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Thou also, Ben Adam, take thee a levenah (tile, brick), and lay it before thee, and engrave upon it the Ir, even Yerushalayim;

And lay matzor (siege) against it, and erect against it siege works, and build a ramp against it; set the machanot also against it, and set battering rams against it all around.

Moreover take thou unto thee a machavat barzel (iron griddle), and set it for a kir barzel (wall of iron) between thee and the Ir; and set thy face against it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it. This shall be an ot (sign) to Bais Yisroel.

Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the avon Bais Yisroel upon it; according to the mispar of the yamim that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their avon.

For I have laid upon thee the shanim of their avon (iniquity), according to the mispar (number) of the yamim, three hundred and ninety days; so shalt thou bear the avon Bais Yisroel.

And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the avon Bais Yehudah forty days; I have appointed thee a day for each year.

Therefore thou shalt set thy face toward the Matzor Yerushalayim (Siege of Jerusalem), and thine zero’a shall be bared, and thou shalt prophesy against it.

And, hinei, I will tie ropes upon thee, and thou shalt not turn thee from one side to another, till thou hast ended the days of thy matzor (siege).

Take thou also unto thee chittin (wheat), and se’orim (barley), and fol (beans), and adosim (lentils), and dochan (millet), and kussemim (spelt), and put them in keli echad, and make thee lechem thereof, according to the mispar of the yamim that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof.

10 And thy okhel (food) which thou shalt eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day; from time to time shalt thou eat it.

11 Thou shalt drink also mayim by measure, the sixth part of a hin: from time to time shalt thou drink.

12 And thou shalt eat it as cakes of se’orim, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of ha’adam, in their sight.

13 And Hashem said, Even thus shall the Bnei Yisroel eat their lechem tameh among the Goyim, whither I will drive them.

14 Then said I, Not so Adonoi Hashem! Hinei, my nefesh hath not been made tuma’ah for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten nevelah or trefah; neither came there basar piggul into my mouth.

15 Then He said unto me, Behold, I have given thee cattle dung instead of dung of adam, and thou shalt prepare thy lechem therewith.

16 Moreover He said unto me, Ben Adam, hinei, I will break the mateh lechem (staff of bread, food supply) in Yerushalayim: and they shall eat lechem weighted out in rations, and with worry; and they shall drink mayim by measure, and with amazed alarm:

17 In order that lechem and mayim be scarce, and that every ish and achiv be confounded with shock and rot away because of their avon.

The Siege of Jerusalem Portrayed

“You also, son of man, take a clay tablet and lay it before you, and portray on it a city, Jerusalem. (A)Lay siege against it, build a (B)siege wall against it, and heap up a mound against it; set camps against it also, and place battering rams against it all around. Moreover take for yourself an iron plate, and set it as an iron wall between you and the city. Set your face against it, and it shall be (C)besieged, and you shall lay siege against it. (D)This will be a sign to the house of Israel.

“Lie also on your left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it. According to the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their iniquity. For I have laid on you the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days; (E)so you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. And when you have completed them, lie again on your right side; then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year.

“Therefore you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem; your arm shall be uncovered, and you shall prophesy against it. (F)And surely I will [a]restrain you so that you cannot turn from one side to another till you have ended the days of your siege.

“Also take for yourself wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; put them into one vessel, and make bread of them for yourself. During the number of days that you lie on your side, three hundred and ninety days, you shall eat it. 10 And your food which you eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day; from time to time you shall eat it. 11 You shall also drink water by measure, one-sixth of a hin; from time to time you shall drink. 12 And you shall eat it as barley cakes; and bake it using fuel of human waste in their sight.”

13 Then the Lord said, “So (G)shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, where I will drive them.”

14 So I said, (H)“Ah, Lord God! Indeed I have never defiled myself from my youth till now; I have never eaten (I)what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has (J)abominable[b] flesh ever come into my mouth.”

15 Then He said to me, “See, I am giving you cow dung instead of human waste, and you shall prepare your bread over it.”

16 Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, surely I will cut off the (K)supply of bread in Jerusalem; they shall (L)eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and shall (M)drink water by measure and with dread, 17 that they may lack bread and water, and be dismayed with one another, and (N)waste away because of their iniquity.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 4:8 Lit. put ropes on
  2. Ezekiel 4:14 Ritually unclean flesh, Lev. 7:18