EZEKIEL 24 [†] l In the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: 2[†] m “Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. 3And  n utter a parable to  o the rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD:

“Set on  p the pot, set it on;

pour in water also;

4 put in it the pieces of meat,

all the good pieces,  q the thigh and the shoulder;

fill it with choice bones.

5 Take the choicest one of the flock;

pile the logs [1] under it;

boil it well;

seethe also its bones in it.

6[†]“Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:  r Woe to the bloody city, to  p the pot whose corrosion is in it, and whose corrosion has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, without making any choice. [2] 7For the blood she has shed is in her midst; she put it on  s the bare rock;  t she did not pour it out on the ground to cover it with dust. 8[^]To rouse my wrath, to take vengeance, I have set on the bare rock the blood she has shed, that it may not be covered. 9Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city!  u I also will make the pile great. 10[†]Heap on the logs, kindle the fire, boil the meat well, mix in the spices, [3] and let the bones be burned up. 11Then set it empty upon the coals, that it may become hot, and its copper may burn,  v that its uncleanness may be melted in it, its corrosion consumed. 12 w She has wearied herself with toil; [4] its abundant corrosion does not go out of it. Into the fire with its corrosion! 13On account of your unclean lewdness, because I would have cleansed you and you were not cleansed from your uncleanness,  x you shall not be cleansed anymore till  y I have satisfied my fury upon you. 14 z I am the LORD. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back;  a I will not spare;  b I will not relent;  c according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord GOD.”

15[†]The word of the LORD came to me: 16[†] d “Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down. 17Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead.  e Bind on your turban, and  f put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips,  g nor eat the bread of men.” 18So I spoke to the people in the morning, and  h at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did  i as I was commanded.

19[†]And  j the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?” 20Then I said to them, “The word of the LORD came to me: 21[^]‘Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD:  k Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and  l your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword. 22And  m you shall do as I have done;  m you shall not cover your lips,  g nor eat the bread of men. 23 m Your turbans shall be on your heads and your shoes on your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but  n you shall rot away in your iniquities and groan to one another. 24Thus shall Ezekiel be to you  o a sign;  m according to all that he has done you shall do. When this comes, then  p you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’

25[†]“As for you,  q son of man, surely on the day when I take from them  r their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes and their soul’s desire, and also their sons and daughters, 26 s on that day a fugitive will come to you to report to you the news. 27On that day your mouth  t will be opened to the fugitive, and you shall speak and be no longer mute.  u So you will be a sign to them, and  v they will know that I am the LORD.”