A Sign of Jerusalem’s Siege

1  וְאַתָּ֤ה (And You) בֶן־ (son) אָדָם֙ (of man), קַח־ (take) לְךָ֣ (for yourself) לְבֵנָ֔ה (a clay tablet), וְנָתַתָּ֥ה (and place) אוֹתָ֖הּ (it) לְפָנֶ֑יךָ (before your face) וְחַקּוֹתָ֥ (and engrave) עָלֶ֛יהָ (upon it) עִ֖יר (a city), אֶת־ (-) יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ (Jerusalem). 2  וְנָתַתָּ֨ה (And you shall place) עָלֶ֜יהָ (against it) מָצ֗וֹר (a siege) וּבָנִ֤יתָ (and build) עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ (against it) דָּיֵ֔ק (a siege wall) וְשָׁפַכְתָּ֥ (and heap up) עָלֶ֖יהָ (against it) סֹֽלְלָ֑ה (a mound) וְנָתַתָּ֨ה (and set) עָלֶ֧יהָ (against it) מַחֲנ֛וֹת (camps) וְשִׂים־ (and set) עָלֶ֥יהָ (against it) כָּרִ֖ים (battering rams) סָבִֽיב׃ (all around). 3  וְאַתָּ֤ה (And you) קַח־ (take) לְךָ֙ (for yourself) מַחֲבַ֣ת (a plate), בַּרְזֶ֔ל (of iron) וְנָתַתָּ֤ה (and set up) אוֹתָהּ֙ (it) קִ֣יר (as a wall) בַּרְזֶ֔ל (of iron) בֵּינְךָ֖ (between you) וּבֵ֣ין (and between) הָעִ֑יר (the city), וַהֲכִינֹתָה֩ (and set firm) אֶת־ (-) פָּנֶ֨יךָ (your face) אֵלֶ֜יהָ (against it) וְהָיְתָ֤ה (and it shall come to be) בַמָּצוֹר֙ (under siege), וְצַרְתָּ֣ (and you shall lay siege) עָלֶ֔יהָ (against it) א֥וֹת (a sign) הִ֖יא (this is) לְבֵ֥ית (for the house) יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ס (of Israel).

4  וְאַתָּ֤ה (And you) שְׁכַב֙ (lie down) עַל־ (upon) צִדְּךָ֣ (your side), הַשְּׂמָאלִ֔י (left) וְשַׂמְתָּ֛ (and set) אֶת־ (-) עֲוֺ֥ן (the iniquity) בֵּֽית־ (of the house) יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (of Israel) עָלָ֑יו (upon it) מִסְפַּ֤ר (for the number) הַיָּמִים֙ (of the days) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (that) תִּשְׁכַּ֣ב (you lay down) עָלָ֔יו (on it) תִּשָּׂ֖א (you shall bear) אֶת־ (-) עֲוֺנָֽם׃ (their iniquity). 5  וַאֲנִ֗י (And For I) נָתַ֤תִּֽי (have given) לְךָ֙ (to you) אֶת־ (-) שְׁנֵ֣י (the years) עֲוֺנָ֔ם (of their iniquity), לְמִסְפַּ֣ר (according to the number) יָמִ֔ים (of the days), שְׁלֹשׁ־ (three) מֵא֥וֹת (hundred) וְתִשְׁעִ֖ים (and ninety) י֑וֹם (days); וְנָשָׂ֖אתָ (and you shall bear) עֲוֺ֥ן (the iniquity) בֵּֽית־ (of the house) יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (of Israel).

6  וְכִלִּיתָ֣ (And you have completed) אֶת־ (-) אֵ֗לֶּה (these), וְשָׁ֨כַבְתָּ֜ (and you shall lie down) עַל־ (on) צִדְּךָ֤ (your side), הַיְמוֹנִי (right) שֵׁנִ֔ית (this second time) וְנָשָׂ֖אתָ (and you shall bear) אֶת־ (-) עֲוֺ֣ן (the iniquity) בֵּית־ (of the house) יְהוּדָ֑ה (of Judah) אַרְבָּעִ֣ים (forty) י֔וֹם (days), י֧וֹם (a day). לַשָּׁנָ֛ה (For a year) י֥וֹם (a day) לַשָּׁנָ֖ה (for a year) נְתַתִּ֥יו (I have given) לָֽךְ׃ (for you). 7  וְאֶל־ (And toward) מְצ֤וֹר (the siege) יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ (of Jerusalem), תָּכִ֣ין (you shall set firm) פָּנֶ֔יךָ (your face) וּֽזְרֹעֲךָ֖ (and with your arm) חֲשׂוּפָ֑ה (uncovered), וְנִבֵּאתָ֖ (and you shall prophesy) עָלֶֽיהָ׃ (against it).

8  וְהִנֵּ֛ה (And behold), נָתַ֥תִּי (I will lay) עָלֶ֖יךָ (upon you) עֲבוֹתִ֑ים (cords) וְלֹֽא־ (so that not) תֵהָפֵ֤ךְ (you can turn yourself over) מִֽצִּדְּךָ֙ (from one side) אֶל־ (to) צִדֶּ֔ךָ (another), עַד־ (until) כַּלּוֹתְךָ֖ (your completing) יְמֵ֥י (the days) מְצוּרֶֽךָ׃ (of your siege).

