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EZEKIEL 2 5
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Use only the best sheep from the flock,
and heap fuel on the fire beneath
the pot.
Bring the pot to a boil,
and cook the bones along with the meat.
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“Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
What sorrow awaits Jerusalem,
the city of murderers!
She is a cooking pot
whose corruption can’t be cleaned out.
Take the meat out in random order,
for no piece is better than another.
For the blood of her murders
is splashed on the rocks.
It isn’t even spilled on the ground,
where the dust could cover it!
So I will splash her blood on a rock
for all to see,
an expression of my anger
and vengeance against her.
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“This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
What sorrow awaits Jerusalem,
the city of murderers!
I myself will pile up the fuel beneath her.
Yes, heap on the wood!
Let the fire roar to make the pot boil.
Cook the meat with many spices,
and afterward burn the bones.
Now set the empty pot on the coals.
Heat it red hot!
Burn away the filth and corruption.
But it’s hopeless;
the corruption can’t be cleaned out.
So throw it into the fire.
Your impurity is your lewdness
and the corruption of your idolatry.
I tried to cleanse you,
but you refused.
So now you will remain in your filth
until my fury against you has been
satisfied.
14 “I, the Lord, have spoken! The time has
come, and I won’t hold back. I will not change
my mind, and I will have no pity on you. You
will be judged on the basis of all your wicked
actions, says the Sovereign Lord.”
The Death of Ezekiel’s Wife
15 Then this message came to me from the Lord:
16 “Son of man, with one blow I will take away
your dearest treasure. Yet you must not show
any sorrow at her death. Do not weep; let there
be no tears. 17 Groan silently, but let there be no
wailing at her grave. Do not uncover your head
or take off your sandals. Do not perform the
usual rituals of mourning or accept any food
brought to you by consoling friends.”
18 So I proclaimed this to the people the next
morning, and in the evening my wife died. The
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next morning I did everything I had been told
to do. 19 Then the people asked, “What does all
this mean? What are you trying to tell us?”
20 So I said to them, “A message came to
me from the Lord, 21 and I was told to give
this message to the people of Israel. This is
what the Sovereign Lord says: I will defile
my Temple, the source of your security and
pride, the place your heart delights in. Your
sons and daughters whom you left behind in
Judah will be slaughtered by the sword. 22 Then
you will do as Ezekiel has done. You will not
mourn in public or console yourselves by eating the food brought by friends. 23 Your heads
will remain covered, and your sandals will not
be taken off. You will not mourn or weep, but
you will waste away because of your sins. You
will groan among yourselves for all the evil
you have done. 24 Ezekiel is an example for
you; you will do just as he has done. And when
that time comes, you will know that I am the
Sovereign Lord.”
25 Then the Lord said to me, “Son of man,
on the day I take away their stronghold—their
joy and glory, their heart’s desire, their dearest treasure—I will also take away their sons
and daughters. 26 And on that day a survivor
from Jerusalem will come to you in Babylon
and tell you what has happened. 27 And when
he arrives, your voice will suddenly return so
you can talk to him, and you will be a symbol
for these people. Then they will know that I am
the Lord.”
A Message for Ammon
Then this message came to me from
the Lord: 2 “Son of man, turn and face
the land of Ammon and prophesy against its
people. 3 Give the Ammonites this message
from the Sovereign Lord: Hear the word of
the Sovereign Lord! Because you cheered
when my Temple was defiled, mocked Israel in her desolation, and laughed at Judah
as she went away into exile, 4 I will allow nomads from the eastern deserts to overrun your
country. They will set up their camps among
you and pitch their tents on your land. They
will harvest all your fruit and drink the milk
from your livestock. 5 And I will turn the city
of Rabbah into a pasture for camels, and all
the land of the Ammonites into a resting place
for sheep and goats. Then you will know that
I am the Lord.
6 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
Because you clapped and danced and cheered
with glee at the destruction of my people,
7 I will raise my fist of judgment against
you. I will give you as plunder to many nations.
I will cut you off from being a nation and destroy you completely. Then you will know that
I am the Lord.
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