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Ezekiel 24
Easy-to-Read Version
Ezekiel 24
Easy-to-Read Version
The Pot and the Meat
24 The word of the Lord came to me. This was on the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year of exile.[a] He said, 2 “Son of man,[b] write today’s date and this note: ‘On this date the army of the king of Babylon surrounded Jerusalem.’ 3 The people there refuse to obey me. I have a story with a message for them. Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says:
“‘Put the pot on the fire.
Put on the pot and pour in the water.
4 Put in the pieces of meat.
Put in every good piece, the thighs and the shoulders.
Fill the pot with the best bones.
5 Use the best animals in the flock.
Pile the wood under the pot,
and boil the pieces of meat.
Boil the soup until even the bones are cooked.
6 “‘So this is what the Lord God says:
It will be bad for Jerusalem.
It will be bad for that city of murderers.
Jerusalem is like a pot with rust on it,
and those spots of rust cannot be removed!
That pot is not clean, and the rust cannot be removed,
so the meat must be thrown out and not divided among the priests.
7 Jerusalem is like a pot with rust on it.
This is because the blood from the murders is still there!
She put the blood on the bare rock.
She did not pour the blood on the ground and cover it with dirt.[c]
8 I put her blood on the bare rock
so that it would not be covered.
I did this so that people would become angry
and punish her for killing innocent people.
9 “‘So this is what the Lord God says:
It will be bad for that city of murderers!
I will pile up plenty of wood for the fire.
10 Put plenty of wood under the pot.
Light the fire.
Cook the meat until it is well done.
Mix in the spices,[d]
and let the bones be burned up.
11 Then let the pot stand empty on the coals.
Let it become so hot that its stains[e] begin to glow.
Those stains will be melted away.
The rust will be destroyed.
12 “‘Jerusalem might work hard
to scrub away her stains.
But that ‘rust’ will not go away!
Only the fire of punishment will remove it.
13 “‘You sinned against me
and became stained with sin.
I wanted to wash you and make you clean,
but the stains would not come out.
I will not try washing you again
until my hot anger is finished with you!
14 “‘I am the Lord. I said your punishment would come, and I will make it happen. I will not hold back the punishment or feel sorry for you. I will punish you for the evil things you did. This is what the Lord God said.’”
The Death of Ezekiel’s Wife
15 Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 16 “Son of man, you love your wife very much, but I am going to take her away from you. Your wife will die suddenly, but you must not show your sadness. You must not cry loudly. You will cry and your tears will fall, 17 but you must mourn quietly. Dress as you normally do; wear your turban and sandals; don’t cover your mustache, and don’t eat the food people normally eat when someone dies.”
18 The next morning I told the people what God had said. That evening, my wife died. The next morning I did what God commanded. 19 Then the people said to me, “Why are you doing this? What does it mean?”
20 Then I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me. He told me 21 to speak to the family of Israel. The Lord God said, ‘Look, I will destroy my holy place. You are proud of that place and sing songs of praise about it. You love to see it. You really love that place. But I will destroy it, and your children that you left behind will be killed in battle. 22 But you will do the same things that I have done about my dead wife. You will not cover your mustache or eat the food people normally eat when someone dies. 23 You will wear your turbans and your sandals. You will not show your sadness publicly or cry publicly, but you will waste away with guilt and talk to each other quietly about your grief. 24 So Ezekiel is an example for you. You will do all the same things he did. That time of punishment will come, and then you will know that I am the Lord God.’”
25-26 The Lord said, “Son of man, I will take away the place that makes the people feel safe—Jerusalem, that beautiful city that makes them so happy. They really love that place. They love to look at it. But I will take it away from them, and I will also take their children. On that day one of the survivors will come to you with the bad news about Jerusalem. 27 That same day you will be able to talk to the messenger. You will not be silent anymore. This will be a sign to the people, and they will know that I am the Lord.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 24:1 ninth year of exile This was Jan. 15, 588 B.C., the date that Nebuchadnezzar began his attack on Jerusalem.
- Ezekiel 24:2 Son of man This was usually just a way of saying “a person” or “a human being.” Here, it is a way of addressing Ezekiel. Also in verses 16, 25.
- Ezekiel 24:7 blood … dirt The Law of Moses teaches that whoever killed an animal for food must pour the blood on the ground and cover it with dirt. This showed that they were giving the life of that animal back to God. See Lev. 17:1-16 and Deut. 12:1-25. If the blood was not covered with dirt, it was a witness against the killer. See Gen. 4:10, Job 15:18, and Isa. 26:21.
