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Ezekiel 24
New Catholic Bible
Ezekiel 24
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 24[a]
Allegory of the Boiling Pot. 1 In the ninth year, on the tenth day of the tenth month, this word of the Lord came to me: 2 Son of man, write down the date of this day. For the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. 3 Therefore, propose this parable to this tribe of rebels and say to them: Thus says the Lord God:
Set up the cooking pot on the fire
and pour in some water.
4 Put pieces of meat into it,
all the choice pieces, the leg and the shoulder;
fill it with choice bones.
5 Take the choicest animal from the flock,
and pile the wood beneath it.
Cook it thoroughly
and boil the bones in it.
6 Therefore, thus says the Lord God:
Woe to the bloody city,
the pot whose rust is in it,
the rust that cannot be removed.
Empty it piece by piece,
and do not bother casting lots.
7 For the blood she shed is in her midst;
she has poured it on a bare rock.
She did not pour it on the ground
where the soil would cover it.[b]
8 To stir up anger and take revenge,
I placed her blood on the bare rock
so that it would not be covered.
9 Therefore, thus says the Lord God:
Woe to the city running with blood.
I plan to build a great fire.
10 Heap on the wood,
and kindle the fire.
Mix in the spices,
and let the bones be thoroughly burned.
11 Stand the empty pot on the coals
so that it may become red-hot,
until the copper glows
and the filth inside it melts,
and its rust is consumed.
12 Yet not even with fire
will its rust disappear.
13 And when I expended my efforts
to cleanse you of your filthy lewdness,
you did not allow yourself
to be purged of your filth.
Now you shall not again be cleansed
until I have exhausted my anger upon you.
14 I, the Lord, have spoken. The time is coming, and I will take action. I will not refrain, nor will I spare, nor will I relent. You will be judged by your conduct and by what you have done, says the Lord God.
15 Death of Ezekiel’s Wife. This word of the Lord was addressed to me: 16 Son of man, with a single blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. However, you are not to lament or weep or shed any tears. 17 Groan in silence, and do not mourn for the dead. Wrap your turban around your head, and put sandals on your feet. Do not cover your beard or eat the bread of mourners.
18 Therefore, I spoke to the people in the morning; in the evening my wife died. And on the following morning I did as I had been commanded. 19 Thereupon, the people said to me, “Will you not explain to us what all these things you are doing mean for us?”
20 Then I said to them: This is what the Lord God said to me, 21 “Say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: I am prepared to desecrate my sanctuary, the stronghold in which you take such pride, the delight of your eyes, and the desire of your heart. Your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword.
22 “Then you shall do as I have done. You shall not cover your upper lip or eat the bread of mourners. 23 Your turbans shall remain on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You shall not mourn or weep. Further, you will waste away because of your iniquities and groan to one another. 24 Thus, Ezekiel will be a sign for you; you shall do just as he has done. When this occurs, then you will know that I am the Lord God.”
25 End of Ezekiel’s Muteness.[c] As for you, son of man, on the day when I take from them their stronghold, their crowning joy, the delight of their eyes, the joy of their hearts, as well as their sons and daughters, 26 on that day, a fugitive will come and report this news to you. 27 On that day, your mouth will be opened and you shall no longer be mute. Thus, you shall be a sign for them, and they shall know that I am the Lord.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 24:1 Ezekiel reports this misfortune to the exiles around him: he notes the date of the disaster, describes the scene with the pot, does not mourn his wife, and receives the first fugitive.
- Ezekiel 24:7 Blood was regarded as the seat of life; therefore the prohibition against eating flesh with blood still in it, since this would have been like making one’s own the life, of which, the divinity alone could dispose (Gen 9:4; Lev 17:10-12; Deut 12:16, 23-25). For the same reason, blood spilled was not to be left uncovered, since it might contain some inauspicious power (Gen 4:10; Job 16:18).
- Ezekiel 24:25 We learn here that Ezekiel ceases to be mute when a refugee arrives who has seen Jerusalem fall into the hands of the enemy. The passage corresponds to the symbolic gesture described in Ezek 3:26.
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
New International Version (NIV) 
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