1 A gain, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,

The Word of the Lord came to me on the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year, saying,

2 S on of man, write the name of the day, this same day. The king of Babylon drew close to Jerusalem this same day.

“Son of man, put down in writing this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has shut Jerusalem in with his army this very day.

3 U tter a parable to the rebellious house, and tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh, Set on the cauldron, set it on, and also pour water into it:

And tell a picture-story to these sinful people of Israel. Tell them, ‘The Lord God says, “Put the pot on the fire. Put it on, and pour water in it.

4 g ather its pieces into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones.

Put all the good pieces of meat in it, the thigh, the shoulder. And fill it with the best bones.

5 T ake the choice of the flock, and also a pile of wood for the bones under the cauldron; make it boil well; yes, let its bones be boiled within it.

Take the best of the flock. Put more and more wood under the pot to make it boil, and boil the bones in it.”

6 T herefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Woe to the bloody city, to the cauldron whose rust is therein, and whose rust is not gone out of it! take out of it piece after piece; No lot is fallen on it.

’For the Lord God says, “It is bad for the city of blood, for the rusted pot whose rust has not been cleaned out of it! Take the pieces of meat out of it without choosing them.

7 F or her blood is in the middle of her; she set it on the bare rock; she didn’t pour it on the ground, to cover it with dust.

For the blood of the city has been poured on the rock. It was not poured on the ground where the dust would cover it.

8 T hat it may cause wrath to come up to take vengeance, I have set her blood on the bare rock, that it should not be covered.

I have put the blood on the rock where it could not be covered, so that it would cause anger and punishment.”

9 T herefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great.

So the Lord God says, “It is bad for the city of blood! I will put much wood on the fire.

10 H eap on the wood, make the fire hot, boil well the flesh, and make thick the broth, and let the bones be burned.

Put on more and more wood, and make the fire burn. Boil the meat well. Mix in the spices, and let the bones be burned up.

11 T hen set it empty on its coals, that it may be hot, and its brass may burn, and that its filthiness may be molten in it, that its rust may be consumed.

Now set the empty pot on the coals until it becomes hot and its brass becomes bright with the heat. Then what is not clean in it will melt away. Its rust will be destroyed.

12 S he is weary with toil; yet her great rust doesn’t go leave her; her rust doesn’t go by fire.

But it has been all for nothing. Its rust has not left it, not even by fire.

13 I n your filthiness is lewdness: because I have cleansed you and you weren’t cleansed, you shall not be cleansed from your filthiness any more, until I have caused my wrath toward you to rest.

It is sin that makes you unclean. I have tried to make you clean, but you would not be made clean from your sins. So you will not be clean again until My anger against you is finished.

14 I , Yahweh, have spoken it: it shall happen, and I will do it: I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to your ways, and according to your doings, shall they judge you, says the Lord Yahweh.

I, the Lord, have spoken. The time has come for Me to act. I will not hold back, I will not pity, and I will not be sorry. I will punish you for your ways and for what you have done,” says the Lord God.’” Ezekiel’s Wife Dies

15 A lso Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,

The Word of the Lord came to me saying,

16 S on of man, behold, I will take away from you the desire of your eyes with a stroke: yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, neither shall your tears run down.

“Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the desire of your eyes. But do not have sorrow or loud crying or any tears.

17 S igh, but not aloud, make no mourning for the dead; bind your headdress on you, and put your shoes on your feet, and don’t cover your lips, and don’t eat men’s bread.

Cry inside yourself. Do not show sorrow for the dead. Put your head-covering on. Put your shoes on your feet. Do not cover your face or eat the bread of those in sorrow.”

18 S o I spoke to the people in the morning; and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.

So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I was told.

19 T he people said to me, Won’t you tell us what these things are to us, that you do so?

And the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things you are doing mean for us?”

20 T hen I said to them, Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,

So I said to them, “The Word of the Lord came to me saying,

21 S peak to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pities; and your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind shall fall by the sword.

’Tell the people of Israel, “The Lord God says, ‘I am about to let sin fill My holy place, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the happiness of your soul. And your sons and daughters you have left behind will be killed by the sword.

22 Y ou shall do as I have done: you shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.

Then you will do as I have done. You will not cover your face or eat the bread of those in sorrow.

23 Y our tires shall be on your heads, and your shoes on your feet: you shall not mourn nor weep; but you shall pine away in your iniquities, and moan one toward another.

Your heads will be covered and your shoes will be on your feet. You will not have sorrow or cry. But you will waste away in your sins and cry in pain to one another.

24 T hus Ezekiel shall be a sign to you; according to all that he has done, you will do. When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.

So Ezekiel will be something special for you to see. You will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord God.’”

25 Y ou, son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their heart, their sons and their daughters,

‘Son of man, I will take away their strong-place that was their joy and pride, the desire of their eyes and the things their hearts wanted most. And I will take away their sons and their daughters.

26 t hat in that day he who escapes shall come to you, to cause you to hear it with your ears?

On that day, one who gets away will come to you with the news.

27 I n that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped, and you shall speak, and be no more mute: so you will be a sign to them; and they shall know that I am Yahweh.

That same day your mouth will be opened. You will speak with him and no longer be quiet. So you will be something special for them to see, and they will know that I am the Lord.’”