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:

The word of Yahweh came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, and on the tenth day of the month, saying,

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 for yourself the name of this day, this exact day, for this exact day the king of Babylon has besieged Jerusalem.

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.

So speak a proverb against this rebellious house, a parable. Say to them, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: Place the cooking pot. Place it and 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 pieces of food within it, every good piece—the thigh and shoulder— and fill it with the best 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 best of the flock and pile up the bones under it. Bring it to a boil and cook the bones in it.

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.

Therefore the Lord Yahweh says this: Woe to the city of blood, a cooking pot that has rust in it and that rust will not come out of it. Take piece after piece from it, but do not cast lots for 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 her blood is in the midst of her. She has set it on the smooth rock; she has not poured it out on the ground to cover it 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.

so it brings fury up to exact vengeance. I placed her blood on the smooth rock so it could 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, the Lord Yahweh says this: Woe to the city of blood. I will also enlarge the pile of wood.

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.

Stack up the wood and kindle the fire. Cook the meat well and mix in the spices and let the bones be charred.

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 the pot on its coals empty, in order to heat and scorch its bronze, so its uncleanness within it will be melted, its corrosion consumed.'

12 There has been much sweat and labor, and yet its extensive rust has not gone out of it, not even by fire.

She has become weary because of toil, but her corrosion has not gone out of her by 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.

Your shameful behavior is in your uncleanness. Because I tried to cleanse you but still you would not be cleansed from your uncleanness, you will not be cleansed anymore until I have satisfied my fury upon you.

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, Yahweh, have declared it, and I will do it. I will not relent nor will I rest from it. As your ways were, and as your activities, they will judge you!—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.”

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

Then the word of Yahweh 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 am taking the desire of your eyes from you with a plague, but you must not mourn nor weep, and your tears must not flow.

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.”

You must groan silently. Do not conduct a funeral for the dead. Tie your turban on you and place your sandals on your feet, but do not veil your facial hair or eat the bread of men who mourn for having lost their wives.”

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 spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. In the morning I did what I had been commanded to do.

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

The people asked me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean, the things that you are doing?”

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

So I said to them, “The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

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, the Lord Yahweh says this: Behold! I will desecrate my sanctuary—the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind will 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.

Then you will do exactly as I have done: you will not veil your facial hair, nor eat the bread of mourning 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.

Instead, your turbans will be on your heads, and your sandals on your feet; you will not mourn nor weep, for you will melt away in your iniquities, and each man will groan for his brother.

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.’”

So Ezekiel will be a sign for you, as everything that he has done you will do when this comes. Then you will know that I am the Lord Yahweh!'”

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,

“But you, son of man, on the day that I capture their temple, which is their joy, their pride, and what they see and desire—and when I take away their sons and daughters—

26 in that day, when one who is fleeing will come to you, so that he may report to you,

on that day, a refugee will come to you to give you the news!

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.”

On that day your mouth will be opened up to that refugee and you will speak—you will no longer be silent. You will be a sign for them so that they will know that I am Yahweh.”