A Cooking Pot as Symbol of Jerusalem
Ezekiel 24Again, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the word of YHWH came to me, saying, “Son of humanity, write the name of the day, this same day. The king of Babylon drew close to Jerusalem this same day. Utter a parable to the rebellious house, and tell them, ‘Lord YHWH says,
“Put the cauldron on the fire. Put it on, and also pour water into it. Gather its pieces into it, even every good piece: the thigh and the shoulder. Fill it with the choice bones. Take the choice of the flock, and also a pile of wood for the bones under the cauldron. Make it boil well. Yes, let its bones be boiled within it.”“‘Therefore Lord YHWH says:
“Woe to the bloody city, to the cauldron whose rust is in it, and whose rust hasn’t gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece without casting lots for it.“‘“For the blood she shed is in the middle of her. She set it on the bare rock. She didn’t pour it on the ground, to cover it with dust. That it may cause wrath to come up to take vengeance, I have set her blood on the bare rock, that it should not be covered.”
“‘Therefore Lord YHWH says:
“Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great. Heap on the wood. Make the fire hot. Boil the meat well. Make the broth thick, and let the bones be burned. Then set it empty on its coals, that it may be hot, and its bronze may burn, and that its filthiness may be molten in it, that its rust may be consumed. She is weary with toil; yet her great rust, rust by fire, doesn’t leave her.“‘“In your filthiness is lewdness. Because I have cleansed you and you weren’t cleansed, you won’t be cleansed from your filthiness any more, until I have caused my wrath toward you to rest.
“‘“I, YHWH, have spoken it. It will happen, and I will do it. I won’t go back. I won’t spare. I won’t repent. According to your ways and according to your doings, they will judge you,” says Lord YHWH.’”
Ezekiel’s Wife Dies
Also the word of YHWH came to me, saying, “Son of humanity, I will take away from you the desire of your eyes with one stroke. But you must not mourn or weep or let your tears run down. Sigh, but not aloud. Make no mourning for the dead. Bind your headdress on you, and put your sandals on your feet. Don’t cover your lips, and don’t eat mourner’s bread.”
So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. So I did in the morning as I was commanded.
The people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things mean to us, that you act like this?”
Then I said to them, “word of YHWH came to me, saying, ‘Speak to the house of Israel, “Lord YHWH says: ‘Look! I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of y’all’s power, the desire of y’all’s eyes, and the delight y’all’s soul. The sons and daughters y’all left behind will fall by the sword. Y’all will do as I have done. Y’all won’t cover your* lips or eat mourner’s bread. Y’all’s turbans will be on your* heads, and y’all’s sandals on your* feet. Y’all won’t mourn or weep, but y’all will pine away in your* iniquities, and moan one toward another. Thus Ezekiel will be a sign to y’all, according to all that he has done, y’all will do. When this comes, then y’all will know that I am Lord YHWH.’”’”
“You, son of humanity, shouldn’t it be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their heart—their sons and their daughters— that in that day he who escapes will come to you, to cause you to hear it with your ears? In that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped, and you will speak and be no more mute. So you will be a sign to them. Then they will know that I am YHWH.”