Ezekiel
24
- In the ninth year, in the tenth month on
the tenth day, the word of the LORD came to me:
- "Son of man, record this date, this
very date, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very
day.
- Tell this rebellious house a parable and
say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'Put on the cooking
pot; put it on and pour water into it.
- Put into it the pieces of meat, all the choice
pieces -- the leg and the shoulder. Fill it with the best of these bones;
- take the pick of the flock. Pile wood beneath
it for the bones; bring it to a boil and cook the bones in it.
- "'For this is what the Sovereign LORD
says: "'Woe to the city of bloodshed, to the pot now encrusted, whose
deposit will not go away! Empty it piece by piece without casting lots for
them.
- "'For the blood she shed is in her midst:
She poured it on the bare rock; she did not pour it on the ground, where the
dust would cover it.
- To stir up wrath and take revenge I put her
blood on the bare rock, so that it would not be covered.
- "'Therefore this is what the Sovereign
LORD says: "'Woe to the city of bloodshed! I, too, will pile the wood
high.
- So heap on the wood and kindle the fire.
Cook the meat well, mixing in the spices; and let the bones be charred.
- Then set the empty pot on the coals till
it becomes hot and its copper glows so its impurities may be melted and its
deposit burned away.
- It has frustrated all efforts; its heavy
deposit has not been removed, not even by fire.
- "'Now your impurity is lewdness. Because
I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed from your impurity, you
will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.
- "'I the LORD have spoken. The time has
come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will not have pity, nor will I
relent. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declares
the Sovereign LORD.'"
- The word of the LORD came to me:
- "Son of man, with one blow I am about
to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep
or shed any tears.
- Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead.
Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover the
lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners."
- So I spoke to the people in the morning,
and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.
- Then the people asked me, "Won't you
tell us what these things have to do with us ?"
- So I said to them, "The word of the
LORD came to me:
- Say to the house of Israel, 'This is what
the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary -- the stronghold
in which you take pride, the delight of your eyes, the object of your affection.
The sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.
- And you will do as I have done. You will
not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners.
- You will keep your turbans on your heads
and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep but will waste away
because of your sins and groan among yourselves.
- Ezekiel will be a sign to you; you will do
just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign
LORD.'
- "And you, son of man, on the day I take
away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes, their
heart's desire, and their sons and daughters as well --
- on that day a fugitive will come to tell
you the news.
- At that time your mouth will be opened; you
will speak with him and will no longer be silent. So you will be a sign to
them, and they will know that I am the LORD."
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