Ezekiel 24

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

And the word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, the tenth day of the month, saying:

2 “Son of man, write the name of the day, this same day. The king of Babylon drew close to Jerusalem this same day.

Son of man, write thee the name of this day, on which the king of Babylon hath set himself against Jerusalem today.

3 Utter a parable to the rebellious house, and tell them, ‘The Lord GOD says, “Put the cauldron on the fire. Put it on, and also pour water into it.

And thou shalt speak by a figure a parable to the provoking house, and say to them: Thus saith the Lord God: Set on a pot, set it on, I say, and put water into it.

4 Gather its pieces into it, even every good piece: the thigh and the shoulder. Fill it with the choice bones.

Heap together into if the pieces thereof, every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder, choice pieces and full of bones.

5 Take the choice of the flock, and also a pile of wood for the bones under the cauldron. Make it boil well. Yes, let its bones be boiled within it.”

Take the fattest of the flock, and lay together piles of bones under it: the seething thereof is boiling hot, and the bones thereof are thoroughly sodden in the midst of it.

6 “‘Therefore the Lord GOD says: “Woe to the bloody city, to the cauldron whose rust is in it, and whose rust hasn’t gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece without casting lots for it.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose rust is in it, and its rust is not gone out of it: cast it out piece by piece, there hath no lot fallen upon it.

7 “‘“For the blood she shed is in the middle of her. She set it on the bare rock. She didn’t pour it on the ground, to cover it with dust.

For her blood is in the midst of her, she hath shed it upon the smooth rock: she hath not shed it upon the ground, that it might be covered with dust.

8 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.”

And that I might bring my indignation upon her, and take my vengeance: I have shed her blood upon the smooth rock, that it should not be covered.

9 “‘Therefore the Lord GOD says: “Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city, of which I will make a great bonfire.

10 Heap on the wood. Make the fire hot. Boil the meat well. Make the broth thick, and let the bones be burnt.

Heap together the bones, which I will burn with Are: the flesh shall be consumed, and the whole composition shall be sodden, and the bones shall be consumed.

11 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.

Then set it empty upon burning coals, that it may be hot, and the brass thereof may be melted: and let the filth of it be melted in the midst thereof, and let the rust of it be consumed.

12 She is weary with toil; yet her great rust, rust by fire, doesn’t leave her.

Great pains have been taken, and the great rust thereof is not gone out, not even by fire.

13 “‘“In your filthiness is lewdness. Because I have cleansed you and you weren’t cleansed, you won’t be cleansed from your filthiness any more, until I have caused my wrath towards you to rest.

Thy uncleanness is execrable: because I desired to cleanse thee, and thou art not cleansed from thy filthiness: neither shalt thou be cleansed, before I cause my indignation to rest in thee.

14 “‘“I, the LORD, have spoken it. It will happen, and I will do it. I won’t go back. I won’t spare. I won’t repent. According to your ways and according to your doings, they will judge you,” says the Lord GOD.’”

I the Lord have spoken: it shall come to pass, and I will do it: I will not pass by, nor spare, nor be pacified: I will judge thee according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, saith the Lord.

15 Also the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

16 “Son of man, behold, I will take away from you the desire of your eyes with one stroke; yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, neither shall your tears run down.

Son of man, behold I take from thee the desire of thy eyes with a stroke: and thou shalt not lament, nor weep: neither shall thy tears run down.

17 Sigh, but not aloud. Make no mourning for the dead. Bind your headdress on you, and put your sandals on your feet. Don’t cover your lips, and don’t eat mourner’s bread.”

Sigh in silence, make no mourning for the dead: let the tire of thy head be upon thee, and thy shoes on thy feet, and cover not thy face, nor eat the meat of mourners.

18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. So I did in the morning as I was commanded.

So I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening: and I did in the morning as he had commanded me.

19 The people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things mean to us, that you act like this?”

And the people said to me: Why dost thou not tell us what these things mean that thou doest?

20 Then I said to them, “The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

And I said to them: The word of the Lord came to me, saying:

21 ‘Speak to the house of Israel, “The Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, 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 will fall by the sword.

Speak to the house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I will profane my sanctuary, the glory of your realm, and the thing that your eyes desire, and for which your soul feareth: your sons, and your daughters, whom you have left, shall fall by the sword.

22 You will do as I have done. You won’t cover your lips or eat mourner’s bread.

And you shall do as I have done: you shall not cover your faces, nor shall you eat the meat of mourners.

23 Your turbans will be on your heads, and your sandals on your feet. You won’t mourn or weep; but you will pine away in your iniquities, and moan one towards another.

You shall have crowns on your heads, and shoes on your feet: you shall not lament nor weep, but you shall pine away for your iniquities, and every one shall sigh with his brother.

24 Thus Ezekiel will 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 GOD.’”’”

And Ezechiel shall be unto you for a sign of things to come: according to all that he hath done, so shall you do, when this shall come to pass: and you shall know that I am the Lord God.

25 “You, son of man, shouldn’t it 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—

And thou, O son of man, behold in the day wherein I will take away from them their strength, and the joy of their glory, and the desire of their eyes, upon which their souls rest, their sons and their daughters.

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

In that day when he that escapeth shall come to thee, to tell thee:

27 In that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped, and you will speak and be no more mute. So you will be a sign to them. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

In that day, I say, shall thy mouth be opened to him that hath escaped, and thou shalt speak, and shalt be silent no more: and thou shalt be unto them for a sign of things to come, and you shall know that I am the Lord.