Ezekiel 24

1 The word of Yahweh came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, and on the tenth day of the month, saying,

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

2 “Son of man, write for yourself the name of this day, this exact day, for this exact day the king of Babylon has besieged Jerusalem.

"Son of man, write the name of the day, even of this same day: the king of Babylon drew close to Jerusalem this same day.

3 So speak a proverb against this rebellious house, a parable. Say to them, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: Place the cooking pot. Place it and pour water into it.

Utter a parable to the rebellious house, and tell them, 'Thus says the LORD, "Set on the caldron, set it on, and also pour water into it:

4 Gather pieces of food within it, every good piece—the thigh and shoulder— and fill it with the best bones.

gather its pieces into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones.

5 Take the best of the flock and pile up the bones under it. Bring it to a boil and cook the bones in it.

Take the choice of the flock, and also a pile of wood for the bones under the caldron; make it boil well; yes, let its bones be boiled in its midst."'

6 Therefore the Lord Yahweh says this: Woe to the city of blood, a cooking pot that has rust in it and that rust will not come out of it. Take piece after piece from it, but do not cast lots for it.

"Therefore thus says the LORD: 'Woe to the bloody city, to the caldron whose rust is in it, and whose rust is not gone out of it. Take out of it piece after piece; No lot is fallen on it.

7 For her blood is in the midst of her. She has set it on the smooth rock; she has not poured it out on the ground to cover it with dust,

For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it on the bare rock; she didn't pour it on the ground, to cover it with dust.

8 so it brings fury up to exact vengeance. I placed her blood on the smooth rock so it could not 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, the Lord Yahweh says this: Woe to the city of blood. I will also enlarge the pile of wood.

"Therefore thus says the LORD: 'Woe to the bloody city. I also will make the pile great.

10 Stack up the wood and kindle the fire. Cook the meat well and mix in the spices and let the bones be charred.

Pile on the wood, make the fire hot, boil the meat well, and mix in the spices, and let the bones be burned up.

11 Then set the pot on its coals empty, in order to heat and scorch its bronze, so its uncleanness within it will be melted, its corrosion 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 become weary because of toil, but her corrosion has not gone out of her by the fire.

She has wearied herself with toil; yet her great rust doesn't go forth out of her; her rust doesn't go forth by fire.

13 Your shameful behavior is in your uncleanness. Because I tried to cleanse you but still you would not be cleansed from your uncleanness, you will not be cleansed anymore until I have satisfied my fury upon you.

In your filthiness is lewdness: because I have cleansed you and you weren't cleansed, you shall not be cleansed from your filthiness any more, until I have caused my wrath toward you to rest.

14 I, Yahweh, have declared it, and I will do it. I will not relent nor will I rest from it. As your ways were, and as your activities, they will judge you!—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.”

I, the LORD, have spoken it: it shall happen, and I will do it: I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to your ways and according to your deeds I will judge you,' says the LORD."

15 Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

Also the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

16 “Son of man! Behold, I am taking the desire of your eyes from you with a plague, but you must not mourn nor weep, and your tears must not flow.

"Son of man, look, I will take away from you the desire of your eyes with a stroke: yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, neither shall your tears run down.

17 You must groan silently. Do not conduct a funeral for the dead. Tie your turban on you and place your sandals on your feet, but do not veil your facial hair or eat the bread of men who mourn for having lost their wives.”

Sigh, but not aloud, make no mourning for the dead; bind your headdress on you, and put your shoes on your feet, and do not cover your lips, and do not eat men's bread."

18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. In the morning I did what I had been commanded to do.

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

19 The people asked me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean, the things that you are doing?”

The people said to me, "Won't you tell us what these things are to us, that you do so?"

20 So I said to them, “The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

Then I said to them, "The word of the LORD came to me, saying,

21 'Say to the house of Israel, the Lord Yahweh says this: Behold! I will desecrate my sanctuary—the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind will fall by the sword.

'Speak to the house of Israel, "Thus says the LORD: Look, 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 shall fall by the sword.

22 Then you will do exactly as I have done: you will not veil your facial hair, nor eat the bread of mourning men!

You shall do as I have done: you shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.

23 Instead, your turbans will be on your heads, and your sandals on your feet; you will not mourn nor weep, for you will melt away in your iniquities, and each man will groan for his brother.

Your turbans shall be on your heads, and your shoes on your feet: you shall not mourn nor weep; but you shall pine away in your iniquities, and moan one toward another.

24 So Ezekiel will be a sign for you, as everything that he has done you will do when this comes. Then you will know that I am the Lord Yahweh!'”

Thus Ezekiel shall 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."'"

25 “But you, son of man, on the day that I capture their temple, which is their joy, their pride, and what they see and desire—and when I take away their sons and daughters—

"You, son of man, shall it not 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 on that day, a refugee will come to you to give you the news!

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

27 On that day your mouth will be opened up to that refugee and you will speak—you will no longer be silent. You will be a sign for them so that they will know that I am Yahweh.”

In that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped, and you shall speak, and be no more mute: so you will be a sign to them; and they shall know that I am the LORD."