Ezekiel 24

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,

1It was the ninth year, the tenth month, the tenth day. God's message came to me.

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.

2God said, "Son of man, write down today's date." "Son of man" is what God called Ezekiel. It means "you, a human being." God said, "Today the king of Babylon brought his army around Jerusalem."

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:

3"Tell a picture-story to these people who keep saying no to me. Say this: The Lord GOD says, Put the pot on the fire. Put it on. Pour in the water.

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 in the pot. Put in every good piece. Put in the leg 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.

5Take the best sheep from the flock. Pile wood under the pot. Let it boil hard. Cook the bones inside 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 the Lord GOD says this. Sad days are coming for the city where people were killed. It is like a pot with rust inside. The rust will not come off. Empty the pot piece by piece. Do not pick and choose which piece comes out.

NoteThe old word here is "scum." It means the rust or crust stuck inside a metal pot.

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 and cover it with dirt.

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.

8I left her blood on the bare rock, not covered. I did this so anger would rise up. The wrong she did must be paid for.

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

9So the Lord GOD says this. Sad days are coming for that city of killing. I will pile the firewood high.

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

10Pile on the wood. Light the fire. Cook the meat well. Mix in the spices. Let the bones burn.

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. Let it get hot until the metal glows. The dirt inside will melt away. The rust will burn up.

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

12Every try to clean it has been wasted. The thick rust did not come off. Not even the fire took it away.

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 is shameful. I tried to make you clean, but you would not get clean. You will not be clean again until my anger with you is over.

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 said it. The time is coming, and I will do it. I will not hold back. I will not feel sorry for you. I will not change my mind. You will be judged by the things you did. This is what the Lord GOD says."

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

15Then God's message came to me again.

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, listen. I am going to take away the one your eyes love most. She will die suddenly. But you must not cry out. You must not weep. Do not 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 act sad the way people do when someone dies. Keep your cloth head-wrap on. Keep your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your lips. Do not eat the food that friends bring to sad families."

NoteThe old words "tire of thine head" mean a turban, a cloth wrapped around the head. "The bread of men" is the food friends brought to a family when someone died.

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 talked to the people in the morning. That evening my wife died. The next morning I did what God told me.

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

19The people asked me, "Will you tell us what all this means for us?"

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

20So I answered them, "God's message came 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 that the Lord GOD says this. I am going to let my holy house, the temple, be ruined. You are proud of it. Your eyes love it. Your hearts hold on to it. And the sons and daughters you left behind will be killed in the fighting.

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. You will not eat the food friends bring to sad families.

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 head-wraps will stay on your heads. Your sandals will stay on your feet. You will not cry out or weep. You will grow weak inside because of your sins. You will groan to each other.

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 to you. You will do everything he has done. When this 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,

25And you, son of man, listen. A day is coming when I take away their safe strong place. I will take their pride and joy. I will take what their eyes love. I will take what their hearts hold on to. I will take 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. He will tell you the news himself.

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 talk to the man who escaped. You will speak, and you will not be silent anymore. You will be a sign to them. They will know that I am the LORD."

Note"Dumb" in old English means not able to speak. It does not mean silly. Earlier in this book, Ezekiel could only speak when God gave him words.