Jerusalem Is Like a Cooking Pot
1It was the ninth year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the tenth day of the tenth month, a message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 2“Son of man, write down today’s date. The king of Babylon has surrounded Jerusalem and attacked it today. 3Your people refuse to obey me. So tell them a story. Say to them, ‘The Lord and King told me,
“ ‘ “Put a cooking pot on the fire.
Pour water into it.
4Put pieces of meat in it.
Use all the best pieces.
Use the leg and shoulder.
Fill it with the best bones.
5Pick the finest animal in the flock.
Pile wood under the pot to cook the bones.
Bring the water to a boil.
Cook the bones in it.” ’ ”
6The Lord and King says,
“How terrible it will be for this city!
It has so many murderers in it.
How terrible for the pot that is coated with scum!
The scum on it will not go away.
Take the meat out of the pot piece by piece.
Take it out in whatever order it comes.
7“The blood Jerusalem’s people spilled is inside its walls.
They poured it out on a bare rock.
They did not pour it on the ground.
If they had, dust would have covered it up.
8So I put their blood on the bare rock.
I did not want it to be covered up.
I poured out my great anger on them.
I paid them back.”
9So the Lord and King said to me,
“How terrible it will be for this city!
It has so many murderers in it.
I too will pile the wood high.
10So pile on the wood.
Light the fire.
Cook the meat well.
Mix in the spices.
Let the bones be blackened.
11Then set the empty pot on the coals.
Let it get hot. Let its copper glow.
Then what is not pure in it will melt.
Its scum will be burned away.
12But it can’t be cleaned up.
Its thick scum has not been removed.
Even fire can’t burn it off.
13“Jerusalem, you are really impure. I tried to clean you up. But you would not let me make you pure. So you will not be clean again until I am no longer so angry with you.
14“I have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back. I will not feel sorry for you. I will do what I said I would do. You will be judged for your conduct and actions. I am the Lord,” announces the Lord and King.
Ezekiel’s Wife Dies
15A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 16“Son of man, I will take away from you the wife you delight in. It will happen very soon. But do not sing songs of sadness. Do not let any tears flow from your eyes. 17Groan quietly. Do not mourn for your wife when she dies. Keep your turban on your head. Keep your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your mustache and beard. Do not eat the food people eat to comfort them when someone dies.”
18So I spoke to my people in the morning. And in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did what I had been commanded to do.
19Then the people said to me, “Tell us what these things have to do with us. Why are you acting like this?”
20So I told them. I said, “A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 21‘Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, “The Lord and King says, ‘I am about to make my temple “unclean.” I will let the Babylonians burn it down. It is the beautiful building you are so proud of. You take delight in it. You love it. The sons and daughters you left behind will be killed by swords. 22So do what Ezekiel did. Do not cover your mustache and beard. Do not eat the food people eat to comfort them when someone dies. 23Keep your turbans on your heads. Keep your sandals on your feet. Do not mourn or weep. You will waste away because you have sinned so much. You will groan among yourselves. 24What Ezekiel has done will show you what is going to happen to you. You will do just as he has done. Then you will know that I am the Lord and King.’ ” ’
25“Son of man, I will take away their beautiful temple. It is their joy and glory. They take delight in it. Their hearts long for it. I will also take away their sons and daughters. 26On the day I destroy everything, a man will escape. He will come and tell you the news. 27At that time I will open your mouth. Then you will no longer be silent. You will speak with the man. That will show them what will happen to them. And they will know that I am the Lord.”
Mʼphika Wophikira
1Pa tsiku lakhumi la mwezi wakhumi chaka chachisanu ndi chinayi, Yehova anandiyankhula kuti: 2“Iwe mwana wa munthu lemba dzina la tsiku lalero, lero lomwe lino, chifukwa mfumu ya Babuloni yazungulira Yerusalemu lero lino. 3Uwaphere mwambi anthu owukirawa ndi kuwawuza kuti: ‘Ambuye Yehova akuti,
“ ‘Ikani mʼphika pa moto,
ndipo mu mʼphikamo muthiremo madzi.
4Mu mʼphikamo muyikemo nthuli za nyama,
nthuli zonse zabwino kwambiri za mwendo wathako ndi mwendo wamwamba.
Mudzadzemo mafupa abwino kwambiri.
5Pa gulu la nkhosa musankhepo nkhosa yabwino kwambiri.
Muyike nkhuni pansi pa mʼphikawo.
Madzi awire.
Kenaka muphike nyamayo pamodzi ndi mafupa omwe.’
6“ ‘Nʼchifukwa chake, Ambuye Yehova akuti,
“ ‘Tsoka kwa mzinda wokhetsa magazi,
tsoka kwa mʼphika wadzimbiri;
dzimbiri lake losachoka!
