Ezekiel 24
1 The word of the LORD came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month:
2 “Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day: the king of Babylon has advanced against Jerusalem on this very day.
3 Tell a parable to the rebellious house and say to them: ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: «Set the pot on the fire; set it there, and pour water into it too.
4 Put in the pieces of meat, every choice piece—the thigh and the shoulder. Fill it with the best bones.
5 Take the best of the flock, and pile the bones underneath too. Let what is in it boil vigorously, and let its bones cook inside it as well.»’
6 So this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed, the pot with rust inside it, whose rust has not been removed! Take out its pieces one by one; no lot was cast over it.
7 For its blood is still within it. It put the blood on bare rock; it did not pour it on the ground and cover it with dust.
8 To stir up wrath and take vengeance, I put its blood on bare rock, so it would not be covered.’
9 So this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed! I too will make the firewood pile larger.
10 Pile on the wood, kindle the fire, cook the meat thoroughly, mix in the spices, and let the bones be scorched.
11 Then set the empty pot on its coals, so it will heat up and its bronze will glow. Let its filth melt inside it and its rust be consumed.
12 It has worn itself out with toil, yet its thick rust has not come off. Into the fire with its rust!
13 There is indecency in your impurity. I wanted to cleanse you, but you would not be cleansed. You will not be clean of your impurity until I have spent my wrath on you.
14 I, the LORD, have spoken. It is coming, and I will do it. I will not hold back, I will have no pity, and I will not relent. They will judge you according to your ways and your deeds, declares the Lord GOD.’”
15 The word of the LORD came to me:
16 “Son of man, I am about to take from you, in a sudden blow, the delight of your eyes. But you must not mourn or weep, and your tears must not come.
17 Groan in silence; do not mourn for the dead. Tie your turban on your head and put your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your upper lip, and do not eat the bread of mourners.”
18 I spoke to the people in the morning; my wife died that evening. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.
19 Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things mean for us, since you are doing them?”
20 So I said to them, “The word of the LORD came to me:
21 ‘Say to the house of Israel: «This is what the Lord GOD says: I am about to profane my sanctuary, the stronghold you take pride in, the delight of your eyes and the longing of your soul. Your sons and daughters whom you left behind will fall by the sword.
22 And you will do as I have done: you will not cover your upper lip, and you will not eat the bread of mourners.
23 Your turbans will be on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep; instead, you will waste away in your guilt and groan to one another.
24 Ezekiel will be a sign for you. You will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord GOD.»
25 And you, son of man: won’t the day come when I take from them their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes, the longing of their soul, and their sons and daughters?
26 On that day, a fugitive will come to you to bring the news.
27 On that day your mouth will be opened when the fugitive arrives. You will speak and will no longer be silent. You will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD.’”
Read and listen to this chapter in the Shalem app, free: narration, chapter video and reading progress. Get the app