Ezekiel 4:1-5:4

New International Version

Siege of Jerusalem Symbolized

4 “Now, son of man, take a block of clay, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. ² Then lay siege to it: Erect siege works against it, build a ramp^(A) up to it, set up camps against it and put battering rams around it.^{(B) 3} Then take an iron pan,^(C) place it as an iron wall between you and the city and turn your face toward^(D) it. It will be under siege, and you shall besiege it. This will be a sign^(E) to the people of Israel.^(F)

⁴ “Then lie on your left side and put the sin of the people of Israel upon yourself.^[a] You are to bear their sin for the number of days you lie on your side. ⁵ I have assigned you the same number of days as the years of their sin. So for 390 days you will bear the sin of the people of Israel.

⁶ “After you have finished this, lie down again, this time on your right side, and bear the sin^(G) of the people of Judah. I have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year.^{(H) 7} Turn your face^(I) toward the siege of Jerusalem and with bared arm prophesy against her. ⁸ I will tie you up with ropes so that you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have finished the days of your siege.^(J)

⁹ “Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt;^(K) put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the 390 days you lie on your side. ¹⁰ Weigh out twenty shekels^[b](L) of food to eat each day and eat it at set times. ¹¹ Also measure out a sixth of a hin^[c] of water and drink it at set times.^{(M) 12} Eat the food as you would a loaf of barley bread; bake it in the sight of the people, using human excrement^(N) for fuel.” ¹³ The Lord said, “In this way the people of Israel will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them.”^(O)

¹⁴ Then I said, “Not so, Sovereign Lord!^(P) I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead^(Q) or torn by wild animals. No impure meat has ever entered my mouth.^(R)”

¹⁵ “Very well,” he said, “I will let you bake your bread over cow dung instead of human excrement.”

¹⁶ He then said to me: “Son of man, I am about to cut off^(S) the food supply in Jerusalem. The people will eat rationed food in anxiety and drink rationed water in despair,^{(T) 17} for food and water will be scarce.^(U) They will be appalled at the sight of each other and will waste away because of^[d] their sin.^(V)

God’s Razor of Judgment

5 “Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber’s razor^(W) to shave^(X) your head and your beard.^(Y) Then take a set of scales and divide up the hair. ² When the days of your siege come to an end, burn^(Z) a third^(AA) of the hair inside the city. Take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city. And scatter a third to the wind.^(AB) For I will pursue them with drawn sword.^{(AC) 3} But take a few hairs and tuck them away in the folds of your garment.^{(AD) 4} Again, take a few of these and throw them into the fire^(AE) and burn them up. A fire will spread from there to all Israel.