Jezekiel 24

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth [day] of the month, saying,

In the ninth year, on the tenth day of the tenth month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2 Son of man, write for yourself daily from this day, on which the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem, [even] from this day.

“Son of man, write down today’s date, for on this very day the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem.

3 And speak a parable to the provoking house, and you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord; Set on the cauldron, and pour water into it:

Now speak a parable to this rebellious house and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Put the pot on the fire; put it on and pour in the water.

4 and put the pieces into it, every prime piece, the leg and shoulder taken off from the bones,

Put in the pieces of meat, every good piece— thigh and shoulder— fill it with choice bones.

5 [which are] taken from choice cattle, and burn the bones under them: her bones are boiled and cooked in the midst of her.

Take the choicest of the flock and pile the fuel beneath it. Bring it to a boil and cook the bones in it.’

6 Therefore thus says the Lord; O bloody city, the cauldron in which there is scum, and the scum has not gone out of, she has brought it forth piece by piece, no lot has fallen upon it.

Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed, to the pot now rusted, whose rust will not come off! Empty it piece by piece; cast no lots for its contents.

7 For her blood is in the midst of her; I have set it upon a smooth rock: I have not poured it out upon the earth, so that the earth should cover it;

For the blood she shed is still within her; she poured it out on the bare rock; she did not pour it on the ground to cover it with dust.

8 that my wrath should come up for complete vengeance to be taken: I set her blood upon a smooth rock, so as not to cover it.

In order to stir up wrath and take vengeance, I have placed her blood on the bare rock, so that it would not be covered.’

9 Therefore thus says the Lord, I will also make the firebrand great,

Yes, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed! I, too, will pile the kindling high.

10 and I will multiply the wood, and kindle the fire, that the flesh may be consumed, and the liquor boiled away;

Pile on the logs and kindle the fire; cook the meat well and mix in the spices; let the bones be burned.

11 and that [it] may stand upon the coals, that her brass may be thoroughly heated, and be melted in the midst of her filthiness, and her scum may be consumed,

Set the empty pot on its coals until it becomes hot and its copper glows. Then its impurity will melt within; its rust will be consumed.

12 and her abundant scum may not come forth of her.

It has frustrated every effort; its thick rust has not been removed, even by the fire.

13 Her scum shall become shameful, because you did defile yourself: and what if you shall be purged no more until I have accomplished my wrath?

Because of the indecency of your uncleanness I tried to cleanse you, but you would not be purified from your filthiness. You will not be pure again until My wrath against you has subsided.

14 I the Lord have spoken; and it shall come, and I will do [it]; I will not delay, neither will I have any mercy: I will judge you, says the Lord, according to your ways, and according to your devices: therefore will I judge you according to your bloodshed, and according to your devices will I judge you, you unclean, notorious, and abundantly provoking one.

I, the LORD, have spoken; the time is coming, and I will act. I will not refrain or show pity, nor will I relent. I will judge you according to your ways and deeds,’

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

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

16 Son of man, behold I take from you the desire of your eyes by violence: you shall not lament, neither shall you weep.

“Son of man, behold, I am about to take away the desire of your eyes with a fatal blow. But you must not mourn or weep or let your tears flow.

17 You shall groan for blood, and have mourning upon your loins; your hair shall not be braided upon you, and your sandals [shall be] on your feet; you shall in no wise be comforted by their lips, and you shall not eat the bread of men.

Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.”

18 And I spoke to the people in the morning, as he commanded me in the evening, and I did in the morning as it was commanded me.

So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And the next morning I did as I had been commanded.

19 And the people said to me, Will you not tell us what these things are that you do?

Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things you are doing mean to us?”

20 Then I said to them, The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

So I answered them, “The word of the LORD came to me, saying:

21 Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord; Behold, I [will] profane my sanctuary, the boast of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and for which your souls are concerned; and your sons and your daughters, whom you have left, shall fall by the sword.

Tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I am about to desecrate My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the delight of your soul. And the sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.’

22 And you shall do as I have done: you shall not be comforted at their mouth, and you shall not eat the bread of men.

Then you will do as I have done: You will not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.

23 And your hair [shall be] upon your head, and your shoes on your feet: neither shall you at all lament or weep; but you shall pine away in your iniquities, and shall comfort every one his brother.

Your turbans will remain on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep, but you will waste away because of your sins, and you will groan among yourselves.

24 And Jezekiel shall be for a sign to you: according to all that I have done shall you do, when these things shall come; and you shall know that I am the Lord.

‘Thus Ezekiel will be a sign for you; you will do everything that he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’

25 And you, son of man, [shall it] not [be] in the day when I take their strength from them, the pride of their boasting, the desires of their eyes, and the pride of their soul, their sons and their daughters,

And you, son of man, know that on the day I take away their stronghold, their pride and joy—the desire of their eyes which uplifted their souls—and their sons and daughters as well,

26 that in that day he that escapes shall come to you, to tell [it] you in your ears?

on that day a fugitive will come and tell you the news.

27 In that day your mouth shall be opened to him that escapes; you shall speak, and shall be no longer dumb: and you shall be for a sign to them, and they shall know that I am the Lord.

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