Ezekiel 24

The Boiling Pot

24:1 The word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month¹: 24:2 “Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege² to Jerusalem³ this very day. 24:3 Recite a proverb to this rebellious house⁴ and say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘Set on the pot,⁵ set it on,

pour water in it too;

24:4 add the pieces of meat to it,

every good piece,

the thigh and the shoulder;

fill it with choice bones.

24:5 Take the choice bone of the flock,

heap up bones under it;

boil rapidly,

and boil its bones in it.

24:6 “‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says:

Woe to the city of bloodshed,

the pot whose rot⁶ is in it,

whose rot has not been removed⁷ from it!

Empty it piece by piece.

No lot has fallen on it.⁸

24:7 For her blood was in it;

she poured it on an exposed rock;

she did not pour it on the ground to cover it up with dust.

24:8 To arouse anger, to take vengeance,

I have placed her blood on an exposed rock so that it cannot be covered up.

24:9 “‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says:

Woe to the city of bloodshed!

I will also make the pile high.

24:10 Pile up the bones, kindle the fire;

cook the meat well, mix in the spices,

let the bones be charred.

24:11 Set the empty pot on the coals,⁹

until it becomes hot and its copper glows,

until its uncleanness melts within it and its rot¹⁰ is consumed.

24:12 It has tried my patience;¹¹

yet its thick rot is not removed¹² from it.

Subject its rot to the fire!¹³

24:13 You mix uncleanness with obscene conduct.¹⁴

I tried to cleanse you,¹⁵ but you are not clean.

You will not be cleansed from your uncleanness¹⁶

until I have exhausted my anger on you.

24:14 “‘I the Lord have spoken; judgment¹⁷ is coming and I will act! I will not relent, or show pity, or be sorry!¹⁸ I will judge you¹⁹ according to your conduct²⁰ and your deeds, declares the sovereign Lord.’”

Ezekiel’s Wife Dies

24:15 The word of Lord came to me: 24:16 “Son of man, realize that I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you with a jolt,²¹ but you must not mourn or weep or shed tears. 24:17 Groan in silence for the dead,²² but do not perform mourning rites.²³ Bind on your turban²⁴ and put your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your lip²⁵ and do not eat food brought by others.”²⁶

24:18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. In the morning²⁷ I acted just as I was commanded. 24:19 Then the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things you are doing mean for us?”

24:20 So I said to them: “The word of the Lord came to me: 24:21 Say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Realize I am about to desecrate my sanctuary – the source of your confident pride,²⁸ the object in which your eyes delight,²⁹ and your life’s passion.³⁰ Your very own sons and daughters whom you have left behind will die³¹ by the sword. 24:22 Then you will do as I have done: You will not cover your lip or eat food brought by others.³² 24:23 Your turbans will be on your heads and your sandals on your feet; you will not mourn or weep, but you will rot³³ for your iniquities³⁴ and groan among yourselves. 24:24 Ezekiel will be an object lesson for you; you will do all that he has done. When it happens, then you will know that I am the sovereign Lord.’

24:25 “And you, son of man, this is what will happen on the day I take³⁵ from them their stronghold – their beautiful source of joy, the object in which their eyes delight, and the main concern of their lives,³⁶ as well as their sons and daughters:³⁷ 24:26 On that day a fugitive will come to you to report the news.³⁸ 24:27 On that day you will be able to speak again;³⁹ you will talk with the fugitive and be silent no longer. You will be an object lesson for them, and they will know that I am the Lord.”

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