Ezekiel

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,

1In the ninth year, on the tenth day of the tenth month, the LORD spoke to me. He said:

2Son 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.

2"Son of man, write down today's date. On this very day the king of Babylon has surrounded Jerusalem with his army.

3And 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:

3Tell this stubborn people a story, and say to them: This is what the Lord GOD says. Put the pot on the fire. Set it up, and pour water into it.

4Gather the pieces thereof into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones.

4Put the pieces of meat inside, every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder. Fill it with the best bones.

5Take 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.

5Pick the best animal from the flock. Pile the fuel under the pot. Bring it to a hard boil and cook the bones in it.

6Wherefore 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.

6So this is what the Lord GOD says: How terrible for the city full of killing! It is a pot that is rusted inside, and the rust will not come off. Empty it out one piece at a time. Do not draw lots to choose.

NoteThe KJV word is "scum," but it means the crust or rust baked onto the inside of a metal pot, not foam on the surface.

7For 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;

7The blood she spilled is still inside her. She poured it out on bare rock. She did not pour it on the ground, where dust could cover it.

8That 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.

8So I have left her blood on bare rock, where it cannot be covered. It stirs up anger and calls for payment.

9Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire great.

9So this is what the Lord GOD says: How terrible for the city full of killing! I will pile the firewood high myself.

10Heap on wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burned.

10Pile on the logs and light the fire. Cook the meat well and mix in the spices. Let the bones be burned.

11Then 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.

11Then set the empty pot on the coals until it is hot and the copper glows. Then the dirt inside will melt and the rust will be burned away.

12She hath wearied herself with lies, and her great scum went not forth out of her: her scum shall be in the fire.

12Every effort to clean her has failed. Her thick rust did not come off, not even in the fire.

13In 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.

13Your filth was shameful. I tried to make you clean, but you would not be cleaned. You will not be clean again until my anger against you has run its course.

Note"Lewdness" in older English meant wicked or shameful behavior in general, not only sexual sin.

14I 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.

14I, the LORD, have spoken. It is coming, and I will do it. I will not hold back, or pity you, or change my mind. You will be judged for what you did and how you lived, says the Lord GOD."

15Also the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

15Then the LORD spoke to me. He said:

16Son 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.

16"Son of man, I am about to take away the one your eyes love most. She will die suddenly. But you must not mourn or cry or let your tears fall.

17Forbear 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.

17Groan quietly. Do not hold a funeral for the dead. Keep your turban on and your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your lips or eat the food friends bring to mourners."

Note"The tire of thine head" is a head wrap, or turban. "The bread of men" is the food neighbors brought to a grieving family, part of the normal way people mourned.

18So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.

18So I spoke to the people in the morning. That evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been told.

19And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?

19Then the people asked me, "Won't you tell us what all this means for us? Why are you acting this way?"

20Then I answered them, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

20So I answered them, "The LORD spoke to me. He said:

21Speak 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.

21Tell the people of Israel, This is what the Lord GOD says: I am about to ruin my own temple. It is the pride of your strength, the joy of your eyes, the delight of your heart. And the sons and daughters you left behind will be killed in battle.

22And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.

22Then you will do what I have done. You will not cover your lips or eat the food friends bring to mourners.

23And 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.

23Your turbans will stay on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or cry. You will waste away because of your sins, and groan to one another.

24Thus 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.

24So Ezekiel is a sign for you. You will do everything he has done. When it happens, you will know that I am the Lord GOD.

25Also, 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,

25"And you, son of man, listen. A day is coming when I will take away their safe place, their pride and joy, the delight of their eyes, the thing their hearts are set on, and their sons and daughters too.

26That he that escapeth in that day shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine ears?

26On that day someone who got away will come to you and tell you the news.

27In 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.

27On that day you will be able to speak to him. Your mouth will open and you will no longer be silent. You will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD."

Note"Dumb" here means unable to speak, not foolish. Earlier God had made Ezekiel silent except when giving a message.