Ezekiel 24

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

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

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

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

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

13 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; 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,’ declares the Lord GOD.”

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

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

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

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

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

27 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.”

1 ¶ Again in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth [day] of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, write thee the name of the day, [even] of this same day: the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day.

3 And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Set on a pot, set [it] on, and also pour water into it:

4 Gather the pieces thereof into it, [even] every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill [it] with the choice bones.

5 Take the choice of the flock, and burn also the bones under it, [and] make it boil well, and let them seethe the bones of it therein.

6 Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum [is] therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it.

7 For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust;

8 That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance; I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered.

9 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire great.

10 Heap on wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burned.

11 Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that the brass of it may be hot, and may burn, and [that] the filthiness of it may be molten in it, [that] the scum of it may be consumed.

12 She hath wearied [herself] with lies, and her great scum went not forth out of her: her scum [shall be] in the fire.

13 In thy filthiness [is] lewdness: because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee.

14 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 word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

16 Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.

17 Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not [thy] lips, and eat not the bread of men.

18 So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.

19 And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these [things are] to us, that thou doest [so]?

20 Then I answered them, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

21 Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword.

22 And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover [your] lips, nor eat the bread of men.

23 And your tires [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 mourn one toward another.

24 Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall know that I [am] the Lord GOD.

25 Also, thou son of man, [shall it] not [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 minds, their sons and their daughters,

26 [That] he that escapeth in that day shall come unto thee, to cause [thee] to hear [it] with [thine] ears?

27 In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I [am] the LORD.

1 And the word of the LORD came unto me in the ninth year, in the tenth day of the tenth month, saying:

2 Son of man, mark this day, even this very day: for the king of Babylon hath arrayed himself against Jerusalem this very day.

3 And give a parable unto the disobedient people, and say unto them, Thus saith the LORD GOD; Put in a pot; put in a pot, and pour water into it.

4 Put therein the pieces together that are to go in, and the best pieces, the loins and the shoulders, and fill it with the best marrow.

5 Take the best of the hearth, and make a fire under it to boil marrow, and let it boil safely, and let the marrow boil well therein.

6 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; O that murderous city, which is such a pot, where the burnt things are stuck in it, and will not come out! Put out one piece at a time, and let not the pieces be divided as to which shall come out first.

7 For her blood is within, which she spilled upon a rock, and not upon the ground, when it might have been covered with earth.

8 And for this cause also have I caused them to pour out the same blood upon a rock, that it should not be covered, that wrath should come upon them, and be smelled.

9 Therefore thus saith the LORD GOD; O thou murderous city, which I will make a great fire!

10 Only bring plenty of wood, and kindle the fire, that the meat may be cooked, and season it well, that the marrow may be burned.

11 Put also the pot empty upon the fire, that it may be hot, and that the brass thereof may burn, whether the uncleanness thereof be melted, and the burning thereof be removed.

12 But that which is burned, how nearly it burneth, will not depart, because it is too much burned; it must be melted in the fire.

13 Thine uncleanness is so hardened, that though I would gladly cleanse thee, yet thou wilt not be cleansed from thine uncleanness. Therefore thou shalt not be clean again until my wrath be cooled in thee.

14 I the LORD have spoken it; it shall come. I will do it, and will not tarry: I will not spare, neither will I be sorry: but they shall judge thee, as thou hast lived, and as thou hast done, saith the LORD GOD.

15 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

16 Son of man, behold, I will take away the lust of thine eyes by a plague. But thou shalt not mourn, nor weep, nor shed a tear.

17 Thou mayest sigh in secret, but thou shalt not mourn: thou shalt put on thy ornaments, and shalt put on thy shoes. Thou shalt not cover thy mouth, nor eat the bread of mourning.

18 And it came to pass, when I spake early in the morning unto the people, that at even my wife died. And I did on the morrow as I was commanded.

19 And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not shew us what these things are that thou doest?

20 And I said unto them: The LORD spake unto me, saying:

21 Tell the house of Israel, that thus saith the LORD GOD; Behold, I will desecrate my sanctuary, which is your chief comfort, the delight of your eyes, and the desire of your heart; and your sons and your daughters, whom ye shall leave, shall fall by the sword;

22 And ye must do as I have done: ye must not cover your mouth, neither eat the mourning bread,

23 But put your jewels upon your heads, and put on your shoes. Ye shall not mourn, nor weep, but shall pine away for your sins, and groan among yourselves.

24 And Ezekiel shall be a wonder unto you, that ye should do as he hath done, when it shall come to pass, that ye may know that I am the LORD GOD.

25 And thou, son of man, in that day when I shall take away from them their power and their comfort, the delight of their eyes and the desire of their heart, their sons and their daughters,

26 And in that day shall one that escaped come to thee, and tell thee.

27 In that day thy mouth shall be opened, and he that escapeth, that thou shalt speak, and shalt no more hold thy peace: for thou shalt be their wonder, that they may know that I am the LORD.