Ezekiel 24

1 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in 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 for thee the name of the day — this self-same day leaned hath the king of Babylon toward Jerusalem in this self-same 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 unto the rebellious house a simile, and thou hast said unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: To set on the pot, to set [it] on, and also to pour into it water,

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 unto it, every good piece, Thigh and shoulder, the choice of the bones to fill in.

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 The choice of the flock to take, And also to pile of the bones under it, Boil it thoroughly, yea, 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 the Lord Jehovah: Woe [to] the city of blood, A pot whose scum [is] in it, And its scum hath not come out of it, By piece of it, by piece of it bring it out, Not fallen on it hath a lot.

[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 in her midst hath been, On a clear place of a rock she hath set it, She hath 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 the Lord Jehovah: Woe [to] the city of blood, yea, I — I make great the pile.

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 abundant the wood, Kindle the fire, consume the flesh, And make the compound, And let the bones be burnt.

[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 on its coals empty, So that its brass is hot and burning, Melted hath been in its midst its uncleanness, Consumed is its scum.

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 [With] sorrows she hath wearied herself, And the abundance of her scum goeth not out of her, In the fire [is] her scum.

[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 In thine uncleanness [is] wickedness, Because I have cleansed thee, And thou hast not been cleansed, From thine uncleanness thou art not cleansed again, Till I have caused My fury to rest on thee.

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, Jehovah, hath spoken, It hath come, and I have done [it], I do not free, nor do I spare, nor do I repent, According to thy ways, and according to thine acts, they have judged thee, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'

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 Jehovah unto me, saying,

[One day] Yahweh gave me this message:

16 'Son of man, lo, I am taking from thee the desire of thine eyes by a stroke, and thou dost not mourn, nor weep, nor let thy 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, [for] the dead thou dost make no mourning, thy bonnet bind on thee, and thy shoes thou dost put on thy feet, and thou dost not cover over the upper lip, and bread of men thou dost not eat.'

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 unto the people in the morning, and my wife dieth 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 unto me, 'Dost thou not declare to us what these [are] to us, that thou art doing?'

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

20 And I say unto them, 'A word of Jehovah hath been unto me, saying:

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

21 Say to the house of Israel: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am polluting My sanctuary, The excellency of your strength, The desire of your eyes, and the pitied of your soul, And your sons and your daughters whom ye have left, by sword they do fall.

‘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 ye have done as I have done, On the upper lip ye are not covered, And bread of men ye do not eat.

[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 bonnets [are] on your heads, And your shoes [are] on your feet, Ye do not mourn nor do ye weep, And ye have wasted away for your iniquities, And ye have howled one unto 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 hath been to you for a type, According to all that he hath done ye do; In its coming in — ye have known that I [am] the Lord Jehovah.

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 thou, 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 come doth the escaped one to thee. 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 opened is thy mouth with the escaped, And thou speakest, and art not silent any more, And thou hast been to them for a type. And they have known that I [am] Jehovah.'

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].”