Ezekiel 24

Modern

Literal

The Parable of the Cooking Pot

¹In the ninth year, on the tenth day of the tenth month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

¹And the word of YHWH came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, saying:

²“Son of man, write down today’s date, for on this very day the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem.

²“Son of man, write down for yourself the name of the day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege against Jerusalem on this very day.

³Now speak a parable to this rebellious house and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says:

‘Put the pot on the fire;

put it on and pour in the water.

³And utter to house the rebellious a parable, and say to them—thus says the Lord YHWH: ‘Put on a pot; put it on, and also pour water into it.

⁴Put in the pieces of meat,

every good piece—

thigh and shoulder—

fill it with choice bones.

⁴To gather its pieces to it, every good piece—thigh and shoulder; fill it with the choicest of limbs.

⁵Take the choicest of the flock

and pile the fuel beneath it.

Bring it to a boil

and cook the bones in it.’

⁵Take the choicest of the flock, and pile up the bones under it; bring to a boil the boiling of it, and let seethe the limbs in the midst of it.’

⁶Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says:

‘Woe to the city of bloodshed,

to the pot now rusted,

whose rust will not come off!

Empty it piece by piece;

cast no lots for its contents.^a

⁶Therefore, thus says the Lord YHWH: ‘Woe to the city of blood, the pot that has rust in it, and its corrosion has not gone out from it! Piece after piece bring out from it; a lot has not fallen on it.

⁷For the blood she shed is still within her;

she poured it out on the bare rock;

she did not pour it on the ground

to cover it with dust.

⁷For her blood is in her midst; upon a clear place of a rock she set it; she has not poured it out on the ground to cover over it with dust.

⁸In order to stir up wrath

and take vengeance,

I have placed her blood on the bare rock,

so that it would not be covered.’

⁸To cause fury to come up, to avenge with vengeance, I have given her blood upon a clear place of a rock, that it should not be covered.’

⁹Yes, this is what the Lord GOD says:

‘Woe to the city of bloodshed!

I, too, will pile the kindling high.

⁹Therefore, thus says the Lord YHWH: ‘Woe to the city of blood! Even I will make great the pyre!

¹⁰Pile on the logs and kindle the fire;

cook the meat well

and mix in the spices;

let the bones be burned.

¹⁰Heap on the wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and mix in the spices, and let the bones be burned up.

¹¹Set the empty pot on its coals

until it becomes hot and its copper glows.

Then its impurity will melt within;

its rust will be consumed.

¹¹And set it on its coals empty, so that it may become hot and its bronze may burn, it will be melted in the midst of its impurity, its corrosion consumed.

¹²It has frustrated every effort;

its thick rust has not been removed,

even by the fire.

¹²With toiling she has grown weary, and the abundance of her corrosion has not gone out from her—into the fire with her corrosion!

¹³Because of the indecency of your uncleanness

I tried to cleanse you,

but you would not be purified

from your filthiness.

You will not be pure again

until My wrath against you has subsided.

¹³In your uncleanness is wickedness, because I have cleansed you and you would not be cleansed from your uncleanness, you will not be cleansed anymore, until I have caused to rest My fury on you.

¹⁴I, the LORD, have spoken;

the time is coming, and I will act.

I will not refrain or show pity,

nor will I relent.

I will judge you

according to your ways and deeds,’

declares the Lord GOD.”

¹⁴I, YHWH, have spoken it—it is coming, and I will do it! I will not hold back, and I will not show pity, and I will not relent. According to your ways, and according to your deeds they will judge you,’ a declaration of the Lord YHWH.”

Ezekiel’s Wife Dies

¹⁵Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

¹⁵And the word of YHWH came to me, saying:

¹⁶“Son of man, behold, I am about to take away the desire of your eyes with a fatal blow. But you must not mourn or weep or let your tears flow.

¹⁶“Son of man, behold—I am taking away from you the desire of your eyes with a stroke, and you will not mourn and you will not weep, and your tears will not run down.

¹⁷Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.”

¹⁷Groan, keep silent, you shall make no mourning for the dead. Bind your turban on you, and place your sandals on your feet; do not put a wrap over the lip, and the bread of men do not eat.”

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

¹⁸And I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening, and in the morning I did as I was commanded.

¹⁹Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things you are doing mean to us?”

¹⁹And the people said to me: “Will you not declare to us what these things are to us, that you are doing this?”

²⁰So I answered them, “The word of the LORD came to me, saying:

²⁰And I gave the answer to them: “The word of YHWH came to me, saying:

²¹Tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I am about to desecrate My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the delight of your soul. And the sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.’

²¹Speak to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord YHWH: ‘Behold, I am going to profane My sanctuary, the pride of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and the delight of your soul; and your sons and daughters, whom you left behind, will fall by the sword.’

²²Then you will do as I have done: You will not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.

²²And you will do as I have done: Upon the lip you shall not put a wrap, and bread of men you shall not eat;

²³Your turbans will remain on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep, but you will waste away because of your sins, and you will groan among yourselves.

²³and your turbans will be on your heads, and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn nor weep; and you will waste away in your iniquities, and a man will groan toward his brother.

²⁴‘Thus Ezekiel will be a sign for you; you will do everything that he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’

²⁴And Ezekiel will be to you as a sign; according to all that he has done, you will do. And in its coming to pass, you will know that I am the Lord YHWH.’

²⁵And you, son of man, know that on the day I take away their stronghold, their pride and joy—the desire of their eyes which uplifted their souls—and their sons and daughters as well,

²⁵And you, son of man, is it not in the day of My taking from them their stronghold, their joy, their glory, the desire of their eyes, and the burden of their soul—their sons and their daughters—

²⁶on that day a fugitive will come and tell you the news.

²⁶on that day will come one who escapes to you as a cause to hear the ears?

²⁷On that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped; you will speak and no longer be mute. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD.”

²⁷On that day your mouth will be opened to the one who has escaped, and you will speak, and you will not be mute any longer; and you will be for them as a sign, and they will know that I am YHWH.”