The Siege of Jerusalem
aIn the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 a“Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. 3 And autter a parable to bthe rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord God:
“Set on cthe pot, set it on;
pour in water also;
4 put in it the pieces of meat,
all the good pieces, athe thigh and the shoulder;
fill it with choice bones.
5 Take the choicest one of the flock;
pile the logs under it;
boil it well;
seethe also its bones in it.
6 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: aWoe to the bloody city, to bthe pot whose corrosion is in it, and whose corrosion has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, without making any choice. 7 For the blood she has shed is in her midst; she put it on athe bare rock; bshe did not pour it out on the ground to cover it with dust. 8 To rouse my wrath, to take vengeance, I have set on the bare rock the blood she has shed, that it may not be covered. 9 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city! aI also will make the pile great. 10 Heap on the logs, kindle the fire, boil the meat well, mix in the spices, and let the bones be burned up. 11 Then set it empty upon the coals, that it may become hot, and its copper may burn, athat its uncleanness may be melted in it, its corrosion consumed. 12 aShe has wearied herself with toil; its abundant corrosion does not go out of it. Into the fire with its corrosion! 13 On account of your unclean lewdness, because I would have cleansed you and you were not cleansed from your uncleanness, ayou shall not be cleansed anymore till bI have satisfied my fury upon you. 14 aI am the Lord. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; bI will not spare; cI will not relent; daccording to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord God.”
Ezekiel’s Wife Dies
15 The word of the Lord came to me: 16 a“Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down. 17 Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. aBind on your turban, and bput your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, cnor eat the bread of men.” 18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and aat evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did bas I was commanded.
19 And athe people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?” 20 Then I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: 21 ‘Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: aBehold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and byour sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword. 22 And ayou shall do as I have done; ayou shall not cover your lips, bnor eat the bread of men. 23 aYour turbans shall be on your heads and your shoes on your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but byou shall rot away in your iniquities and groan to one another. 24 Thus shall Ezekiel be to you aa sign; baccording to all that he has done you shall do. When this comes, then cyou will know that I am the Lord God.’
25 “As for you, ason of man, surely on the day when I take from them btheir stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes and their soul’s desire, and also their sons and daughters, 26 aon that day a fugitive will come to you to report to you the news. 27 On that day your mouth awill be opened to the fugitive, and you shall speak and be no longer mute. bSo you will be a sign to them, and cthey will know that I am the Lord.”