The Defiled Bread

9  וְאַתָּ֣ה (And you) קַח־ (take) לְךָ֡ (for yourself) חִטִּ֡ין (wheat), וּ֠שְׂעֹרִים (and barley), וּפ֨וֹל (and beans), וַעֲדָשִׁ֜ים (and lentils), וְדֹ֣חַן (and millet), וְכֻסְּמִ֗ים (and spelt), וְנָתַתָּ֤ה (and give) אוֹתָם֙ (them all) בִּכְלִ֣י (into a vessel), אֶחָ֔ד (single) וְעָשִׂ֧יתָ (and make) אוֹתָ֛ם (from them) לְךָ֖ (for yourself) לְלָ֑חֶם (bread) מִסְפַּ֨ר (the number) הַיָּמִ֜ים (of the days) אֲשֶׁר־ (that) אַתָּ֣ה׀ (you) שׁוֹכֵ֣ב (are laying down) עַֽל־ (on) צִדְּךָ֗ (your side), שְׁלֹשׁ־ (three) מֵא֧וֹת (hundred) וְתִשְׁעִ֛ים (and ninety) י֖וֹם (days) תֹּאכֲלֶֽנּוּ׃ (you shall eat it). 10  וּמַאֲכָֽלְךָ֙ (And your food) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (which) תֹּאכֲלֶ֔נּוּ (you eat is) בְּמִשְׁק֕וֹל (by weight), עֶשְׂרִ֥ים (twenty) שֶׁ֖קֶל (shekels) לַיּ֑וֹם (for a day); מֵעֵ֥ת (from time) עַד־ (until) עֵ֖ת (time) תֹּאכֲלֶֽנּוּ׃ (you shall eat it).

11  וּמַ֛יִם (And water) בִּמְשׂוּרָ֥ה (by measure), תִשְׁתֶּ֖ה (you shall drink) שִׁשִּׁ֣ית (a sixth) הַהִ֑ין (of a hin); מֵעֵ֥ת (from the starting time) עַד־ (until) עֵ֖ת (the ending time) תִּשְׁתֶּֽה׃ (you shall drink it). 12  וְעֻגַ֥ת (And a cake), שְׂעֹרִ֖ים (of barley) תֹּֽאכֲלֶ֑נָּה (you shall eat it) וְהִ֗יא (and) בְּגֶֽלְלֵי֙ (with the dung) צֵאַ֣ת (of the excrement) הָֽאָדָ֔ם (of a human), תְּעֻגֶ֖נָה (you shall bake it) לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃ס (before their eyes).

13  וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (And said), יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH) כָּ֣כָה (So) יֹאכְל֧וּ (shall eat) בְנֵֽי־ (the sons) יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל (of Israel) אֶת־ (-) לַחְמָ֖ם (their bread) טָמֵ֑א (defiled) בַּגּוֹיִ֕ם (among the Gentiles), אֲשֶׁ֥ר (to which) אַדִּיחֵ֖ם (I will drive them) שָֽׁם׃ (there).

14  וָאֹמַ֗ר (And I said) אֲהָהּ֙ (Ah) אֲדֹנָ֣י (Lord) יְהוִ֔ה (YHWH)! הִנֵּ֥ה (Behold), נַפְשִׁ֖י (my soul) לֹ֣א (never) מְטֻמָּאָ֑ה (has been defiled); וּנְבֵלָ֨ה (and carcass), וּטְרֵפָ֤ה (and torn thing); לֹֽא־ (not) אָכַ֙לְתִּי֙ (have I eaten) מִנְּעוּרַ֣י (from my youth) וְעַד־ (and until) עַ֔תָּה (now) וְלֹא־ (and not) בָ֥א (has come) בְּפִ֖י (into my mouth). בְּשַׂ֥ר (The flesh) פִּגּֽוּל׃ס (unclean).

15  וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (And He said) אֵלַ֔י (to me) רְאֵ֗ה (See), נָתַ֤תִּֽי (I am giving) לְךָ֙ (to you) אֶת־ (-) צְפוּעֵי (dung) הַבָּקָ֔ר (of a cow) תַּ֖חַת (instead) גֶּלְלֵ֣י (of dung), הָֽאָדָ֑ם (of human) וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ (and you shall make) אֶֽת־ (-) לַחְמְךָ֖ (your bread) עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ס (over it).

16  וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (And He said) אֵלַ֗י (to me) בֶּן־ (Son) אָדָם֙ (of man), הִנְנִ֨י (behold) שֹׁבֵ֤ר (I am going to cut off) מַטֵּה־ (the staff) לֶ֙חֶם֙ (of bread) בִּיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם (in Jerusalem), וְאָכְלוּ־ (and they will eat) לֶ֥חֶם (bread) בְּמִשְׁקָ֖ל (by weight), וּבִדְאָגָ֑ה (and with anxiety); וּמַ֕יִם (and water) בִּמְשׂוּרָ֥ה (by measure), וּבְשִׁמָּמ֖וֹן (and with dread), יִשְׁתּֽוּ׃ (they will drink). 17  לְמַ֥עַן (So that) יַחְסְר֖וּ (they lack) לֶ֣חֶם (bread) וָמָ֑יִם (and water), וְנָשַׁ֙מּוּ֙ (and they be dismayed) אִ֣ישׁ (a man) וְאָחִ֔יו (and his brother), וְנָמַ֖קּוּ (and waste away) בַּעֲוֺנָֽם׃פ (in their iniquity).