¹⁵ Also Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ¹⁶ “Son of man, behold, I will take away from you the desire of your eyes with a stroke: yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, neither shall your tears run down. ¹⁷ Sigh, but not aloud. Make no mourning for the dead. Bind your headdress on you, and put your sandals on your feet. Don’t cover your lips, and don’t eat mourner’s bread.”

¹⁸ So I spoke to the people in the morning; and at evening my wife died. So I did in the morning as I was commanded.

¹⁹ The people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things are to us, that you do so?”

²⁰ Then I said to them, “Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ²¹ ‘Speak to the house of Israel, “The Lord Yahweh says: ‘Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pities; and your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword. ²² You will do as I have done. You won’t cover your lips or eat mourner’s bread. ²³ Your turbans will be on your heads, and your sandals on your feet. You won’t mourn or weep; but you will pine away in your iniquities, and moan one toward another. ²⁴ Thus Ezekiel will be a sign to you; according to all that he has done, you will do. When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.’”’”

²⁵ “You, son of man, shouldn’t it be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their heart, their sons and their daughters, ²⁶ that in that day he who escapes will come to you, to cause you to hear it with your ears? ²⁷ In that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped, and you will speak, and be no more mute. So you will be a sign to them. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.”