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1Nine years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, the Lord spoke to me on the tenth day of the tenth month. He said:[#24.1 Probably January of 588 b.c.]
2Ezekiel, son of man, write down today's date, because the king of Babylonia has just begun attacking the city of Jerusalem.[#2 K 25.1; Jr 52.4.]
3Then tell my rebellious people:
“Pour water in a cooking pot
and set it over a fire.
*
4Throw in the legs and shoulders[#24.4 When an asterisk (*) occurs before a verse number, it indicates that this verse and the following have been combined.]
of your finest sheep
and put in the juicy bones.
5Pile wood underneath the pot,[#24.5 Or “Stack the bones.”]
and let the meat and bones
boil until they are done.”
6These words mean that Jerusalem is doomed! The city is filled with murderers and is like an old, rusty pot. The meat is taken out piece by piece, and no one cares what happens to it.[#24.6 One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.]
7The people of Jerusalem murdered innocent people in the city and didn't even try to cover up the blood that flowed out on the hard ground.
8But I have seen that blood, and it cries out for me to take revenge.
9I, the Lord God, will punish that city of violence! I will make a huge pile of firewood,
10so bring more wood and light it. Cook the meat and boil away the broth to let the bones scorch.[#24.10 One ancient translation; Hebrew “mix the spices.”]
11Then set the empty pot over the hot coals until it is red-hot. That will clean the pot and burn off the rust.
12I've tried everything else. Now the rust must be burned away.[#24.12 One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 12.]
13Jerusalem is so full of sin and evil that I can't get it clean, even though I have tried. It will stay filthy until I let loose my fierce anger against it.
14That time will certainly come! And when it does, I won't show the people of Jerusalem any pity or change my mind. They must be punished for the evil they have done. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
15The Lord said,
16“Ezekiel, son of man, I will suddenly take the life of the person you love most. But I don't want you to complain or cry.
17Mourn in silence and don't show that you are grieving. Don't remove your turban or take off your sandals; don't cover your face to show your sorrow, or eat the food that mourners eat.”[#24.17 The usual way people mourned was to remove anything worn on the head, to go barefoot, to cover their faces, and to eat special food to show they were grieving.]
18One morning, I was talking with the people as usual, and by sunset my wife was dead. The next day I did what the Lord had told me,
19and when people saw me, they asked, “Why aren't you mourning for your wife?”
20I answered:
25The Lord said, “Ezekiel, I will soon destroy the temple that makes everyone feel proud and safe, and I will take away their children as well.
26On that same day, someone will escape from the city and come to tell you what has happened.
27Then you will be able to speak again, and the two of you will talk. You will be a warning sign to the people, and they will know that I am the Lord .”[#24.27 See 3.25-27; 33.21,22.]