12 Eat the food as you would a loaf of barley bread; bake it in the sight of the people, using human excrement(A) for fuel.” 13 The Lord said, “In this way the people of Israel will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them.”(B)

14 Then I said, “Not so, Sovereign Lord!(C) I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead(D) or torn by wild animals. No impure meat has ever entered my mouth.(E)

15 “Very well,” he said, “I will let you bake your bread over cow dung instead of human excrement.”

16 He then said to me: “Son of man, I am about to cut off(F) the food supply in Jerusalem. The people will eat rationed food in anxiety and drink rationed water in despair,(G) 17 for food and water will be scarce.(H) They will be appalled at the sight of each other and will waste away because of[a] their sin.(I)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 4:17 Or away in

12 And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man, in their sight.

13 And the Lord said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them.

14 Then said I, Ah Lord God! behold, my soul hath not been polluted: for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn in pieces; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth.

15 Then he said unto me, Lo, I have given thee cow's dung for man's dung, and thou shalt prepare thy bread therewith.

16 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care; and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment:

17 That they may want bread and water, and be astonied one with another, and consume away for their iniquity.

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