Ezekiel Acts Out an Attack on Jerusalem
The Lord said:
1 Ezekiel, son of man, find a brick and sketch a picture of Jerusalem on it. 2 Then prepare to attack the brick as if it were a real city. Build a dirt mound and a ramp up to the top and surround the brick with enemy camps. On every side put large wooden poles as though you were going to break down the gate to the city. 3 Set up an iron pan like a wall between you and the brick. All this will be a warning for the people of Israel.
4-5 After that, lie down on your left side and stay there for 390 days as a sign of Israel's punishment —one day for each year of its suffering. 6 Then turn over and lie on your right side 40 more days. That will be a sign of Judah's punishment—one day for each year of its suffering.
7 The brick stands for Jerusalem, so attack it! Stare at it and shout angry warnings. 8 I will tie you up, so you can't leave until your attack has ended.
9 Get a large bowl. Then mix together wheat, barley, beans, lentils, and millet, and make some bread. This is what you will eat for the 390 days you are lying down. 10 Eat only a small loaf of bread each day 11 and drink only two large cups of water. 12 Use dried human waste to start a fire, then bake the bread on the coals where everyone can watch you. 13 When I scatter the people of Israel among the nations, they will also have to eat food that is unclean, just as you must do.
14 I said, “Lord God, please don't make me do that! Never in my life have I eaten food that would make me unacceptable to you. I've never eaten anything that died a natural death or was killed by a wild animal or that you said was unclean.”
15 The Lord replied, “Instead of human waste, I will let you bake your bread on a fire made from cow manure. 16 Ezekiel, the people of Jerusalem will starve. They will have so little food and water that they will be afraid and hopeless. 17 Everyone will be shocked at what is happening, and, because of their sins, they will die a slow death.”
1 Thou also sonne of man, take thee a bricke, and lay it before thee, and pourtray vpon it the citie, euen Ierusalem, 2 And lay siege against it, and builde a fort against it, and cast a mount against it: set the campe also against it, and lay engins of warre against it rounde about. 3 Moreouer, take an yron pan, and set it for a wall of yron betweene thee and the citie, and direct thy face towarde it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it: this shall be a signe vnto the house of Israel. 4 Sleepe thou also vpon thy left side, and lay the iniquitie of the house of Israel vpon it: according to the nomber of the dayes, that thou shalt sleepe vpon it, thou shalt beare their iniquity. 5 For I haue layed vpon thee the yeeres of their iniquitie, according to the nomber of the dayes, euen three hundreth and ninetie dayes: so shalt thou beare the iniquitie of the house of Israel. 6 And when thou hast accomplished them, sleepe againe vpon thy right side, and thou shalt beare the iniquitie of the house of Iudah fourtie dayes: I haue appointed thee a day for a yeere, euen a day for a yeere. 7 Therefore thou shalt direct thy face towarde the siege of Ierusalem, and thine arme shalbe vncouered, and thou shalt prophesie against it. 8 And beholde, I will lay bands vpon thee, and thou shalt not turne thee from one side to another, till thou hast ended the dayes of thy siege. 9 Thou shalt take also vnto thee wheate, and barley, and beanes, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessell, and make thee bread thereof according to the nomber of the dayes, that thou shalt sleepe vpon thy side: euen three hundreth and ninetie dayes shalt thou eate thereof. 10 And the meate, whereof thou shalt eate, shalbe by weight, euen twenty shekels a day: and from time to time shalt thou eate thereof. 11 Thou shalt drinke also water by measure, euen the sixt part of an Hin: from time to time shalt thou drinke. 12 And thou shalt eate it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it in the dongue that commeth out of man, in their sight. 13 And the Lord said, So shall the children of Israel eate their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will cast them. 14 Then said I, Ah, Lord God, beholde, my soule hath not bene polluted: for from my youth vp, euen vnto this houre, I haue not eaten of a thing dead, or torne in pieces, neither came there any vncleane flesh in my mouth. 15 Then he said vnto me, Loe, I haue giuen thee bullockes dongue for mans dongue, and thou shalt prepare thy bread therewith. 16 Moreouer, he said vnto me, Sonne of man, beholde, I will breake the staffe of bread in Ierusalem, and they shall eate bread by weight, and with care, and they shall drinke water by measure, and with astonishment. 17 Because that bread and water shall faile, they shalbe astonied one with another, and shall consume away for their iniquitie.