Ezekiel 24–26

Parable of the Boiling Pot

24The word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month: ²“Son of man, write down today’s date, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. ^g3Now speak a parable ^hto the rebellious house. Tell them: This is what the Lord God says:

Put the pot ⁱon the fire—

put it on,

and then pour water into it!

⁴Place the pieces of meat in it,

every good piece—

thigh and shoulder.

Fill it with choice bones.

⁵Take the choicest of the flock

and also pile up the fuel ^junder it.

Bring it to a boil

and cook the bones in it.”

⁶Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:

Woe to the city of bloodshed, ^k

the pot that has rust inside it,

and whose rust will not come off!

Empty it piece by piece;

lots should not be cast for its contents.

⁷For the blood she shed ^lis still within her.

She put it out on the bare rock;

she didn’t pour it on the ground

to cover it with dust. ^m

⁸In order to stir up wrath and take vengeance, ⁿ

I have put her blood on the bare rock,

so that it would not be covered.

⁹Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:

Woe to the city of bloodshed! ^o

I Myself will make the pile of kindling large.

¹⁰Pile on the logs and kindle the fire!

Cook the meat well

and mix in the spices! ^pq

Let the bones be burned!

¹¹Set the empty pot on its coals

so that it becomes hot and its copper glows.

Then its impurity will melt inside it;

its rust will be consumed. ^r

¹²It has frustrated every effort; ^s

its thick rust will not come off.

Into the fire with its rust!

¹³Because of the indecency of your uncleanness—

since I tried to purify you,

but you would not be purified from your uncleanness—

you will not be pure again

until I have satisfied My wrath on you. ^t

¹⁴I, Yahweh, have spoken.

It is coming, and I will do it! ^u

I will not refrain, I will not show pity,

and I will not relent.

I ^vwill judge you

according to your ways and deeds. ^w

This is the declaration of the Lord God.

The Death of Ezekiel’s Wife: A Sign

¹⁵Then the word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁶“Son of man, I am about to take the delight of your eyes ^xaway from you with a fatal blow. But you must not lament or weep or let your tears flow. ^y17Groan quietly; do not observe mourning rites for the dead. ^zPut on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your mustache or eat the bread of mourners.” ^ab

¹⁸I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. The next morning I did just as I was commanded. ¹⁹Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things you are doing mean for us?”

²⁰So I answered them: “The word of the Lord came to me: ²¹‘Say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord God says: I am about to desecrate My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the desire of your heart. Also, the sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword. ^c22Then you will do just as I have done: You will not cover your mustache or eat the bread of mourners. ^d23Your turbans will remain on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not lament or weep ^ebut will waste away ^fbecause of your sins and will groan to one another. ²⁴Now Ezekiel will be a sign for you. ^gYou will do everything that he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.

²⁵“ ‘Son of man, know that on the day I take their stronghold from them, their pride and joy, the delight of their eyes and the longing of their hearts, as well as their sons and daughters, ²⁶on that day a fugitive will come to you and report the news. ^h27On that day your mouth will be opened to talk with him; you will speak and no longer be mute. ⁱSo you will be a sign for them, and they will know that I am Yahweh.’ ”

Prophecies Against the Nations

Judgment against Ammon

25Then the word of the Lord came to me: ²“Son of man, turn your face toward the Ammonites and prophesy against them. ^j3Say to the Ammonites: Hear the word of the Lord God: This is what the Lord God says: Because you said, ‘Good!’ ^kabout My sanctuary when it was desecrated, about the land of Israel when it was laid waste, and about the house of Judah when they went into exile, ⁴therefore I am about to give you to the people of the east as a possession. They will set up their encampments and pitch their tents among you. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk. ⁵I will make Rabbah a pasture ^lfor camels and Ammon a sheepfold. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.”

⁶For this is what the Lord God says: “Because you clapped your hands, ^mstamped your feet, and rejoiced over the land of Israel with wholehearted contempt, ⁷therefore I am about to stretch out My hand against you ⁿand give you as plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from the peoples and eliminate you from the countries. I will destroy you, and you will know that I am Yahweh.”

