The Prophet’s Wife Dies

15 Also the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 16 “Son of man, behold, I take away from you the desire of your eyes with one stroke; yet you shall pneither mourn nor weep, nor shall your tears run down. 17 Sigh in silence, qmake no mourning for the dead; rbind your turban on your head, and sput your sandals on your feet; tdo not cover your 6lips, and do not eat man’s bread of sorrow.”

18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died; and the next morning I did as I was commanded.

19 And the people said to me, u“Will you not tell us what these things signify to us, that you behave so?”

20 Then I answered them, “The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 21 ‘Speak to the house of Israel, “Thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, vI will profane My sanctuary, 7your arrogant boast, the desire of your eyes, the 8delight of your soul; wand your sons and daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword. 22 And you shall do as I have done; xyou shall not cover your 9lips nor eat man’s bread of sorrow. 23 Your turbans shall be on your heads and your sandals on your feet; yyou shall neither mourn nor weep, but zyou shall pine away in your iniquities and mourn with one another. 24 Thus aEzekiel is a sign to you; according to all that he has done you shall do; band when this comes, cyou shall know that I am the Lord God.’ ”

25 ‘And you, son of man—will it not be in the day when I take from them dtheir stronghold, their joy and their glory, the desire of their eyes, and 1that on which they set their minds, their sons and their daughters: 26 on that day eone who escapes will come to you to let you hear it with your ears; 27 fon that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped; you shall speak and no longer be mute. Thus you will be a sign to them, and they shall know that I am the Lord.’ ”