- Ezekiel 24:10 Mix in the spices The meaning of this sentence is uncertain.
- Ezekiel 24:11 stains Or “bronze.”
Ezekiel 24
New International Version
Ezekiel 24
New International Version
Jerusalem as a Cooking Pot
24 In the ninth year, in the tenth month on the tenth day, the word of the Lord came to me:(A) 2 “Son of man, record(B) this date, this very date, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.(C) 3 Tell this rebellious people(D) a parable(E) and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Put on the cooking pot;(F) put it on
and pour water into it.
4 Put into it the pieces of meat,
all the choice pieces—the leg and the shoulder.
Fill it with the best of these bones;(G)
5 take the pick of the flock.(H)
Pile wood beneath it for the bones;
bring it to a boil
and cook the bones in it.(I)
6 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Woe(J) to the city of bloodshed,(K)
to the pot now encrusted,
whose deposit will not go away!
Take the meat out piece by piece
in whatever order(L) it comes.(M)
7 “‘For the blood she shed is in her midst:
She poured it on the bare rock;
she did not pour it on the ground,
where the dust would cover it.(N)
8 To stir up wrath and take revenge
I put her blood on the bare rock,
so that it would not be covered.
9 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Woe to the city of bloodshed!
I, too, will pile the wood high.
10 So heap on the wood
and kindle the fire.
Cook the meat well,
mixing in the spices;
and let the bones be charred.
11 Then set the empty pot on the coals
till it becomes hot and its copper glows,
so that its impurities may be melted
and its deposit burned away.(O)
12 It has frustrated all efforts;
its heavy deposit has not been removed,
not even by fire.
13 “‘Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed(P) from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.(Q)
14 “‘I the Lord have spoken.(R) The time has come for me to act.(S) I will not hold back; I will not have pity,(T) nor will I relent.(U) You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions,(V) declares the Sovereign Lord.(W)’”
Ezekiel’s Wife Dies
15 The word of the Lord came to me: 16 “Son of man, with one blow(X) I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes.(Y) Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.(Z) 17 Groan quietly;(AA) do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban(AB) fastened and your sandals(AC) on your feet; do not cover your mustache and beard(AD) or eat the customary food of mourners.(AE)”
18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.(AF)
19 Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things have to do with us?(AG) Why are you acting like this?”
20 So I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: 21 Say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary(AH)—the stronghold in which you take pride,(AI) the delight of your eyes,(AJ) the object of your affection. The sons and daughters(AK) you left behind will fall by the sword.(AL) 22 And you will do as I have done. You will not cover your mustache and beard(AM) or eat the customary food of mourners.(AN) 23 You will keep your turbans(AO) on your heads and your sandals(AP) on your feet. You will not mourn(AQ) or weep but will waste away(AR) because of[a] your sins and groan among yourselves.(AS) 24 Ezekiel(AT) will be a sign(AU) to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’
25 “And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes,(AV) their heart’s desire,(AW) and their sons and daughters(AX) as well— 26 on that day a fugitive will come to tell you(AY) the news. 27 At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent.(AZ) So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.(BA)”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 24:23 Or away in
Ezekiel 24
King James Version
Ezekiel 24
King James Version
24 Again in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this same day: the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day.
3 And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Set on a pot, set it on, and also pour water into it:
4 Gather the pieces thereof into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones.
5 Take the choice of the flock, and burn also the bones under it, and make it boil well, and let them seethe the bones of it therein.
6 Wherefore thus saith the Lord God; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it.
7 For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust;
8 That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance; I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered.
9 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire great.
10 Heap on wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burned.
11 Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that the brass of it may be hot, and may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it, that the scum of it may be consumed.
12 She hath wearied herself with lies, and her great scum went not forth out of her: her scum shall be in the fire.
13 In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee.
14 I the Lord have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord God.
15 Also the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
16 Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.
17 Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men.
18 So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.
19 And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?
20 Then I answered them, The word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
21 Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword.
22 And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.
23 And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward another.
24 Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord God.
25 Also, thou son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their minds, their sons and their daughters,
26 That he that escapeth in that day shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine ears?
27 In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am the Lord.
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International
New International Version (NIV) 
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