Present a (A)parable to the (B)rebellious house and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord [a]God says:

“Put on the (C)pot, put it on and also pour water into it;
[b](D)Put in it the pieces of meat,
Every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder;
Fill it with choice bones.
Take the (E)choicest of the flock,
And also stack [c]wood under [d]the pot.
Make it boil vigorously.
Also boil its bones in it.”

‘Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:

“Woe to the (F)bloody city,
To the pot in which there is rust
And whose rust has not gone out of it!
Take out of it piece after piece,
[e]Without making a choice.
For her blood is in her midst;
She placed it on the bare rock;
She did not (G)pour it on the ground
To cover it with dust.
So that it may (H)cause wrath to come up to take vengeance,
I have put her blood on the bare rock,
So that it will not be covered.”

Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:

(I)Woe to the bloody city!
I also will make the wood pile great.
10 Heap on the wood, kindle the fire,
[f]Cook the meat thoroughly
And mix in the spices,
And let the bones be burned up.
11 Then (J)set it empty on its burning coals
So that it may be hot
And its bronze may [g]glow,
And its (K)filthiness may be melted in it,
Its rust eliminated.
12 She has (L)wearied Me with work,
Yet her great rust has not gone from her;
Let her rust be in the fire!
13 In your filthiness is outrageous sin.
Because I would have cleansed you,
Yet you are (M)not clean,
You will not be cleansed from your filthiness again
Until I have [h](N)expended My wrath on you.

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

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 24:3 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
  2. Ezekiel 24:4 Lit Gather her pieces
  3. Ezekiel 24:5 Cf. v 10; MT bones
  4. Ezekiel 24:5 Lit it
  5. Ezekiel 24:6 Lit No lot has fallen on it
  6. Ezekiel 24:10 Lit Finish
  7. Ezekiel 24:11 Lit burn
  8. Ezekiel 24:13 Lit caused to rest
  9. Ezekiel 24:14 As in several mss and ancient versions; MT they

Then give these rebels an illustration with this message from the Sovereign Lord:

“Put a pot on the fire,
    and pour in some water.
Fill it with choice pieces of meat—
    the rump and the shoulder
    and all the most tender cuts.
Use 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.

“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.
For the blood of her murders
    is splashed on the rocks.
It isn’t even spilled on the ground,
    where the dust could cover it!
So I will splash her blood on a rock
    for all to see,
an expression of my anger
    and vengeance against her.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
What sorrow awaits Jerusalem,
    the city of murderers!
    I myself will pile up the fuel beneath her.
10 Yes, heap on the wood!
    Let the fire roar to make the pot boil.
Cook the meat with many spices,
    and afterward burn the bones.
11 Now set the empty pot on the coals.
    Heat it red hot!
    Burn away the filth and corruption.
12 But it’s hopeless;
    the corruption can’t be cleaned out.
    So throw it into the fire.
13 Your 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.

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.”

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