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The Boiling Pot

24In the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: ²Mortal, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. ³And utter an allegory to the rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord God:
Set on the pot, set it on,
   pour in water also;
⁴ put in it the pieces,
   all the good pieces, the thigh and the shoulder;
   fill it with choice bones.
⁵ Take the choicest one of the flock,
   pile the logs^* under it;
boil its pieces,^*
   seethe^* also its bones in it.

6 Therefore, thus says the Lord God:
Woe to the bloody city,
   the pot whose rust is in it,
   whose rust has not gone out of it!
Empty it piece by piece,
   making no choice at all.^*
7 For the blood she shed is inside it;
   she placed it on a bare rock;
she did not pour it out on the ground,
   to cover it with earth.
⁸ To rouse my wrath, to take vengeance,
   I have placed the blood she shed
   on a bare rock,
   so that it may not be covered.
⁹Therefore thus says the Lord God:
Woe to the bloody city!
   I will even make the pile great.
¹⁰ Heap up the logs, kindle the fire;
   boil the meat well, mix in the spices,
   let the bones be burned.
¹¹ Stand it empty upon the coals,
   so that it may become hot, its copper glow,
   its filth melt in it, its rust be consumed.
¹² In vain I have wearied myself;^*
   its thick rust does not depart.
   To the fire with its rust!^*
13 Yet, when I cleansed you in your filthy lewdness,
   you did not become clean from your filth;
you shall not again be cleansed
   until I have satisfied my fury upon you.
¹⁴I the Lord have spoken; the time is coming, I will act. I will not refrain, I will not spare, I will not relent. According to your ways and your doings I will judge you, says the Lord God.

Ezekiel’s Bereavement

15 The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁶Mortal, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down. ¹⁷Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban, and put your sandals on your feet; do not cover your upper lip or eat the bread of mourners.^{* 18}So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded.

19 Then the people said to me, ‘Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting in this way?’ ²⁰Then I said to them: The word of the Lord came to me: ²¹Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and your heart’s desire; and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword. ²²And you shall do as I have done; you shall not cover your upper lip or eat the bread of mourners.^{* 23}Your turbans shall be on your heads and your sandals on your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but you shall pine away in your iniquities and groan to one another. ²⁴Thus Ezekiel shall be a sign to you; you shall do just as he has done. When this comes, then you shall know that I am the Lord God.

25 And you, mortal, on the day when I take from them their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes and their heart’s affection, and also^* their sons and their daughters, ²⁶on that day, one who has escaped will come to you to report to you the news. ²⁷On that day your mouth shall be opened to the one who has escaped, and you shall speak and no longer be silent. So you shall be a sign to them; and they shall know that I am the Lord.