⁵ For this is what the Lord says: “Do not enter a house where there is a funeral meal; do not go to mourn or show sympathy, because I have withdrawn my blessing, my love and my pity^(A) from this people,” declares the Lord.

¹⁶ “Son of man, with one blow^(A) I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes.^(B) Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.^{(C) 17} Groan quietly;^(D) do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban^(E) fastened and your sandals^(F) on your feet; do not cover your mustache and beard^(G) or eat the customary food of mourners.^(H)”

¹⁸ So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.^(I)

¹⁹ Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things have to do with us?^(J) Why are you acting like this?”

²⁰ So I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: ²¹ Say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary^(K)—the stronghold in which you take pride,^(L) the delight of your eyes,^(M) the object of your affection. The sons and daughters^(N) you left behind will fall by the sword.^{(O) 22} And you will do as I have done. You will not cover your mustache and beard^(P) or eat the customary food of mourners.^{(Q) 23} You will keep your turbans^(R) on your heads and your sandals^(S) on your feet. You will not mourn^(T) or weep but will waste away^(U) because of^[a] your sins and groan among yourselves.^(V)

15 Then the Lord said to me: “Even if Moses^(A) and Samuel^(B) were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people.^(C) Send them away from my presence!^(D) Let them go! ² And if they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says:

³ “I will send four kinds of destroyers^(H) against them,” declares the Lord, “the sword^(I) to kill and the dogs^(J) to drag away and the birds^(K) and the wild animals to devour and destroy.^{(L) 4} I will make them abhorrent^(M) to all the kingdoms of the earth^(N) because of what Manasseh^(O) son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem.

¹⁷ And in that day I will become angry^(A) with them and forsake^(B) them; I will hide^(C) my face^(D) from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters^(E) and calamities will come on them, and in that day they will ask, ‘Have not these disasters come on us because our God is not with us?’^(F)

⁴ Then another horse came out, a fiery red one.^(A) Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth^(B) and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.

⁶ “Both high and low will die in this land.^(A) They will not be buried or mourned,^(B) and no one will cut^(C) themselves or shave^(D) their head for the dead. ⁷ No one will offer food^(E) to comfort those who mourn^(F) for the dead—not even for a father or a mother—nor will anyone give them a drink to console^(G) them.

¹⁰ Before that time there were no wages^(A) for people or hire for animals. No one could go about their business safely^(B) because of their enemies, since I had turned everyone against their neighbor.

⁵ In those days it was not safe to travel about,^(A) for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. ⁶ One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another,^(B) because God was troubling them with every kind of distress.