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,
Moreover, the word of Jehovah came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, and said:
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 draweth near 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 say to them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Set on a 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 the pieces thereof 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 make under it a pile for the bones, and make it boil well, that the bones therein may be seethed.
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.
Wherefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the city of blood, to the caldron in which is rust, and whose rust goeth not out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon 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 blood is in the midst of her; upon the bare rock hath she shed it; she poured it not upon the ground, that it might be covered 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.
To cause fury and to take vengeance, I have set the blood shed by her upon the bare rock, that it might 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 saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the city of blood! Now will I make the pile for fire 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.
Heap on wood, kindle the fire, cook the flesh, put in spices, and let the bones be burned.
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 upon the coals, that its brass may be hot and may burn, and that its impurity may be dissolved in it, and its rust be consumed.
12 She has become weary because of toil, but her corrosion has not gone out of her by the fire.
It hath wearied me with labors, yet its thick rust goeth not from it; its rust remaineth in the midst of the 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 thy filthiness is gross wickedness, because, when I would have cleansed thee, thou wouldst not be cleansed. Thou shalt not be cleansed from thy filthiness any more, till I have quieted my fury toward thee.
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, Jehovah, have spoken it; it shall come to pass, and I will do it. I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent. According to thy ways and according to thy doings shall they judge thee, saith the Lord Jehovah.
15 Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
Also the word of Jehovah 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, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with one blow; yet thou shalt not mourn, nor weep, nor shall thy 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 thou in silence, make no mourning for the dead; bind thy head-dress upon thee, and thy shoes on thy feet; cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of wretched men.
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 spake to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening; 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?”
And the people said to me, Wilt thou not tell us what those things which thou doest denote to us?
20 So I said to them, “The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
Then I answered them: The word of Jehovah came to me and said:
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.
Say to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your confidence, the desire of your eyes, and the longing of your souls; and your sons and daughters that are left to you 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!
And ye shall do as I have done; ye shall not cover your mouths, nor eat the bread of wretched 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.
and your head-dresses shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet; ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and moan one to 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 to you a sign; according to all that he hath done shall ye do, when this cometh; and ye shall know that I am the Lord Jehovah.
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—
And thou, son of man, behold, in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and the longing of their souls, their sons and their daughters, in that day shall one
26 on that day, a refugee will come to you to give you the news!
that is escaped come to thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine 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 shall thy mouth be opened to him that is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb; and thou shalt be a sign to them, and they shall know that I am Jehovah.
