Defiled Bread

“But as for you, take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and (A)spelt, and put them in one vessel and make them into bread for yourself; you shall eat it according to the number of the days that you lie on your side, 390 days. 10 Your food which you eat shall be (B)twenty shekels a day by weight; you shall eat it from time to time. 11 The water you drink shall be a [a]sixth of a hin by measure; you shall drink it from time to time. 12 You shall eat it as a barley cake, having baked it in their sight over human (C)dung.” 13 Then the Lord said, “In this way the sons of Israel will eat their bread (D)unclean among the nations where I will scatter them.” 14 But I said, “(E)Oh, Lord [b]God! Behold, [c]I have (F)never been defiled; for from my youth until now I have never eaten what (G)died of itself or was torn by animals, nor has any (H)unclean meat ever entered my mouth!” 15 Then He said to me, “See, I will give you cow’s dung in place of human dung, so that you may prepare your bread over it.” 16 Moreover, He said to me, “Son of man, behold, I am going to (I)break the staff of bread in Jerusalem, and they will eat bread by (J)weight and with anxiety, and drink water by (K)measure and in horror, 17 because bread and water will be scarce; and they will tremble with one another and (L)waste away in their guilt.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 4:11 About 0.6 qt. or 0.6 liter
  2. Ezekiel 4:14 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  3. Ezekiel 4:14 Lit my soul has

“And you, take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt, and put them into a single vessel, and make bread of them. During the number of days that you lie upon your side, three hundred and ninety days, you shall eat it. 10 And the food which you eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day; once a day you shall eat it. 11 And water you shall drink by measure, the sixth part of a hin; once a day you shall drink. 12 And you shall eat it as a barley cake, baking it in their sight on human dung.” 13 And the Lord said, “Thus shall the people of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations whither I will drive them.” 14 Then I said, “Ah Lord God! behold, I have never defiled myself; from my youth up till now I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has foul flesh come into my mouth.” 15 Then he said to me, “See, I will let you have cow’s dung instead of human dung, on which you may prepare your bread.” 16 Moreover he said to me, “Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem; they shall eat bread by weight and with fearfulness; and they shall drink water by measure and in dismay. 17 I will do this that they may lack bread and water, and look at one another in dismay, and waste away under their punishment.

Read full chapter