Jerusalem as a Cooking Pot
24 In the ninth year, in the tenth month on the tenth day, the word of the Lord came to me:(A) 2 “Son of man, record(B) this date, this very date, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.(C) 3 Tell this rebellious people(D) a parable(E) and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Put on the cooking pot;(F) put it on
and pour water into it.
4 Put into it the pieces of meat,
all the choice pieces—the leg and the shoulder.
Fill it with the best of these bones;(G)
5 take the pick of the flock.(H)
Pile wood beneath it for the bones;
bring it to a boil
and cook the bones in it.(I)
6 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Woe(J) to the city of bloodshed,(K)
to the pot now encrusted,
whose deposit will not go away!
Take the meat out piece by piece
in whatever order(L) it comes.(M)
7 “‘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.(N)
8 To stir up wrath and take revenge
I put her blood on the bare rock,
so that it would not be covered.
9 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Woe to the city of bloodshed!
I, too, will pile the wood high.
10 So heap on the wood
and kindle the fire.
Cook the meat well,
mixing in the spices;
and let the bones be charred.
11 Then set the empty pot on the coals
till it becomes hot and its copper glows,
so that its impurities may be melted
and its deposit burned away.(O)
12 It has frustrated all efforts;
its heavy deposit has not been removed,
not even by fire.
13 “‘Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed(P) from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.(Q)
14 “‘I the Lord have spoken.(R) The time has come for me to act.(S) I will not hold back; I will not have pity,(T) nor will I relent.(U) You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions,(V) declares the Sovereign Lord.(W)’”
Ezekiel’s Wife Dies
15 The word of the Lord came to me: 16 “Son of man, with one blow(X) I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes.(Y) Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.(Z) 17 Groan quietly;(AA) do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban(AB) fastened and your sandals(AC) on your feet; do not cover your mustache and beard(AD) or eat the customary food of mourners.(AE)”
18 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.(AF)
19 Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things have to do with us?(AG) Why are you acting like this?”
20 So I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: 21 Say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary(AH)—the stronghold in which you take pride,(AI) the delight of your eyes,(AJ) the object of your affection. The sons and daughters(AK) you left behind will fall by the sword.(AL) 22 And you will do as I have done. You will not cover your mustache and beard(AM) or eat the customary food of mourners.(AN) 23 You will keep your turbans(AO) on your heads and your sandals(AP) on your feet. You will not mourn(AQ) or weep but will waste away(AR) because of[a] your sins and groan among yourselves.(AS) 24 Ezekiel(AT) will be a sign(AU) to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’
25 “And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes,(AV) their heart’s desire,(AW) and their sons and daughters(AX) as well— 26 on that day a fugitive will come to tell you(AY) the news. 27 At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent.(AZ) So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.(BA)”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 24:23 Or away in
Cross references
- Ezekiel 24:1 : S Eze 8:1; 26:1; 29:17
- Ezekiel 24:2 : Isa 30:8; Hab 2:2
- Ezekiel 24:2 : 2Ki 25:1; S Jer 39:1
- Ezekiel 24:3 : S Isa 1:2; S Eze 2:3, 6
- Ezekiel 24:3 : S Eze 20:49
- Ezekiel 24:3 : S Eze 11:3
- Ezekiel 24:4 : S Eze 11:7
- Ezekiel 24:5 : S Isa 34:12; Jer 52:10
- Ezekiel 24:5 : Jer 52:24-27; Mic 3:2-3
- Ezekiel 24:6 : S Eze 16:23
- Ezekiel 24:6 : S Eze 22:2
- Ezekiel 24:6 : S Job 6:27; Joel 3:3; Ob 1:11; Na 3:10
- Ezekiel 24:6 : S Eze 11:11
- Ezekiel 24:7 : S Lev 17:13
- Ezekiel 24:11 : Jer 21:10
- Ezekiel 24:13 : S Isa 22:14
- Ezekiel 24:13 : Jer 6:28-30; La 1:9; S Eze 16:42; 22:24; 23:36-49; Hos 7:1; Zec 6:8
- Ezekiel 24:14 : Eze 22:14
- Ezekiel 24:14 : S Nu 11:23
- Ezekiel 24:14 : S Eze 8:18
- Ezekiel 24:14 : S Job 27:22
- Ezekiel 24:14 : Eze 36:19; Zec 8:14
- Ezekiel 24:14 : S Isa 3:11; S Eze 18:30
- Ezekiel 24:16 : S Ps 39:10
- Ezekiel 24:16 : ver 21; Ps 84:1; S La 2:4
- Ezekiel 24:16 : Jer 13:17; 16:5; S 22:10
- Ezekiel 24:17 : Ps 39:9
- Ezekiel 24:17 : S Ex 28:39; S Isa 3:20
- Ezekiel 24:17 : S Isa 20:2
- Ezekiel 24:17 : S Lev 13:45
- Ezekiel 24:17 : ver 22; S Jer 16:7
- Ezekiel 24:18 : S Eze 12:7
- Ezekiel 24:19 : Eze 12:9; 37:18
- Ezekiel 24:21 : S Lev 26:31; S Eze 7:24
- Ezekiel 24:21 : S Lev 26:19
- Ezekiel 24:21 : S ver 16; Ps 27:4
- Ezekiel 24:21 : S Eze 23:25
- Ezekiel 24:21 : Jer 7:14, 15; Hos 9:12, 16; Mal 2:12
- Ezekiel 24:22 : S Lev 13:45
- Ezekiel 24:22 : Jer 16:7
- Ezekiel 24:23 : S Ex 28:39; S Isa 3:20
- Ezekiel 24:23 : S Isa 20:2
- Ezekiel 24:23 : Ex 33:4
- Ezekiel 24:23 : S Lev 26:16
- Ezekiel 24:23 : Ps 78:64
- Ezekiel 24:24 : Eze 1:3
- Ezekiel 24:24 : S Isa 20:3; Eze 12:11
- Ezekiel 24:25 : S La 2:4
- Ezekiel 24:25 : S Ps 20:4
- Ezekiel 24:25 : Dt 28:32; Jer 11:22
- Ezekiel 24:26 : S 1Sa 4:12; Job 1:15-19
- Ezekiel 24:27 : Da 10:15
- Ezekiel 24:27 : S Eze 3:26; 33:22