Mutulutsemo nthuli imodzimodzi
osasankhulapo.
7“ ‘Paja magazi amene anakhetsa akanali pakati pake mu mzindamo.
Iye awakhuthulira pa thanthwe losalala.
Sanawakhutulire pa dothi
kuopa kuti fumbi lingawafotsere.
8Ndinasiya magaziwo pa mwala wosalala
kuti asafotseredwe ndi fumbi
chifukwa ndinafuna kuonetsa mkwiyo wanga ndi kulipsira.
9“ ‘Ine Ambuye Yehova ndikuti:
“ ‘Tsoka kwa mzinda wokhetsa magazi!
Inenso, ndidzawunjika mulu waukulu wa nkhuni.
10Choncho wonjeza nkhuni
ndipo muyatse moto.
Phikani nyamayo bwinobwino,
muthiremo zokometsera,
mutsanule msuzi, ndipo mupsereze mafupawo.
11Tsono muyike pa makala mʼphika wopanda kanthuwo
mpaka utenthe kuchita kuti psuu
kuti zonyansa zake zisungunuke
ndi kuti dzimbiri lake lichoke.
12Koma mʼphikawo walephereka kuyeretsedwa.
Dzimbiri lake linalowerera silingatheke kuchoka
ngakhale ndi moto womwe.
13“ ‘Tsono dzimbiri limeneli ndi zilakolako za dama lako. Pakuti ine ndinayesa kukutsuka koma iwe sunayere, ndipo sudzayeranso mpaka ukali wanga utakwaniratu pa iwe.
14“ ‘Ine Yehova ndayankhula. Zimenezi zikubwera ndipo ndidzazichitadi. Sindidzabwerera mʼmbuyo. Sindidzakulekerera kapena kukuchitira chifundo. Ndidzakulanga molingana ndi makhalidwe ndi machitidwe ako, akutero Ambuye Yehova.’ ”
Imfa ya Mkazi wa Ezekieli
15Yehova anandiyankhula kuti: 16“Iwe mwana wa munthu, Ine ndikulanda mwadzidzidzi mkazi amene amakukomera mʼmaso kwambiri. Koma usadandaule, usalire kapena kukhetsa misozi. 17Ubuwule koma mwakachetechete. Usamulire wakufayo. Uvale nduwira yako ndithu, nsapato zakonso usavule. Usaphimbe nkhope kapena kudya chakudya cha anamfedwa.”
18Choncho ndinayankhula ndi anthu mmawa, ndipo madzulo mkazi wanga anamwalira. Mmawa mwake ndinachita monga momwe anandilamulira.
19Ndipo anthu anandifunsa kuti, “Kodi sutifotokozera tanthauzo la zimene ukuchitazi?”
20Ndinawayankha kuti, “Yehova anandipatsa uthenga wakuti, 21‘Awuze Aisraeli kuti: Ine Ambuye Yehova ndikuti: ndidzayipitsa Nyumba yanga yopatulika, nyumba imene mwakhala mukuyinyadira. Mumakondwa kwambiri poyiona, ndipo mumayikonda ndi mtima onse. Ana aamuna ndi aakazi amene munawasiya mʼmbuyo adzaphedwa ndi lupanga. 22Ndipo mudzachita monga ndachitira inemu. Inu simudzaphimba nkhope zanu kapena kudya chakudya cha anamfedwa. 23Mudzavala nduwira zanu kumutu ndi nsapato zanu ku mapazi anu. Simudzabuma maliro kapena kukhetsa misozi koma mudzavutika kwambiri chifukwa cha machimo anu ndipo mudzabuwula pakati panu. 24Ine Ezekieli ndidzakhala chitsanzo chanu. Mudzachita monga momwe ndachitira. Izi zikadzachitika, akutero Yehova, ndipo mudzadziwa kuti Ine ndine Ambuye Wamphamvuzonse.’
25“Ndipo Yehova anandiyankhula nati: Iwe mwana wa munthu, tsiku lina ndidzawachotsera anthuwa linga lawo limene ankakondwerera kukongola kwake, limene linkawakomera mʼmaso mwawo, limenenso anayikapo mtima wawo kwambiri. Ndidzawachotsera ana awo aamuna ndi aakazi. 26Pa tsiku limenelo wothawa nkhondo adzabwera kudzakuwuzani zimenezo. 27Pa tsiku limenelo pakamwa pako padzatsekuka. Udzatha kuyankhula naye ndipo sudzakhalanso chete. Motero udzakhala chizindikiro kwa iwo, ndipo iwo adzadziwa kuti Ine ndine Yehova.”
