The Siege of Jerusalem

24 lIn the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 m“Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. 3 And nutter a parable to othe rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord God:

“Set on pthe pot, set it on;

pour in water also;

4  put in it the pieces of meat,

all the good pieces, qthe thigh and the shoulder;

fill it with choice bones.

5  Take the choicest one of the flock;

pile the logs1 under it;

boil it well;

seethe also its bones in it.

6 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: rWoe to the bloody city, to pthe pot whose corrosion is in it, and whose corrosion has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, without making any choice.2 7 For the blood she has shed is in her midst; she put it on sthe bare rock; tshe did not pour it out on the ground to cover it with dust. 8 To rouse my wrath, to take vengeance, I have set on the bare rock the blood she has shed, that it may not be covered. 9 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city! uI also will make the pile great. 10 Heap on the logs, kindle the fire, boil the meat well, mix in the spices,3 and let the bones be burned up. 11 Then set it empty upon the coals, that it may become hot, and its copper may burn, vthat its uncleanness may be melted in it, its corrosion consumed. 12 wShe has wearied herself with toil;4 its abundant corrosion does not go out of it. Into the fire with its corrosion! 13 On account of your unclean lewdness, because I would have cleansed you and you were not cleansed from your uncleanness, xyou shall not be cleansed anymore till yI have satisfied my fury upon you. 14 zI am the Lord. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; aI will not spare; bI will not relent; caccording to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord God.”

Ezekiel’s Wife Dies

15 The word of the Lord came to me: 16 d“Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down. 17 Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. eBind on your turban, and fput your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, gnor eat the bread of men.” 18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and hat evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did ias I was commanded.

19 And jthe people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?” 20 Then I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: 21 ‘Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: kBehold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and lyour sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword. 22 And myou shall do as I have done; myou shall not cover your lips, gnor eat the bread of men. 23 mYour turbans shall be on your heads and your shoes on your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but nyou shall rot away in your iniquities and groan to one another. 24 Thus shall Ezekiel be to you oa sign; maccording to all that he has done you shall do. When this comes, then pyou will know that I am the Lord God.’

25 “As for you, qson of man, surely on the day when I take from them rtheir stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes and their soul’s desire, and also their sons and daughters, 26 son that day a fugitive will come to you to report to you the news. 27 On that day your mouth twill be opened to the fugitive, and you shall speak and be no longer mute. uSo you will be a sign to them, and vthey will know that I am the Lord.”