Parable of the Boiling Pot

24 Now the word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, saying, ² “Son of man, write the name of the day, this very day. The king of Babylon ^[a]has ^(A)laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. ³ Present a ^(B)parable to the ^(C)rebellious house and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord ^[b]God says:

⁶ ‘Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:

⁹ Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:

¹⁴ I, the Lord, have spoken; it is ^(P)coming and I will act. I will not overlook, I will not ^(Q)pity, and I will not be sorry; ^(R)according to your ways and according to your deeds ^[j]I will judge you,” declares the Lord God.’”

Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine

17 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ² “Son of man, ask a riddle and present a ^(A)parable to the house of Israel, ^3 [a]saying, ‘This is what the Lord ^[b]God says: “A great ^[c](B)eagle with ^(C)great wings, long pinions, and a full plumage of many colors came to ^[d](D)Lebanon and took away the top of the ^[e]cedar. ⁴ He broke off the ^[f]topmost of its young twigs and brought it to a land of merchants; he set it in a ^[g]city of traders. ⁵ He also took ^[h]from the seed of the land and planted ^[i]it in ^[j](E)fertile soil, a ^[k]meadow beside abundant waters; he set it like a ^(F)willow. ⁶ Then it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine with its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced shoots and sent out branches.

⁷ “But there was ^[l]another great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine turned its roots toward him and sent out its branches toward him from the beds where it was ^(G)planted, so that he might water it. ⁸ It was planted in good ^[m]soil beside abundant waters, so that it would produce branches and bear fruit, and become a splendid vine.”’ ⁹ Say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers—so that all its sprouting shoots wither? And neither by great ^[n]strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again. ¹⁰ Behold, though it is planted, will it thrive? Will it not ^(H)completely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it—wither on the beds where it grew?”’”

Parable of the Sword of the Lord

21 ^[a]And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ² “Son of man, ^(A)set your face against Jerusalem, and ^[b](B)speak prophetically against the sanctuaries and prophesy against the land of Israel; ³ and say to the land of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Behold, ^(C)I am against you; and I will draw My sword from its sheath and cut off from you the ^(D)righteous and the wicked. ⁴ Because I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore My sword will go out from its sheath against ^[c](E)humanity from south to north. ⁵ So ^[d]humanity will know that I, the Lord, have drawn My sword from its sheath. It will ^(F)not return to its sheath again.”’ ⁶ As for you, son of man, groan with ^[e]a breaking heart and bitter grief; you shall groan in their sight. ⁷ And when they say to you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the ^(G)news, for it is coming; and ^(H)every heart will melt, all hands will go limp, every spirit will be disheartened, and all ^[f]knees will drip with water. Behold, it is coming and it will happen,’ declares the Lord ^[g]God.”

⁸ And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ⁹ “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord says:’ Say,

Or shall we rejoice, the ^[i]rod of My son ^(K)despising every tree? ¹¹ And it is given to be polished, so that it may be handled; the sword is sharpened and polished, to hand it over to the slaughterer. ^12 (L)Cry out and wail, son of man; for it is against My people, it is against all the ^(M)officials of Israel. They are turned over to the sword with My people, therefore ^[j]slap your thigh. ¹³ For there is a testing; and what if even the ^[k]rod which despises will cease to be?” declares the Lord God.

¹⁴ “You therefore, son of man, prophesy and clap your hands; and let the sword be ^(N)doubled the third time, the sword for the slain. It is the sword for the great one slain, which surrounds them, ¹⁵ so that their ^(O)hearts will waver, and many ^(P)fall at all their ^(Q)gates. I have granted the slaughter of the sword. Oh! It is made for striking like lightning, it is sharpened in readiness for slaughter. ¹⁶ Prove yourself sharp, go to the right; set yourself; go to the left, wherever your ^[l]edge is ordered. ¹⁷ I will also clap My hands, and I will ^(R)satisfy My wrath; I, the Lord, have spoken.”