Ezekiel 24

Parable of the Boiling Pot

1And the word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, saying, 2“Son of man, write the name of the day, this very day. The king of Babylon 1has 2laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. 3Speak a 3parable to the 4rebellious house and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord 5God, “Put on the 6pot, put it on and also pour water in it;478Put in it the pieces, Every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder; Fill it with choice bones.5Take the 9choicest of the flock, And also pile 10wood under 11the pot. Make it boil vigorously. Also seethe its bones in it.”

6‘Therefore, thus says the Lord God, “Woe to the 12bloody city, To the pot in which there is rust And whose rust has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, 13Without making a choice.7For her blood is in her midst; She placed it on the bare rock; She did not 14pour it on the ground To cover it with dust.8That it may 15cause wrath to come up to take vengeance, I have put her blood on the bare rock, That it may not be covered.” 9Therefore, thus says the Lord God, “16Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great.10Heap on the wood, kindle the fire, 17Boil the flesh well And mix in the spices, And let the bones be burned.11Then 18set it empty on its coals So that it may be hot And its bronze may 19glow And its 20filthiness may be melted in it, Its rust consumed.12She has 21wearied Me with toil, Yet her great rust has not gone from her; Let her rust be in the fire!13In your filthiness is lewdness. Because I would have cleansed you, Yet you are 22not clean, You will not be cleansed from your filthiness again Until I have 2324spent My wrath on you. 14I, the Lord, have spoken; it is 25coming and I will act. I will not relent, and I will not 26pity and I will not be sorry; 27according to your ways and according to your deeds 28I will judge you,” declares the Lord God.’”

Death of Ezekiel’s Wife Is a Sign

15And the word of the Lord came to me saying, 16“Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you the 29desire of your eyes with a 30blow; but you shall not 31mourn and you shall not weep, and your 32tears shall not come. 17Groan silently; make 33no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban and put your shoes on your feet, and do not cover your mustache and 34do not eat the bread of men.” 18So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded. 19The people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things that you are doing mean for us?” 20Then I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me saying, 21‘Speak to the house of Israel, “Thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I am about to profane My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the 35desire of your eyes and the delight of your soul; and your 36sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword. 22You will do as I have done; you will not cover your mustache and you will not eat the bread of men. 23Your turbans will be on your heads and your shoes on your feet. You 37will not mourn and you will not weep, but 38you will rot away in your iniquities and you will groan 39to one another. 24Thus Ezekiel will be a 40sign to you; according to all that he has done you will do; when it comes, then you will know that I am the Lord God.’”

25‘As for you, son of man, will it not be on the day when I take from them their 41stronghold, the joy of their 42pride, the desire of their eyes and 43their heart’s delight, their sons and their daughters, 26that on that day he who 44escapes will come to you with information for your ears? 27On that day your 45mouth will be opened to him who escaped, and you will speak and be mute no longer. Thus you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.’”