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,

Almost nine [after we had been taken to Babylonia], on the tenth day of the tenth month [of that year], Yahweh gave me this message:

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.

“You human, write down what day of the month this is. On this [the army of] King of Babylon has surrounded 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,

Tell those rebellious Israeli people [MTY] [in Babylon] a parable. Say this to them: This is what Yahweh the Lord says: ‘Pour water into the [cooking] pot and put the pot [the fire].

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

Put into the pot some pieces of [from one of your best sheep]: Put in the leg and shoulder, [which are] the best pieces. [Then] fill [the rest of] the pot with 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.

Pile wood on the fire, and cook the bones and the meat in the boiling water.’

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.

[Do that] because this is what Yahweh the Lord says: ‘Terrible things will happen [Jerusalem]; it is city that is full of murderers [MTY], [a city that is like] [MET] a scorched pot whose black residue inside cannot be removed. Take the pieces [of meat] out of the pot, but do not choose which pieces to take out.

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.

The blood of the people who were murdered in Jerusalem is still there; they were murdered on the bare rocks, not on the soil, where their blood could be covered.

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.

But I am the one who caused the blood of those who were murdered [MTY] to be smeared on the bare rock, where their blood could not be covered; I did that in order [I could see it and] then be angry and get revenge.’

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

Therefore, this is what [I], Yahweh the Lord say: ‘Terrible things will happen to that city that is full of murderers [MTY]! [It will be as though] I also will pile high [the wood in the fire].

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

[So], heap on the wood and light the fire! Cook the meat well, and mix some spices with it; cook it until the bones are charred.

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 the empty pot on the [of the fire] until the pot becomes [very] hot and the copper glows, with the result that the impurities and the rust will be burned up.

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.

[It is as though] I tried to get rid of that rust, but I was not able to do it, [not even] by putting that pot in a fire.

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.

The [in the pot represents] your immoral behavior. I tried to cleanse you from your wicked behavior, but you did not allow me to do that. So you will not be [from the guilt of your sin] [I have punished you and] I am no longer angry.

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, Yahweh, have said [that I will surely punish you]. [And it is time] for me to do that. I will not change my mind; I will not refrain from punishing you, and I will not pity you. I will judge you [and punish you] as you deserve to be punished for your sinful behavior. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh the Lord, have said it.”’”

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

[One day] Yahweh gave me this message:

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.

“You human, I am going to suddenly take from [your wife], whom you love very much. [when she dies], do [show that you are] sad or lament or cry.

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.”

Groan quietly; do not cry [openly] for her. [Keep] your turban wrapped around your head, [instead of being barefoot, keep] your sandals on your feet. Do not cover the lower part of your [to show that you are sad]. And do not eat the kind of food that people who are mourning usually eat.”

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.

[one morning] I talked to the [as usual], and that evening my wife [suddenly] died. The next morning I did what [Yahweh] had told me to do.

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

Then the people asked me, “What do the things that you are doing signify to us?”

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

So I said to them, “[This is what] Yahweh told me:

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 Israeli people [MTY] that I am about to destroy the temple, [the building] that you are very proud of, the building that you delight to look at. Your children whom you [in Jerusalem when you were forced to come to Babylon] will be killed [their enemies’] swords.

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.

[When that happens], you will do like I have done: You will not cover the lower part of your faces, or eat the kinds of food that people who are mourning usually eat.

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 wrapped around your heads and [keep] your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or cry, but your bodies will become very thin and slowly die because of your sins. And you will groan to each other.

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.”

Ezekiel will be a warning to you, and you must do what he has done. When that happens, you will know that I, Yahweh the [have the power to do what I say that I will do].’”

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?

[Then Yahweh said to me], “You human, [soon] I will destroy their sacred temple, which they rejoice about and which they respect and delight to look at, and [I will get rid of] their sons and daughters also.

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

On that day, someone will escape [from Jerusalem] and come and tell you what has happened [there].

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.”

When that happens, you will be able to speak again [MTY] [without constraint]. You two will talk together [DOU]. You will be a warning to the people; and they will know that I, Yahweh the Lord, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].”