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: (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. And (C)utter a parable to (D)the rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord God:

“Set on (E)the pot, set it on;
    pour in water also;
put in it the pieces of meat,
    all the good pieces, (F)the thigh and the shoulder;
    fill it with choice bones.
Take the choicest one of the flock;
    pile the logs[a] under it;
boil it well;
    seethe also its bones in it.

“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] 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. 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. 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.”

Prophecy Against Ammon

25 The word of the Lord came to me: (AQ)“Son of man, (AR)set your face toward (AS)the Ammonites and prophesy against them. Say to the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord God: (AT)Thus says the Lord God, Because you said, (AU)‘Aha!’ over my (AV)sanctuary when it was profaned, and over the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and over the house of Judah when they went into exile, therefore behold, I am handing you over to (AW)the people of the East for a possession, and they shall set their encampments among you and make their dwellings in your midst. They shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk. I will make (AX)Rabbah a (AY)pasture for camels and Ammon[e] (AZ)a fold for flocks. (BA)Then you will know that I am the Lord. For thus says the Lord God: Because (BB)you have clapped your hands (BC)and stamped your feet and (BD)rejoiced with all the (BE)malice within your soul against the land of Israel, therefore, behold, (BF)I have stretched out my hand against you, and (BG)will hand you over as plunder to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and will make you perish out of the countries; I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

Prophecy Against Moab and Seir

“Thus says the Lord God: Because (BH)Moab and (BI)Seir[f] said, ‘Behold, the (BJ)house of Judah is like all the other nations,’ therefore (BK)I will lay open the flank of Moab from the cities, from its cities on its frontier, the glory of the country, (BL)Beth-jeshimoth, (BM)Baal-meon, and (BN)Kiriathaim. 10 I will give it (BO)along with the Ammonites (BP)to the people of the East as a possession, (BQ)that the Ammonites may be remembered no more among the nations, 11 (BR)and I will execute judgments upon Moab. (BS)Then they will know that I am the Lord.

Prophecy Against Edom

12 “Thus says the Lord God: Because (BT)Edom acted revengefully against the house of Judah and has grievously offended (BU)in taking vengeance on them, 13 therefore thus says the Lord God, (BV)I will stretch out my hand against Edom and cut off from it man and beast. And I will make it desolate; from (BW)Teman even to (BX)Dedan they shall fall by the sword. 14 And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom (BY)by the hand of my people Israel, and they shall do in Edom according to my anger and according to my wrath, and (BZ)they shall know my vengeance, declares the Lord God.

Prophecy Against Philistia

15 “Thus says the Lord God: Because (CA)the Philistines (CB)acted revengefully and took vengeance (CC)with malice of soul to destroy in never-ending enmity, 16 therefore thus says the Lord God, (CD)Behold, I will stretch out my hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off (CE)the Cherethites and destroy the rest of the seacoast. 17 I will execute great vengeance on them (CF)with wrathful rebukes. (CG)Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I lay my vengeance upon them.”

Prophecy Against Tyre

26 (CH)In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: (CI)“Son of man, because (CJ)Tyre said concerning Jerusalem, (CK)‘Aha, the gate of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to me. I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste,’ therefore thus says the Lord God: (CL)Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will bring up (CM)many nations against you, (CN)as the sea brings up its waves. They shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers, and I will scrape her soil from her and (CO)make her a bare rock. She (CP)shall be in the midst of the sea a place for the spreading of nets, (CQ)for I have spoken, declares the Lord God. And she shall become plunder for the nations, and her daughters on the mainland shall be killed by the sword. (CR)Then they will know that I am the Lord.

