The Siege of Jerusalem

24 ^(A)In the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: ^2 (B)“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. ³ And ^(C)utter a parable to ^(D)the rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord God:

⁶ “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ^(G)Woe to the bloody city, to ^(H)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.^{[b] 7} For the blood she has shed is in her midst; she put it on ^(I)the bare rock; ^(J)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. ⁹ Therefore thus says the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city! ^(K)I also will make the pile great. ¹⁰ Heap on the logs, kindle the fire, boil the meat well, mix in the spices,^[c] and let the bones be burned up. ¹¹ Then set it empty upon the coals, that it may become hot, and its copper may burn, ^(L)that its uncleanness may be melted in it, its corrosion consumed. ^12 (M)She has wearied herself with toil;^[d] its abundant corrosion does not go out of it. Into the fire with its corrosion! ¹³ On account of your unclean lewdness, because I would have cleansed you and you were not cleansed from your uncleanness, ^(N)you shall not be cleansed anymore till ^(O)I have satisfied my fury upon you. ^14 (P)I am the Lord. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; ^(Q)I will not spare; ^(R)I will not relent; ^(S)according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord God.”

Ezekiel's Wife Dies

¹⁵ The word of the Lord came to me: ^16 (T)“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. ¹⁷ Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. ^(U)Bind on your turban, and ^(V)put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, ^(W)nor eat the bread of men.” ¹⁸ So I spoke to the people in the morning, and ^(X)at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did ^(Y)as I was commanded.

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

²⁵ “As for you, ^(AK)son of man, surely on the day when I take from them ^(AL)their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes and their soul's desire, and also their sons and daughters, ^26 (AM)on that day a fugitive will come to you to report to you the news. ²⁷ On that day your mouth ^(AN)will be opened to the fugitive, and you shall speak and be no longer mute. ^(AO)So you will be a sign to them, and ^(AP)they will know that I am the Lord.”