Ezekiel 24 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

The Sign of the Cooking Pot

(cf. Jer 1:13–19 )

Eze 24:1On January 15,[fn] during the ninth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, this message came to me from the LORD:

Eze 24:2“Son of man, write down today’s date, because on this very day the king of Babylon is beginning his attack against Jerusalem.

Eze 24:3

Eze 24:3Then give these rebels an illustration with this message from the Sovereign LORD:
“Put a pot on the fire,
and pour in some water.

Eze 24:4

Eze 24:4Fill it with choice pieces of meat—
the rump and the shoulder
and all the most tender cuts.

Eze 24:5

Eze 24:5Use 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.

Eze 24:6

Eze 24:6“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.

Eze 24:7

Eze 24:7For the blood of her murders
is splashed on the rocks.
It isn’t even spilled on the ground,
where the dust could cover it!

Eze 24:8

Eze 24:8So I will splash her blood on a rock
for all to see,
an expression of my anger
and vengeance against her.

Eze 24:9

Eze 24:9“This is what the Sovereign LORD says:
What sorrow awaits Jerusalem,
the city of murderers!
I myself will pile up the fuel beneath her.

Eze 24:10

Eze 24:10Yes, heap on the wood!
Let the fire roar to make the pot boil.
Cook the meat with many spices,
and afterward burn the bones.

Eze 24:11

Eze 24:11Now set the empty pot on the coals.
Heat it red hot!
Burn away the filth and corruption.

Eze 24:12

Eze 24:12But it’s hopeless;
the corruption can’t be cleaned out.
So throw it into the fire.

Eze 24:13

Eze 24:13Your 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.

Eze 24:14

Eze 24:14“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

Eze 24:15

Eze 24:15Then this message came to me from the LORD:

Eze 24:16

Eze 24:16“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.

Eze 24:17

Eze 24:17Groan 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.”

Eze 24:18

Eze 24:18So 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.

Eze 24:19

Eze 24:19Then the people asked, “What does all this mean? What are you trying to tell us?”

Eze 24:20

Eze 24:20So I said to them, “A message came to me from the LORD,

Eze 24:21

Eze 24:21and 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 Judea will be slaughtered by the sword.

Eze 24:22

Eze 24:22Then you will do as Ezekiel has done. You will not mourn in public or console yourselves by eating the food brought by friends.

Eze 24:23

Eze 24:23Your 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 mourn privately for all the evil you have done.

Eze 24:24

Eze 24:24Ezekiel 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.”

Eze 24:25

Eze 24:25Then 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.

Eze 24:26

Eze 24:26And on that day a survivor from Jerusalem will come to you in Babylon and tell you what has happened.

Eze 24:27

Eze 24:27And 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.”

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NLT Footnotes

(24:1)

Hebrew On the tenth day of the tenth month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This event occurred on January 15, 588 B.C.; also see note on 1:1.

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