“For thus says the Lord God: (CS)Behold, I will bring against Tyre (CT)from the north Nebuchadnezzar[g] king of Babylon, (CU)king of kings, with horses and chariots, and with horsemen and a host of many soldiers. He will kill with the sword (CV)your daughters on the mainland. (CW)He will set up a siege wall against you and throw up a mound against you, and raise (CX)a roof of shields against you. (CY)He will direct the shock of his battering rams against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers. 10 His horses will be so many that their dust will cover you. Your walls will shake at the noise of the horsemen and wagons and chariots, when he enters your gates as men enter a city that has been breached. 11 With the hoofs of his horses he will trample all your streets. He will kill your people with the sword, and your mighty pillars will fall to the ground. 12 They will plunder (CZ)your riches and loot (DA)your merchandise. They will break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses. Your stones and timber and (DB)soil they will cast into the midst of the waters. 13 (DC)And I will stop the music of your songs, and (DD)the sound of your lyres shall be heard no more. 14 (DE)I will make you a bare rock. (DF)You shall be a place for the spreading of nets. You shall never be rebuilt, (DG)for I am the Lord; I have spoken, declares the Lord God.

15 “Thus says the Lord God to Tyre: Will not (DH)the coastlands shake at the sound of your fall, (DI)when the wounded groan, when slaughter is made in your midst? 16 Then all (DJ)the princes of the sea will step down from their thrones and (DK)remove their robes and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling; (DL)they will sit on the ground and (DM)tremble every moment and (DN)be appalled at you. 17 And they will (DO)raise a lamentation over you and say to you,

“‘How you have perished,
    you who were inhabited from the seas,
O city renowned,
    (DP)who was mighty on the sea;
she and her inhabitants (DQ)imposed their terror
    on all her inhabitants!
18 Now the coastlands tremble
    on the day of your fall,
and the coastlands that are on the sea
    are dismayed at your passing.’

19 “For thus says the Lord God: When I make you a city laid waste, like the cities that are not inhabited, (DR)when I bring up the deep over you, and the great waters cover you, 20 then (DS)I will make you go down with those who go down to the pit, to the people of old, and I will make you to dwell in the world below, among ruins from of old, (DT)with those who go down to the pit, so that you will not be inhabited; but I will set beauty (DU)in the land of the living. 21 I will bring you (DV)to a dreadful end, and you shall be no more. (DW)Though you be sought for, you will never be found again, declares the Lord God.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 24:5 Compare verse 10; Hebrew the bones
  2. Ezekiel 24:6 Hebrew no lot has fallen upon it
  3. Ezekiel 24:10 Or empty out the broth
  4. Ezekiel 24:12 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  5. Ezekiel 25:5 Hebrew and the Ammonites
  6. Ezekiel 25:8 Septuagint lacks and Seir
  7. Ezekiel 26:7 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar; so throughout Ezekiel

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) “Son of man, record(B) this date, this very date, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.(C) 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.
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)
    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)

“‘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)

“‘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)
To stir up wrath and take revenge
    I put her blood on the bare rock,
    so that it would not be covered.

“‘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)

A Prophecy Against Ammon

25 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face against(BB) the Ammonites(BC) and prophesy against them.(BD) Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Sovereign Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you said “Aha!(BE)” over my sanctuary when it was desecrated(BF) and over the land of Israel when it was laid waste and over the people of Judah when they went into exile,(BG) therefore I am going to give you to the people of the East(BH) as a possession. They will set up their camps(BI) and pitch their tents among you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk.(BJ) I will turn Rabbah(BK) into a pasture for camels and Ammon into a resting place for sheep.(BL) Then you will know that I am the Lord. For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have clapped your hands(BM) and stamped your feet, rejoicing with all the malice of your heart against the land of Israel,(BN) therefore I will stretch out my hand(BO) against you and give you as plunder(BP) to the nations. I will wipe you out from among the nations and exterminate you from the countries. I will destroy(BQ) you, and you will know that I am the Lord.(BR)’”

A Prophecy Against Moab

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Moab(BS) and Seir(BT) said, “Look, Judah has become like all the other nations,” therefore I will expose the flank of Moab, beginning at its frontier towns—Beth Jeshimoth(BU), Baal Meon(BV) and Kiriathaim(BW)—the glory of that land. 10 I will give Moab along with the Ammonites to the people of the East as a possession, so that the Ammonites will not be remembered(BX) among the nations; 11 and I will inflict punishment on Moab. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”(BY)

