Ezekiel 24
World English Bible
WEB1Again, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 2“Son of man, write the name of the day, this same day. The king of Babylon drew close to Jerusalem this same day. 3Utter a parable to the rebellious house, and tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says, “Put the cauldron on the fire. Put it on, and also pour water into it. 4Gather its pieces into it, even every good piece: the thigh and the shoulder. Fill it with the choice bones. 5Take the choice of the flock, and also a pile of wood for the bones under the cauldron. Make it boil well. Yes, let its bones be boiled within it.” 6“‘Therefore the Lord Yahweh says: “Woe to the bloody city, to the cauldron whose rust is in it, and whose rust hasn’t gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece without casting lots for it. 7“‘“For the blood she shed is in the middle of her. She set it on the bare rock. She didn’t pour it on the ground, to cover it with dust. 8That it may cause wrath to come up to take vengeance, I have set her blood on the bare rock, that it should not be covered.” 9“‘Therefore the Lord Yahweh says: “Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great. 10Heap on the wood. Make the fire hot. Boil the meat well. Make the broth thick, and let the bones be burned. 11Then set it empty on its coals, that it may be hot, and its bronze may burn, and that its filthiness may be molten in it, that its rust may be consumed. 12She is weary with toil; yet her great rust, rust by fire, doesn’t leave her. 13“‘“In your filthiness is lewdness. Because I have cleansed you and you weren’t cleansed, you won’t be cleansed from your filthiness any more, until I have caused my wrath toward you to rest. 14“‘“I, Yahweh, have spoken it. It will happen, and I will do it. I won’t go back. I won’t spare. I won’t repent. According to your ways and according to your doings, they will judge you,” says the Lord Yahweh.’” 15Also Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 16“Son of man, behold, I will take away from you the desire of your eyes with one stroke; yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, neither shall your tears run down. 17Sigh, 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.” 18So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. So I did in the morning as I was commanded. 19The people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things mean to us, that you act like this?” 20Then 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. 22You will do as I have done. You won’t cover your lips or eat mourner’s bread. 23Your 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. 24Thus 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— 26that in that day he who escapes will come to you, to cause you to hear it with your ears? 27In 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.”
World English Bible, 2020 stable text edition. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org. eBible.org
Overview
Ezekiel Chapter 24 presents a poignant and powerful message from God to the people of Israel through the prophet Ezekiel. The chapter begins with a prophetic sign involving a cooking pot, symbolizing the impending judgment on Jerusalem. God instructs Ezekiel to set the pot on the fire and fill it with the choice pieces of meat, representing the inhabitants of Jerusalem who will face destruction due to their unfaithfulness and rebellion against God. This imagery emphasizes the severity of the coming judgment, as the pot is heated until the meat is thoroughly cooked, illustrating the complete and unavoidable nature of God's wrath against sin. The chapter highlights the themes of #judgment and #purification, as God seeks to cleanse His people from their iniquities (Ezekiel 24:3-5).
As the chapter progresses, God reveals to Ezekiel that he will soon experience personal loss, as his beloved wife will die. This event serves as a profound symbol of the grief that God feels over the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, which He refers to as the 'delight of His eyes' (Ezekiel 24:16). Ezekiel is commanded not to mourn publicly for his wife, which signifies that the people of Israel will also face a time of mourning without hope when they realize the consequences of their actions. The chapter concludes with a promise of restoration, as God assures Ezekiel that after the judgment, He will eventually gather His people back to Himself (Ezekiel 24:25-27). This dual message of judgment and hope encapsulates God's desire for His people to turn back to Him and be restored.
Referenced by
- Ezekiel 21:6v16Ezekiel 21:6 commands the prophet to groan as a sign of the coming judgment, similar to Ezekiel 24:16-17 where Ezekiel is told not to mourn outwardly for his wife as a sign to the people.
Topics in this chapter
- Judgment
- Prophecy
- Jerusalem
- Mourning
- Obedience
- Repentance
- Ezekiel
- Ezekiel's Wife
- Holiness
- Signs in the Bible
- Sin
- Babylon
- Boiling Pot
- Prophet
- Prophetic Sign
- Sacrifice
- Siege of Jerusalem
- Sovereignty of God
- Babylonian Exile
- Desire
- Discernment
- Discipleship
- Disobedience
- Divine Judgment
- Exile
- Faithfulness
- Fulfillment
- God's Message
- Imagery in the Bible
- Impurity
- Israel
- Listening to God
- Loss
- Nebuchadnezzar
- Parables
- Personal Loss
- Prophecy Fulfilled
- Prophetic Ministry
- Prophetic Obedience
- Prophetic Symbolism
- Purification
- Readiness
- Responsibility
- Restoration
- Spiritual Awareness
- Symbolism in the Bible
- Teaching
- Temple
- Temple Destruction
- The Divine Word
- Trust
- Trusting God
- Truth
- Vigilance
- Witness
Related chapters
- Jeremiah 1Boiling PotThe Divine WordPurification
- 2 Kings 25Temple DestructionNebuchadnezzarProphecy Fulfilled
- Ezekiel 12Prophetic SymbolismParablesReadiness
- Ezekiel 3Prophetic SignEzekielVigilance
- Jeremiah 16Prophetic SymbolismProphetic SignMourning
- Ezekiel 21Prophetic SignParablesReadiness
- Jeremiah 52Temple DestructionNebuchadnezzarProphecy Fulfilled
- 2 Chronicles 36Temple DestructionListening to GodNebuchadnezzar
- Lamentations 2MourningNebuchadnezzarVigilance
- Ezekiel 11EzekielBabylonian ExileExile
- Ezekiel 5Symbolism in the BibleMourningEzekiel
- Ezekiel 33EzekielProphecy FulfilledVigilance
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