Ezekiel 24
On the very day Nebuchadnezzar begins the siege of Jerusalem, the LORD gives Ezekiel the parable of the boiling pot full of rust and corruption. That evening Ezekiel's wife dies, and the LORD forbids him to mourn — a sign that when the temple falls, the people's grief will be too great for tears.
| v | King James Version | Modern English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Again in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, | In the ninth year, on the tenth day of the tenth month, the word of the LORD came to me: |
| 2 | Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this same day: the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day. | "Son of man, write down this date — this very day — because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day." |
| 3 | And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Set on a pot, set it on, and also pour water into it: | "Tell a parable to that rebellious house and say to them: This is what the Lord GOD says: Put on the pot. Put it on and pour water into it." |
| 4 | Gather the pieces thereof into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones. | "Put into it the pieces of meat — every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder. Fill it with the best bones." |
| 5 | Take the choice of the flock, and burn also the bones under it, and make it boil well, and let them seethe the bones of it therein. | "Take the pick of the flock. Pile the wood beneath it. Bring it to a boil and cook the bones in it." |
| 6 | Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it. | "For this is what the Lord GOD says: How terrible for the city of bloodshed — the pot now encrusted with filth, whose deposit will not go away! Empty it piece by piece without casting lots for the pieces." |
| 7 | For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust; | "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." |
| 8 | That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance; I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered. | "To stir up My wrath and take revenge, I put her blood on the bare rock so that it would not be covered." |
| 9 | Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire great. | "Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: How terrible for the city of bloodshed! I too will pile the wood high." |
| 10 | Heap on wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burned. | "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 it empty upon the coals thereof, that the brass of it may be hot, and may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it, that the scum of it may be consumed. | "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." |
| 12 | She hath wearied herself with lies, and her great scum went not forth out of her: her scum shall be in the fire. | "It has frustrated all efforts. Its heavy deposit has not been removed — not even by fire." |
| 13 | In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee. | "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." |
| 14 | I the LORD have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord GOD. | "I the LORD have spoken. The time has come for Me to act. I will not hold back. I will not have pity. I will not relent. You will be judged according to Your conduct and Your actions, declares the Lord GOD." |
| 15 | Also the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, | The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 16 | Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down. | "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 let Your tears flow." |
| 17 | Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men. | "Groan quietly. Do not mourn for the dead. Keep Your turban on Your head and Your sandals on Your feet. Do not cover the lower part of Your face or eat the customary food of mourners." |
| 18 | So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded. | I spoke to the people in the morning, and that evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded. |
| 19 | And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so? | The people asked me, "Won't you tell us what these things mean for us? Why are You behaving this way?" |
| 20 | Then I answered them, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, | I answered them, "The word of the LORD came to me:" |
| 21 | Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword. | "Say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord GOD says: I am about to desecrate My sanctuary — the stronghold You are so proud of, the delight of Your eyes, the desire of Your heart. The sons and daughters You left behind will fall by the sword." |
| 22 | And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men. | "And You will do as I have done. You will not cover the lower part of Your face or eat the bread of mourners." |
| 23 | And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward another. | "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." |
| 24 | Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD. | "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 Lord GOD." |
| 25 | Also, thou son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their minds, their sons and their daughters, | "And You, Son of man — on the day I take away their stronghold — their joy and pride, the delight of their eyes, their heart's desire — and their sons and daughters as well —" |
| 26 | That he that escapeth in that day shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine ears? | "on that day a fugitive will come to You and report it to You in person." |
| 27 | In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am the LORD. | "At that time Your mouth will be opened. You will speak with the fugitive and be silent no more. You will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD." |