A Prophecy Against Edom

12 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Edom(BZ) took revenge on Judah and became very guilty by doing so, 13 therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stretch out my hand(CA) against Edom and kill both man and beast.(CB) I will lay it waste, and from Teman(CC) to Dedan(CD) they will fall by the sword.(CE) 14 I will take vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they will deal with Edom in accordance with my anger(CF) and my wrath; they will know my vengeance, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”(CG)

A Prophecy Against Philistia

15 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because the Philistines(CH) acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice(CI) in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah, 16 therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines,(CJ) and I will wipe out the Kerethites(CK) and destroy those remaining along the coast.(CL) 17 I will carry out great vengeance(CM) on them and punish(CN) them in my wrath. Then they will know that I am the Lord,(CO) when I take vengeance on them.(CP)’”

A Prophecy Against Tyre

26 In the eleventh month of the twelfth[b] year, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:(CQ) “Son of man, because Tyre(CR) has said of Jerusalem, ‘Aha!(CS) The gate to the nations is broken, and its doors have swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will prosper,’ therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea(CT) casting up its waves. They will destroy(CU) the walls of Tyre(CV) and pull down her towers; I will scrape away her rubble and make her a bare rock. Out in the sea(CW) she will become a place to spread fishnets,(CX) for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord. She will become plunder(CY) for the nations,(CZ) and her settlements on the mainland will be ravaged by the sword. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: From the north I am going to bring against Tyre Nebuchadnezzar[c](DA) king of Babylon, king of kings,(DB) with horses and chariots,(DC) with horsemen and a great army. He will ravage your settlements on the mainland with the sword; he will set up siege works(DD) against you, build a ramp(DE) up to your walls and raise his shields against you. He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and demolish your towers with his weapons.(DF) 10 His horses will be so many that they will cover you with dust. Your walls will tremble at the noise of the warhorses, wagons and chariots(DG) when he enters your gates as men enter a city whose walls have been broken through. 11 The hooves(DH) of his horses will trample all your streets; he will kill your people with the sword, and your strong pillars(DI) will fall to the ground.(DJ) 12 They will plunder your wealth and loot your merchandise; they will break down your walls and demolish your fine houses and throw your stones, timber and rubble into the sea.(DK) 13 I will put an end(DL) to your noisy songs,(DM) and the music of your harps(DN) will be heard no more.(DO) 14 I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishnets. You will never be rebuilt,(DP) for I the Lord have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.

15 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Tyre: Will not the coastlands(DQ) tremble(DR) at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan(DS) and the slaughter takes place in you? 16 Then all the princes of the coast will step down from their thrones and lay aside their robes and take off their embroidered(DT) garments. Clothed(DU) with terror, they will sit on the ground,(DV) trembling(DW) every moment, appalled(DX) at you. 17 Then they will take up a lament(DY) concerning you and say to you:

“‘How you are destroyed, city of renown,
    peopled by men of the sea!
You were a power on the seas,
    you and your citizens;
you put your terror
    on all who lived there.(DZ)
18 Now the coastlands tremble(EA)
    on the day of your fall;
the islands in the sea
    are terrified at your collapse.’(EB)

19 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I make you a desolate city, like cities no longer inhabited, and when I bring the ocean depths(EC) over you and its vast waters cover you,(ED) 20 then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit,(EE) to the people of long ago. I will make you dwell in the earth below, as in ancient ruins, with those who go down to the pit, and you will not return or take your place[d] in the land of the living.(EF) 21 I will bring you to a horrible end and you will be no more.(EG) You will be sought, but you will never again be found, declares the Sovereign Lord.”(EH)

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 24:23 Or away in
  2. Ezekiel 26:1 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text does not have month of the twelfth.
  3. Ezekiel 26:7 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, of which Nebuchadnezzar is a variant; here and often in Ezekiel and Jeremiah
  4. Ezekiel 26:20 Septuagint; Hebrew return, and I will give glory