Judgment against Moab

⁸This is what the Lord God says: “Because Moab and Seir said, ^o‘Look, the house of Judah is like all the other nations,’ ⁹therefore I am about to expose Moab’s flank beginning with its ^pfrontier cities, the pride of the land: Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, ^qand Kiriathaim. ¹⁰I will give it along with Ammon to the people of the east as a possession, so that Ammon will not be remembered among the nations. ¹¹So I will execute judgments against Moab, and they will know that I am Yahweh.”

Judgment against Edom

¹²This is what the Lord God says: “Because Edom acted vengefully against the house of Judah ^rand incurred grievous guilt by taking revenge on them, ¹³therefore this is what the Lord God says: I will stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off both man and animal from it. I will make it a wasteland; they will fall by the sword from Teman to Dedan. ¹⁴I will take My vengeance ^son Edom through My people Israel, and they will deal with Edom according to My anger and wrath. So they will know My vengeance.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

Judgment against Philistia

¹⁵This is what the Lord God says: “Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with deep contempt, ^tdestroying because of their ancient hatred, ¹⁶therefore this is what the Lord God says: I am about to stretch out My hand against the Philistines, ^ucutting off the Cherethites and wiping out what remains of the coastal peoples. ^vw17I will execute great vengeance against them with furious rebukes. They will know that I am Yahweh ^xwhen I take My vengeance on them.”

The Downfall of Tyre

26In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: ²“Son of man, because Tyre ^ysaid about Jerusalem, ‘Good! ^zThe gateway to the peoples is shattered. She has been turned over to me. I will be filled now that she lies in ruins,’ ³therefore this is what the Lord God says: See, I am against you, Tyre! ^aI will raise up many nations against you, just as the sea raises its waves. ⁴They will destroy the walls of Tyre and demolish her towers. I will scrape the soil from her and turn her into a bare rock. ⁵She will become a place in the sea to spread nets, for I have spoken.” This is the declaration of the Lord God. “She will become plunder for the nations, ^b6and her villages on the mainland will be slaughtered by the sword. ^cThen they will know that I am Yahweh.”

⁷For this is what the Lord God says: “See, I am about to bring King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, king of kings, ^dagainst Tyre from the north with horses, chariots, cavalry, and a vast company of troops. ⁸He will slaughter your villages on the mainland with the sword. He will set up siege works against you, ^eand will build a ramp ^fand raise a wall of shields against you. ⁹He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and tear down your towers with his iron tools. ¹⁰His horses will be so numerous that their dust will cover you. When he enters your gates as an army entering a breached city, your walls will shake from the noise of cavalry, wagons, and chariots. ¹¹He will trample all your streets with the hooves of his horses. ^gHe will slaughter your people with the sword, and your mighty pillars will fall to the ground. ¹²They will take your wealth as spoil and plunder your merchandise. ^hThey will also demolish your walls and tear down your beautiful homes. Then they will throw your stones, timber, and soil into the water. ¹³I will put an end to the noise of your songs, ⁱand the sound of your lyres will no longer be heard. ¹⁴I will turn you into a bare rock, and you will be a place to spread nets. You will never be rebuilt, for I, Yahweh, have spoken.” ^jThis is the declaration of the Lord God.

¹⁵This is what the Lord God says to Tyre: “Won’t the coasts and islands quake at the sound of your downfall, ^kwhen the wounded groan and slaughter occurs within you? ¹⁶All the princes of the sea will descend from their thrones, ^lremove their robes, and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground, tremble continually, and be appalled ^mat you. ¹⁷Then they will lament ⁿfor you and say of you:

How you have perished, city of renown,

you who were populated from the seas! ^o

She who was powerful on the sea,

she and all of her inhabitants

inflicted their terror. ^p

¹⁸Now the coastlands tremble ^q

on the day of your downfall;

the islands in the sea

are alarmed by your demise.”

¹⁹For this is what the Lord God says: “When I make you a ruined city like other deserted cities, when I raise up the deep against you so that the mighty waters cover you, ²⁰then I will bring you down to be with those who descend to the Pit, ^rto the people of antiquity. I will make you dwell in the underworld ^slike ^tthe ancient ruins, with those who descend to the Pit, so that you will no longer be inhabited or display your splendor ^uin the land of the living. ^v21I will make you an object of horror, and you will no longer exist. ^wYou will be sought but will never be found again.” This is the declaration of the…