Ezekiel 24
His Wife Died, and He Was Told Not to Mourn
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The Parable of the Cauldron
24:1The Lord’s word came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, saying,
24:2“Son of man, write for yourself for a day, from this day on which Babylon’s king pressed against Jerusalem, from this present day,
24:3and speak a parable against the provoking house. Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: Set on the cauldron and pour water into it,
24:4and put the cut pieces into it, every good cut, leg and shoulder stripped from the bones,
24:5from choice animals taken. Burn the bones beneath them. It boiled, it boiled, and her bones have been cooked within her.
O City of Bloodshed
24:6Therefore thus says the Lord: O city of bloodshed! A cauldron with rust in it, whose rust has not come out of her! He brought it out limb by limb; no lot fell upon her.
24:7For her blood is within her. I have set it upon smooth rock; I have not poured it upon the earth to cover it with earth.
24:8To make wrath rise for vengeance to be exacted, I have set her blood upon smooth rock so that it will not be covered.
24:9Therefore thus says the Lord: I too will enlarge the firebrand
24:10and multiply the wood and kindle the fire, so that the flesh melts and the broth is reduced,
24:11and it stands upon the coals, so that its copper is scorched and heated and melts amid its uncleanness, and its rust ceases,
24:12yet her abundant rust certainly will not leave her; her rust will be put to shame,
24:13because you were being defiled. And what if you are not cleansed any more until I fill up My wrath?
24:14I, the Lord, have spoken, and it will come, and I will act. I will not draw back, nor will I show mercy. According to your ways and your reflections I will judge you, says the Lord. Therefore I will judge you according to your bloodshed, and according to your reflections I will judge you, the unclean one, the famous one, abundant in provoking.’”
The Desire of Your Eyes Taken
24:15The Lord’s word came to me, saying,
24:16“Son of man, behold, I am taking the desires of your eyes from you in battle array. You certainly shall not beat your breast, nor be wept over.
24:17It is a groaning of blood, of loins, of mourning. Your hair shall not be plaited upon you, nor your footwear be on your feet. You certainly shall not be comforted by their lips or eat the bread of men.
24:18I spoke to the people in the morning as He commanded me, and my wife died in the evening. In the morning I did as I was ordered.
24:19The people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things are that you are doing?”
24:20I said to them, “The Lord’s word came to me, saying,
I Am Profaning My Sanctuary
24:21‘Say to Israel’s house, Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am profaning My holy things, the boast of your strength, the desires of your eyes, those for whom your souls care. Your sons and daughters whom you left behind will fall by the sword.
24:22You will do as I have done: you will not be comforted from their mouth or eat the bread of men,
24:23with your hair upon your heads and your footwear on your feet. You certainly will neither beat your breasts nor weep; you will waste away in your injustices and comfort, each his brother.
24:24Ezekiel will be a portent for you; according to everything he has done, you will do when these things come. You will recognize that I am the Lord.
Your Mouth Will Be Opened
24:25And you, son of man, will it not be on the day when I take their strength from them, the exaltation of their boasting, the desires of their eyes, the exaltation of their soul, their sons and daughters—
24:26on that day the survivor will come to you to announce it into your ears?
24:27On that day your mouth will be opened toward the survivor; you will speak and certainly will no longer be struck mute. You will be a portent for them, and they will recognize that I am the Lord.’”
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.