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1 And the word of the Lord came to me, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, saying, 2 Son of man, write for thyself daily from this day, on which the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem, even from this day. 3 And speak a parable to the provoking house, and thou shalt say to them,
Thus saith the Lord; Set on the caldron, and pour water into it: 4 and put the pieces into it, every prime piece, the leg and shoulder taken off from the bones, 5 which are taken from choice cattle, and burn the bones under them: her bones are boiled and cooked in the midst of her.
6 Therefore thus saith the Lord; O bloody city, the caldron in which there is scum, and the scum has not gone out of, she has brought it forth piece by piece, no lot has fallen upon it. 7 For her blood is in the midst of her; I have set it upon a smooth rock: I have not poured it out upon the earth, so that the earth should cover it; 8 that my wrath should come up for complete vengeance to be taken: I set her blood upon a smooth rock, so as not to cover it.
9 Therefore thus saith the Lord, I will also make the firebrand great, 10 and I will multiply the wood, and kindle the fire, that the flesh may be consumed, and the liquor boiled away; 11 and that it may stand upon the coals, that her brass may be thoroughly heated, and be melted in the midst of her filthiness, and her scum may be consumed, 12 and her abundant scum may not come forth of her. 13 Her scum shall become shameful, because thou didst defile thyself: and what if thou shalt be purged no more until I have accomplished my wrath?
14 I the Lord have spoken; and it shall come, and I will do it; I will not delay, neither will I have any mercy: I will judge thee, saith the Lord, according to thy ways, and according to thy devices: therefore will I judge thee according to thy bloodshed, and according to thy devices will I judge thee, thou unclean, notorious, and abundantly provoking one.
15 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 16 Son of man, behold I take from thee the desire of thine eyes by violence: thou shalt not lament, neither shalt thou weep. 17 Thou shalt groan for blood, and have mourning upon thy loins; thy hair shall not be braided upon thee, and thy sandals shall be on thy feet; thou shalt in no wise be comforted by their lips, and thou shalt not eat the bread of men.
18 And I spoke to the people in the morning, as he commanded me in the evening, and I did in the morning as it was commanded me. 19 And the people said to me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are that thou doest? 20 Then I said to them, The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 21 Say to the house of Israel,
Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the boast of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and for which your souls are concerned; and your sons and your daughters, whom ye have left, shall fall by the sword. 22 And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not be comforted at their mouth, and ye shall not eat the bread of men. 23 And your hair shall be upon your head, and your shoes on your feet: neither shall ye at all lament or weep; but ye shall pine away in your iniquities, and shall comfort every one his brother. 24 And Jezekiel shall be for a sign to you: according to all that I have done shall ye do, when these things shall come; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
25 And thou, son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take their strength from them, the pride of their boasting, the desires of their eyes, and the pride of their soul, their sons and their daughters, 26 that in that day he that escapes shall come to thee, to tell it thee in thine ears? 27 In that day thy mouth shall be opened to him that escapes; thou shalt speak, and shalt be no longer dumb: and thou shalt be for a sign to them, and they shall know that I am the Lord.