< 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 unto me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in 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 the day, even of this selfsame day; this selfsame day the king of Babylon hath invested Jerusalem.
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 utter a parable concerning the rebellious house, and say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Set on the pot, set it on, and also pour water into it;
4 Gather its pieces into it, even every good piece: the thigh and the shoulder. Fill it with the choice bones.
Gather into it the pieces belonging to it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice 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 choice of the flock, and pile also the bones under it; make it boil well, that the bones thereof may also be seethed 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 has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece without casting lots for it.
Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose filth is therein, and whose filth is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; no lot is fallen upon it.
7 “‘“For the blood she shed is in the middle of her. She set it on the bare rock. She did not pour it on the ground, to cover it with dust.
For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the bare rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it 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.”
that it might cause fury to come up, that vengeance might be taken, I have set her blood upon the bare 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! I also will make the pile great,
10 Heap on the wood. Make the fire hot. Boil the meat well. Make the broth thick, and let the bones be burned.
heaping on the wood, kindling the fire, that the flesh may be consumed; and preparing the mixture, that the bones also may be burned;
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 will I set it empty upon the coals thereof, that it may be hot, and the bottom thereof may burn, and that the impurity of it may be molten in it, that the filth of it may be consumed.
12 She is weary with toil; yet her great rust, rust by fire, does not leave her.
It hath wearied itself with toil; yet its great filth goeth not forth out of it, yea, its noisome filth.
13 “‘“In your filthiness is lewdness. Because I have cleansed you and you were not cleansed, you will not be cleansed from your filthiness any more, until I have caused my wrath toward you to rest.
Because of thy filthy lewdness, because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have satisfied My fury upon thee.
14 “‘“I, the LORD, have spoken it. It will happen, and I will do it. I will not go back. I will not spare. I will not repent. According to your ways and according to your doings, they will judge you,” says the Lord GOD.’”
I the LORD 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 GOD.'
15 Also the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
Also the word of the LORD came unto 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 away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke; yet neither shalt thou make lamentation 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. Do not cover your lips, and do not eat mourner’s bread.”
Sigh in silence; make no mourning for the dead, bind thy headtire upon thee, and put thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thine upper lip, and eat not the bread of men.'
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 unto 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 not you tell us what these things mean to us, that you act like this?”
And the people said unto me: 'Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?'
20 Then I said to them, “The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
Then I said unto them: 'The word of the LORD came unto 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 unto the house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will profane My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the longing of your soul; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left behind shall fall by the sword.
22 You will do as I have done. You will not cover your lips or eat mourner’s bread.
And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover your upper lips, nor eat the bread of men;
23 Your turbans will be on your heads, and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep; but you will pine away in your iniquities, and moan one toward another.
and your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet; ye shall not make lamentation nor weep; but ye shall pine away in your iniquities, and moan one toward another.
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.’”’”
Thus shall Ezekiel be unto you a sign; according to all that he hath done shall ye do; when this cometh, then shall ye know that I am the Lord GOD.
25 “You, son of man, should not 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, son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their stronghold, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and the yearning of their soul, 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?
that in that day he that escapeth shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine ears?
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 shall thy mouth be opened together with him that is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb; so shalt thou be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.'

< Ezekiel 24 >