Ezekiel 24

1 Again, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,2 Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this selfsame day: the king of Babylon drew close unto Jerusalem this selfsame day.3 And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Set on the caldron, 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 also a pile of wood for the bones under the caldron; make it boil well; yea, let the bones thereof be boiled in the midst of it.6 Wherefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the bloody city, to the caldron whose rust is therein, and whose rust is not gone out of it! take out of it piece after piece; No lot is fallen upon it.7 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 upon the bare rock, that it should not be covered.9 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great.10 Heap on the wood, make the fire hot, boil well the flesh, and make thick the broth, and let the bones be burned.11 Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that it may be hot, and the brass thereof may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it, that the rust of it may be consumed.12 She hath wearied herself with toil; yet her great rust goeth not forth out of her; her rust goeth not forth by fire.13 In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I have cleansed thee and thou wast not cleansed, thou shalt not be cleansed from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my wrath toward thee to rest.14 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 Also the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,16 Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet thou shalt neither mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.17 Sigh, but not aloud, make no mourning for the dead; bind thy headtire upon thee, and put 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 said unto them, The word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,21 Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left behind 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 in your iniquities, and moan one toward another.24 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 Jehovah.25 And 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 heart, their sons and their daughters,26 that in that day he that escapeth shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine ears?27 In that day shall thy mouth be opened to 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 Jehovah.

EZEKIEL 24

A Cooking Pot

1 Nine years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, the [Lord] spoke to me on the tenth day of the tenth month.t He said:
2  t Ezekiel, son of man, write down today's date, because the king of Babylonia has just begun attacking the city of Jerusalem.

3 Then tell my rebellious people:
“Pour water in a cooking pot
and set it over a fire.
*

4 Throwt in the legs and shoulders
of your finest sheep
and put in the juicy bones.

5 “Pile woodt underneath the pot,
and let the meat and bones
boil until they are done.”
6 These words mean that Jerusalem is doomed! The city is filled with murderers and is like an old, rusty pot. The meat is taken out piece by piece, and no one cares what happens to it.t 7 The people of Jerusalem murdered innocent people in the city and didn't even try to cover up the blood that flowed out on the hard ground.

8 But I have seen that blood, and it cries out for me to take revenge.
9 I, the [Lord] God, will punish that city of violence! I will make a huge pile of firewood, 10 so bring more wood and light it. Cook the meat and boil away the brotht to let the bones scorch. 11 Then set the empty pot over the hot coals until it is red-hot. That will clean the pot and burn off the rust.

12 I've tried everything else. Now the rust must be burned away.t
13 Jerusalem is so full of sin and evil that I can't get it clean, even though I have tried. It will stay filthy until I let loose my fierce anger against it.

14 That time will certainly come! And when it does, I won't show the people of Jerusalem any pity or change my mind. They must be punished for the evil they have done. I, the [Lord] God, have spoken.

Ezekiel's Wife Dies

17 Mourn in silence and don't show that you are grieving. Don't remove your turban or take off your sandals; don't cover your face to show your sorrow, or eat the food that mourners eat.”t
18 One morning, I was talking with the people as usual, and by sunset my wife was dead. The next day I did what the [Lord] had told me,

19 and when people saw me, they asked, “Why aren't you mourning for your wife?”

20 I answered:
The [Lord] God says 21 he is ready to destroy the temple in which you take such pride and which makes you feel so safe. Your children who now live in Jerusalem will be killed. 22 Then you will do the same things I have done. You will leave your face uncovered and refuse to eat the food that mourners usually eat.

23 You won't take off your turbans and your sandals.t You won't cry or mourn, but all day long you will go around groaning because of your sins.

24 I am a warning sign—everything I have done, you will also do. And then you will know the [Lord] God has made these things happen.
25 The [Lord] said, “Ezekiel, I will soon destroy the temple that makes everyone feel proud and safe, and I will take away their children as well. 26 On that same day, someone will escape from the city and come to tell you what has happened. 27 Then you will be able to speak again, t and the two of you will talk. You will be a warning sign to the people, and they will know that I am the [Lord].”