⁹ “Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt;^(A) put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the 390 days you lie on your side. ¹⁰ Weigh out twenty shekels^[a](B) of food to eat each day and eat it at set times. ¹¹ Also measure out a sixth of a hin^[b] of water and drink it at set times.^{(C) 12} Eat the food as you would a loaf of barley bread; bake it in the sight of the people, using human excrement^(D) 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.”^(E)

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

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^(I) the food supply in Jerusalem. The people will eat rationed food in anxiety and drink rationed water in despair,^{(J) 17} for food and water will be scarce.^(K) They will be appalled at the sight of each other and will waste away because of^[c] their sin.^(L)