Ezekiel 24

Jerusalem as a Cooking Pot

24In the ninth year, in the tenth month on the tenth day, the word of the Lord came to me:^{n 2}“Son of man, record^o this date, this very date, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.^{p 3}Tell this rebellious people^q a parable^r and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘Put on the cooking pot;^s put it on

and pour water into it.

⁴Put into it the pieces of meat,

all the choice pieces—the leg and the shoulder.

Fill it with the best of these bones;^t

⁵take the pick of the flock.^u

Pile wood beneath it for the bones;

bring it to a boil

and cook the bones in it.^v

⁶“ ‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘Woe^w to the city of bloodshed,^x

to the pot now encrusted,

whose deposit will not go away!

Take the meat out piece by piece

in whatever order^y it comes.^z

⁷“ ‘For the blood she shed is in her midst:

She poured it on the bare rock;

she did not pour it on the ground,

where the dust would cover it.^a

⁸To stir up wrath and take revenge

I put her blood on the bare rock,

so that it would not be covered.

⁹“ ‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed!

I, too, will pile the wood high.

¹⁰So heap on the wood

and kindle the fire.

Cook the meat well,

mixing in the spices;

and let the bones be charred.

¹¹Then set the empty pot on the coals

till it becomes hot and its copper glows,

so that its impurities may be melted

and its deposit burned away.^b

¹²It has frustrated all efforts;

its heavy deposit has not been removed,

not even by fire.

¹³“ ‘Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed^c from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.^d

¹⁴“ ‘I the Lord have spoken.^e The time has come for me to act.^f I will not hold back; I will not have pity,^g nor will I relent.^h You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions,ⁱ declares the Sovereign Lord.^j’ ”

Ezekiel’s Wife Dies

¹⁵The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁶“Son of man, with one blow^k I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes.^l Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.^{m 17}Groan quietly;ⁿ do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban^o fastened and your sandals^p on your feet; do not cover your mustache and beard^q or eat the customary food of mourners.^r”

¹⁸So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.^s

¹⁹Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things have to do with us?^t Why are you acting like this?”

²⁰So I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: ²¹Say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary^u—the stronghold in which you take pride,^v the delight of your eyes,^w the object of your affection. The sons and daughters^x you left behind will fall by the sword.^{y 22}And you will do as I have done. You will not cover your mustache and beard^z or eat the customary food of mourners.^{a 23}You will keep your turbans^b on your heads and your sandals^c on your feet. You will not mourn^d or weep but will waste away^e because of^a your sins and groan among yourselves.^{f 24}Ezekiel^g will be a sign^h to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’

²⁵“And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes,ⁱ their heart’s desire,^j and their sons and daughters^k as well—²⁶on that day a fugitive will come to tell you^l the news. ²⁷At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent.^m So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.ⁿ”