1 Again in the ninth yeere, in the tenth moneth, in the tenth day of the moneth, came the worde of the Lord vnto me, saying, 2 Sonne of man, write thee the name of the day, euen of this same day: for the King of Babel set himselfe against Ierusalem this same day. 3 Therefore speake a parable vnto the rebellious house, and say vnto them, Thus sayth the Lord God, Prepare a pot, prepare it, and also powre water into it. 4 Gather the pieces thereof into it, euen euery good piece, as the thigh and the shoulder, and fill it with the chiefe bones. 5 Take one of the best sheepe, and burne also the bones vnder it, and make it boyle well, and seethe the bones of it therein, 6 Because the Lord God sayth thus, Woe to the bloody citie, euen to the pot, whose skomme is therein, and whose skomme is not gone out of it: bring it out piece by piece: let no lot fall vpon it. 7 For her blood is in the middes of her: shee set it vpon an high rocke, and powred it not vpon on the ground to couer it with dust, 8 That it might cause wrath to arise, and take vengeance: euen I haue set her blood vpon an high rocke that it should not be couered. 9 Therefore thus saith ye Lord God, Woe to the bloody citie, for I will make ye burning great. 10 Heape on much wood: kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and cast in spice, and let the bones be burnt. 11 Then set it emptie vpon the coles thereof, that the brasse of it may be hot, and may burne, and that the filthinesse of it may be molten in it, and that the skomme of it may be consumed. 12 She hath wearied her selfe with lyes, and her great skomme went not out of her: therefore her skomme shall be consumed with fire. 13 Thou remainest in thy filthines and wickednes: because I would haue purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthines, till I haue caused my wrath to light vpon thee. 14 I the Lord haue spoken it: it shall come to passe, and I will doe it: I will not goe backe, neither will I spare, neither will I repent: according to thy wayes, and according to thy workes shall they iudge thee, sayeth the Lord God. 15 Also the worde of ye Lord came vnto me, saying, 16 Sonne of man beholde, I take away from thee the pleasure of thine eyes with a plague: yet shalt thou neither mourne nor weepe, neither shall thy teares runne downe. 17 Cease from sighing: make no mourning for the dead, and binde the tyre of thine head vpon thee, and put on thy shooes vpon thy feete, and couer not thy lips, and eate not the bread of men. 18 So I spake vnto the people in the morning, and at euen my wife dyed: and I did in the morning, as I was commanded. 19 And the people said vnto me, Wilt thou not tell vs what these things meane towarde vs that thou doest so? 20 Then I answered them, The worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying, 21 Speake vnto the house of Israel, Thus sayth the Lord God, Behold, I will pollute my Sanctuarie, euen the pride of your power, the pleasure of your eyes, and your hearts desire, and your sonnes, and your daughters whom ye haue left, shall fall by the sworde. 22 And ye shall doe as I haue done: ye shall not couer your lippes, neither shall ye eate the bread of men. 23 And your tyre shalbe vpon your heads, and your shooes vpon your feete: ye shall not mourne nor weepe, but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourne one toward another. 24 Thus Ezekiel is vnto you a signe: according to all that he hath done, ye shall do: and when this commeth, ye shall know that I am the Lord God. 25 Also, thou sonne of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their power, ye ioy of their honor, ye pleasure of their eyes, and the desire of their heart, their sonnes and their daughters? 26 That he that escapeth in that day, shall come vnto thee to tell thee that which hee hath heard with his eares? 27 In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speake, and be no more dumme, and thou shalt be a signe vnto them, and they shall knowe that I am the Lord.
A Cooking Pot
1 Nine years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, the Lord spoke to me on the tenth day of the tenth month. He said:
2 Ezekiel, son of man, write down today's date, because the king of Babylonia has just begun attacking the city of Jerusalem. 3 Then tell my rebellious people:
“Pour water in a cooking pot
and set it over a fire.
* 4 Throw in the legs and shoulders
of your finest sheep
and put in the juicy bones.
5 Pile wood underneath the pot,
and let the meat and bones
boil until they are done.”
6 These words mean that Jerusalem is doomed! The city is filled with murderers and is like an old, rusty pot. The meat is taken out piece by piece, and no one cares what happens to it. 7 The people of Jerusalem murdered innocent people in the city and didn't even try to cover up the blood that flowed out on the hard ground. 8 But I have seen that blood, and it cries out for me to take revenge.
9 I, the Lord God, will punish that city of violence! I will make a huge pile of firewood, 10 so bring more wood and light it. Cook the meat and boil away the broth to let the bones scorch. 11 Then set the empty pot over the hot coals until it is red-hot. That will clean the pot and burn off the rust. 12 I've tried everything else. Now the rust must be burned away.
13 Jerusalem is so full of sin and evil that I can't get it clean, even though I have tried. It will stay filthy until I let loose my fierce anger against it. 14 That time will certainly come! And when it does, I won't show the people of Jerusalem any pity or change my mind. They must be punished for the evil they have done. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
Ezekiel's Wife Dies
15 The Lord said, 16 “Ezekiel, son of man, I will suddenly take the life of the person you love most. But I don't want you to complain or cry. 17 Mourn in silence and don't show that you are grieving. Don't remove your turban or take off your sandals; don't cover your face to show your sorrow, or eat the food that mourners eat.”
18 One morning, I was talking with the people as usual, and by sunset my wife was dead. The next day I did what the Lord had told me, 19 and when people saw me, they asked, “Why aren't you mourning for your wife?”
20 I answered:
The Lord God says 21 he is ready to destroy the temple in which you take such pride and which makes you feel so safe. Your children who now live in Jerusalem will be killed. 22 Then you will do the same things I have done. You will leave your face uncovered and refuse to eat the food that mourners usually eat. 23 You won't take off your turbans and your sandals. You won't cry or mourn, but all day long you will go around groaning because of your sins.
24 I am a warning sign—everything I have done, you will also do. And then you will know the Lord God has made these things happen.
25 The Lord said, “Ezekiel, I will soon destroy the temple that makes everyone feel proud and safe, and I will take away their children as well. 26 On that same day, someone will escape from the city and come to tell you what has happened. 27 Then you will be able to speak again, and the two of you will talk. You will be a warning sign to the people, and they will know that I am the Lord.”