Ezekiel 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:

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, on which the king of Babylon was confirmed against Jerusalem today.

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 And you shall speak, through a proverb, a parable to the inciting house. And you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Set out a cooking pot; set it out, I say, and put 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 Pile together within it every morsel, every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder, the choice pieces and those full of 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 fattest from the flock, and arrange also a heap of bones under it. Its cooking has boiled over, and its bones in its midst have been thoroughly cooked.

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 Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Woe to the city of blood, to the cooking pot that has rust in it, and whose rust has not gone out of it! Cast it out piece by piece! No lot has fallen upon 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 her midst; she has shed it upon the smoothest rock. She has not shed it upon the ground, so that it could be covered 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 shall I bring my indignation over her, and take my vengeance. I have presented her blood upon the smoothest rock, so that it would 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 Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Woe to the city of blood, out of which I will make a great funeral pyre.

Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the city of blood! Now will I make the pile for fire great.

10 Pile together the bones, which I will burn with fire. The flesh shall be consumed, and the entire composition shall be boiled, and the bones shall deteriorate.

Heap on wood, kindle the fire, cook the flesh, put in spices, and let the bones be burned.

11 Also, place it empty on burning coals, so that it may be heated, and its brass may melt. And let the filth of it be melted in its midst, and let its rust be 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 There has been much sweat and labor, and yet its extensive rust has not gone out of it, not even by 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 uncleanness is execrable. For I wanted to cleanse you, and you have not been cleansed from your filth. So then, neither will you be cleansed before I cause my indignation over you to cease.

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, the Lord, have spoken. It shall happen, and I will act. I will not pass over, nor be lenient, nor be placated. I will judge you according to your ways and according to your intentions, says the Lord.”

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

Also the word of Jehovah came to me, saying:

16 “Son of man, behold, I am taking away from you, with a stroke, the desire of your eyes. And you shall not lament, and you shall not weep. And your tears shall not flow down.

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 Groan silently; you shall make no mourning for the dead. Let the band of your crown be on you, and let your shoes be on your feet. And you shall not cover your face, nor shall you eat the food of those who mourn.”

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 Therefore, I spoke to the people in the morning. And my wife died in the evening. And in the morning, I did just as he had instructed me.

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 And the people said to me: “Why won’t you explain to us what these things signify, which you are doing?”

And the people said to me, Wilt thou not tell us what those things which thou doest denote to us?

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

Then I answered them: The word of Jehovah came to me and said:

21 ‘Speak to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will defile my sanctuary, the pride of your realm, and the desire of your eyes, and the dread of your soul. Your sons and your daughters, whom you have forsaken, 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 And so, you shall do just as I have done. You shall not cover your faces, and you shall not eat the food of those who mourn.

And ye shall do as I have done; ye shall not cover your mouths, nor eat the bread of wretched men;

23 You shall have crowns on your heads, and shoes on your feet. You shall not lament, and you shall not weep. Instead, you will waste away in your iniquities, and each one will groan to 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 ‘And Ezekiel shall be a portent for you. In accord with all that he has done, so shall you do, when this will happen. And you shall know that I am the Lord God.’”

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 “And as for you, son of man, behold, in the day when I will take away from them their strength, and the joy of their dignity, and the desire of their eyes, in which their souls find rest: their sons and their 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 in that day, when one who is fleeing will come to you, so that he may report to you,

that is escaped come to thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine ears.

27 in that day, I say, your mouth shall be opened to him who has fled. And you shall speak, and you shall no longer be silent. And you shall be for them a portent. And you shall know that I am the Lord.”

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.