Ezekiel’s Menu

⁹ “Furthermore, you are to take some wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt, and mix them together in one container. Then you are to make bread from these grains sufficient to supply you through the time during which you’ll be sleeping on your side. You are to eat it for 390 days. ¹⁰ The food that you’ll be eating is to consist of portions weighing 20 shekels,^[a] to be consumed daily at regular intervals.^{[b] 11} You are to measure one sixth of one hin^[c] of water each time you drink it. ¹² You are to eat it as barley cakes and bake it right in front of them, using dried human dung for cooking fuel.”^[d]

¹³ Then the Lord said, “This is how the Israelis will be eating unclean food among the nations, where I’ll be sending them.”

¹⁴ “Now, Lord God,” I replied, “I’ve never been defiled, ever since I was young until now. I haven’t eaten an animal that died on its own or was torn by beasts, and no unclean meat has ever entered my mouth!”

¹⁵ “Very well,” he responded. “I’ll allow you to substitute cow’s dung for human dung. Cook your food^[e] over that.”

¹⁶ He also told me, “Son of Man, look! I’m about to disrupt the source^[f] of bread in Jerusalem. As a result, they’ll ration bread by weight while their terror continues to grow and they’ll ration drinking water while their horror continues to mount! ¹⁷ Indeed, they’ll need bread and water, but everyone will be panic-stricken as they waste away in their iniquity.”