- Again in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, write the name of the day, even of this same day; the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day. And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, Thus says the Lord God: Set on a pot, set it on, and also pour water into it. Gather the pieces thereof into it, even every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones. Take the choice of the flock, and burn also the bones under it, and make it boil well, and let them boil the bones of it therein.
- Wherefore, thus says the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it. Bring it out piece by piece, let no lot fall upon it, for her blood is in her midst, she set it upon the top of a rock. She poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust. That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance, I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered. Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city. I will even make the pile for fire great. Heap on wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh and spice it well, and let the bones be burned. Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that the brass of it may be hot and may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it, that the scum of it may be consumed. She has wearied herself with lies, and her great scum went not forth out of her; her scum shall be in the fire. In your filthiness is lewdness. Because I have purged you and you were not purged, you shall not be purged from your filthiness anymore until I have caused my fury to rest upon you. I the Lord have spoken it — it shall come to pass, and I will do it. I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent. According to your ways and according to your doings shall they judge you, says the Lord God.
- Also, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, behold, I take away from you the desire of your eyes with a stroke, yet neither shall you mourn nor weep, neither shall your tears run down. Refuse to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the attire of your head upon you, and put on your shoes upon your feet, and cover not your lips, and eat not the bread of men. So I spoke unto the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died, and I did in the morning as I was commanded.
- And the people said unto me, Will you not tell us what these things are to us that you do so? Then I answered them, The word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the excellence of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pities; and your sons and your daughters whom you have left shall fall by the sword. And you shall do as I have done: you shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men. And your headdressings shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet; you shall not mourn nor weep, but you shall waste away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward another. Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign; according to all that he has done shall you do, and when this comes, you shall know that I am the Lord God.
- Also, you son of man, shall it not 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 minds, their sons and their daughters, that he that escapes in that day shall come unto you, to cause you to hear it with your ears? In that day shall your mouth be opened to him who is escaped, and you shall speak and be no more dumb; and you shall be a sign unto them, and they shall know that I am the Lord.
Chapter 12