| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1On January 15, during the ninth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, this message came to me from the LORD: | 1In the ninth year, on the tenth day of the tenth month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, |
| 2“Son of man, write down today’s date, because on this very day the king of Babylon is beginning his attack against Jerusalem. | 2“Son of man, write down today’s date, for on this very day the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem. |
| 3Then give these rebels an illustration with this message from the Sovereign LORD: “Put a pot on the fire, and pour in some water. | 3Now speak a parable to this rebellious house and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Put the pot on the fire; put it on and pour in the water. |
| 4Fill it with choice pieces of meat— the rump and the shoulder and all the most tender cuts. | 4Put in the pieces of meat, every good piece—thigh and shoulder—fill it with choice bones. |
| 5Use only the best sheep from the flock, and heap fuel on the fire beneath the pot. Bring the pot to a boil, and cook the bones along with the meat. | 5Take the choicest of the flock and pile the fuel beneath it. Bring it to a boil and cook the bones in it.’ |
| 6“Now this is what the Sovereign LORD says: What sorrow awaits Jerusalem, the city of murderers! She is a cooking pot whose corruption can’t be cleaned out. Take the meat out in random order, for no piece is better than another. | 6Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed, to the pot now rusted, whose rust will not come off! Empty it piece by piece; cast no lots for its contents. |
| 7For the blood of her murders is splashed on the rocks. It isn’t even spilled on the ground, where the dust could cover it! | 7For the blood she shed is still within her; she poured it out on the bare rock; she did not pour it on the ground to cover it with dust. |
| 8So I will splash her blood on a rock for all to see, an expression of my anger and vengeance against her. | 8In order to stir up wrath and take vengeance, I have placed her blood on the bare rock, so that it would not be covered.’ |
| 9“This is what the Sovereign LORD says: What sorrow awaits Jerusalem, the city of murderers! I myself will pile up the fuel beneath her. | 9Yes, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed! I, too, will pile the kindling high. |
| 10Yes, heap on the wood! Let the fire roar to make the pot boil. Cook the meat with many spices, and afterward burn the bones. | 10Pile on the logs and kindle the fire; cook the meat well and mix in the spices; let the bones be burned. |
| 11Now set the empty pot on the coals. Heat it red hot! Burn away the filth and corruption. | 11Set the empty pot on its coals until it becomes hot and its copper glows. Then its impurity will melt within; its rust will be consumed. |
| 12But it’s hopeless; the corruption can’t be cleaned out. So throw it into the fire. | 12It has frustrated every effort; its thick rust has not been removed, even by the fire. |
| 13Your impurity is your lewdness and the corruption of your idolatry. I tried to cleanse you, but you refused. So now you will remain in your filth until my fury against you has been satisfied. | 13Because of the indecency of your uncleanness I tried to cleanse you, but you would not be purified from your filthiness. You will not be pure again until My wrath against you has subsided. |
| 14“I, the LORD, have spoken! The time has come, and I won’t hold back. I will not change my mind, and I will have no pity on you. You will be judged on the basis of all your wicked actions, says the Sovereign LORD.” The Death of Ezekiel’s Wife | 14I, the LORD, have spoken; the time is coming, and I will act. I will not refrain or show pity, nor will I relent. I will judge you according to your ways and deeds,’ declares the Lord GOD.” |
| 15Then this message came to me from the LORD: | 15Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, |
| 16“Son of man, with one blow I will take away your dearest treasure. Yet you must not show any sorrow at her death. Do not weep; let there be no tears. | 16“Son of man, behold, I am about to take away the desire of your eyes with a fatal blow. But you must not mourn or weep or let your tears flow. |
| 17Groan silently, but let there be no wailing at her grave. Do not uncover your head or take off your sandals. Do not perform the usual rituals of mourning or accept any food brought to you by consoling friends.” | 17Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.” |
| 18So I proclaimed this to the people the next morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did everything I had been told to do. | 18So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And the next morning I did as I had been commanded. |
| 19Then the people asked, “What does all this mean? What are you trying to tell us?” | 19Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things you are doing mean to us?” |
| 20So I said to them, “A message came to me from the LORD, | 20So I answered them, “The word of the LORD came to me, saying: |
| 21and I was told to give this message to the people of Israel. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will defile my Temple, the source of your security and pride, the place your heart delights in. Your sons and daughters whom you left behind in Judah will be slaughtered by the sword. | 21Tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I am about to desecrate My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the delight of your soul. And the sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.’ |
| 22Then you will do as Ezekiel has done. You will not mourn in public or console yourselves by eating the food brought by friends. | 22Then you will do as I have done: You will not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners. |
| 23Your heads will remain covered, and your sandals will not be taken off. You will not mourn or weep, but you will waste away because of your sins. You will groan among yourselves for all the evil you have done. | 23Your turbans will remain on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep, but you will waste away because of your sins, and you will groan among yourselves. |
| 24Ezekiel is an example for you; you will do just as he has done. And when that time comes, you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.” | 24‘Thus Ezekiel will be a sign for you; you will do everything that he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’ |
| 25Then the LORD said to me, “Son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold—their joy and glory, their heart’s desire, their dearest treasure—I will also take away their sons and daughters. | 25And you, son of man, know that on the day I take away their stronghold, their pride and joy—the desire of their eyes which uplifted their souls—and their sons and daughters as well, |
| 26And on that day a survivor from Jerusalem will come to you in Babylon and tell you what has happened. | 26on that day a fugitive will come and tell you the news. |
| 27And when he arrives, your voice will suddenly return so you can talk to him, and you will be a symbol for these people. Then they will know that I am the LORD.” | 27On that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped; you will speak and no longer be mute. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD.” |
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