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,

On the tenth day of the tenth month of the ninth year, a message from the Lord 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 down today's date, because this is the day that the king of Babylon started his siege of Jerusalem.

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,

Then repeat the following parable to these rebellious people. Tell them that this is what the Lord God says: Get a pot and set it on the fire. Pour in some water.

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

Fill it with some good cuts of meat from the thigh and the shoulder. Put in the best 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.

Choose the best animal from the flock. Pile up the fuel underneath it. Get it boiling and cook the bones in 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.

So this is what the Lord God says: Disaster is coming to the city of that has shed so much blood! It is symbolized by the rusted pot, whose rust can't be cleaned off. Take out the meat bit by bit as it comes—don't choose which piece.

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 still inside the city. She shed it openly on bare rock—she didn't even spill it on the ground and cover it up with dirt.

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.

In my anger and to punish, I have spilled her blood openly on bare rock, so it wouldn't be covered up.

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

So this is what the Lord God says: Disaster is coming to the city of that has shed so much blood. I will also pile up a large heap of firewood.

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

Put on plenty of wood and light the fire. Make sure the meat is well cooked and add spices. Burn the bones.

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 put the empty pot back on the burning coals until it's hot and the copper metal glows. This will melt the dirt inside it and get rid of the rust.

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.

So far it's been impossible to clean it —even fire couldn't burn out all its rust.

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.

Because of your immorality you had made yourself unclean and I tried to clean you, but you refused to let me clean away your filth. So now you won't be pure again until I've finished being angry with you.

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. The time is soon coming when I will do what I say. I won't change my mind or show pity, I won't stop. I will judge you by your attitude and actions, declares the Lord God.”

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

A message from the Lord 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, look, I'm about to take away the one you love the most. She will die. But you must not mourn or weep. Don't cry any tears.

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.”

Mourn in silence. Don't have any rituals for the dead. Dress normally—have your turban on and put your sandals on your feet. Don't veil your face and don't eat the bread used by mourners.”

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.

I talked to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. The next morning I did as I'd been told.

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, “What are you doing? Aren't you going to explain to us what this means?”

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

So I told them, “A message from the Lord 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.

Tell the people of Israel that this is what the Lord God says: I am about to make my sanctuary unclean, this place you're so proud of that you think gives you power, the place you love so much, the place that makes you happy. Your sons and daughters that you left behind will be killed 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.

Then you'll do what I did. You won't veil your face or eat the bread used by mourners.

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.

You will keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You won't mourn or weep, but you will die inside because of your sins, and you will groan to one 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.”

In this way Ezekiel will be a sign for you; you will do everything that he did. When this happens, 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 know that when I destroy their fortress that is their pride and joy, the place they looked to for comfort and happiness —and their sons and daughters too—

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

when that happens someone who managed to get away will come and give you the news.

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.”

On that day you will be able to speak; you won't be mute any longer. This is how you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.”