have wasted away for your iniquities, And you have howled to one another.

Your turbans will be on your heads, and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep; but you will pine away in your iniquities, and moan one toward another.

24 And Ezekiel has been for a type to you; according to all that he has done you do. In its coming in—you have known that I [am] Lord YHWH.”

Thus Ezekiel will be a sign to you; according to all that he has done, you will do. When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’”’”

25 “And you, son of man, is it not in the day of My taking from them their strength, the joy of their beauty, the desire of their eyes, and the song of their soul—their sons and their daughters?

“You, son of man, should not it 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 heart—their sons and their daughters—

26 In that day the escaped one comes to you to cause the ears to hear.

that in that day he who escapes will come to you, to cause you to hear it with your ears?

27 In that day your mouth is opened with the escaped and you speak, and are not silent anymore, and you have been for a type to them, and they have known that I [am] YHWH.”

In that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped, and you will speak and be no more mute. So you will be a sign to them. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”