Hebrew Names Version HNV
The Message Bible MSG
1 Again, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth [day] of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
1
The Message of God came to me in the ninth year, the tenth month, and the tenth day of the month:
2 Son of man, write you the name of the day, [even] of this same day: the king of Bavel drew close to Yerushalayim this same day.
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"Son of man, write down this date. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.
3 Utter a parable to the rebellious house, and tell them, Thus says the Lord GOD, Set on the caldron, set it on, and also pour water into it:
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Tell this company of rebels a story: "'Put on the soup pot. Fill it with water.
4 gather the pieces of it into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones.
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Put chunks of meat into it, all the choice pieces - loin and brisket. Pick out the best soup bones
5 Take the choice of the flock, and also a pile [of wood] for the bones under [the caldron]; make it boil well; yes, let the bones of it be boiled in the midst of it.
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from the best of the sheep in the flock. Pile wood beneath the pot. Bring it to a boil and cook the soup.
6 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city, to the caldron whose rust is therein, and whose rust is not gone out of it! take out of it piece after piece; No lot is fallen on it.
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"'God, the Master, says: "'Doom to the city of murder, to the pot thick with scum, thick with a filth that can't be scoured. Empty the pot piece by piece; don't bother who gets what.
7 For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it on the bare rock; she didn't pour it on the ground, to cover it with dust.
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"'The blood from murders has stained the whole city; Blood runs bold on the street stones, with no one bothering to wash it off -
8 That 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.
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Blood out in the open to public view to provoke my wrath, to trigger my vengeance.
9 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great.
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"'Therefore, this is what God, the Master, says: "'Doom to the city of murder! I, too, will pile on the wood.
10 Heap on the wood, make the fire hot, boil well the flesh, and make thick the broth, and let the bones be burned.
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Stack the wood high, light the match, Cook the meat, spice it well, pour out the broth, and then burn the bones.
11 Then set it empty on the coals of it, that it may be hot, and the brass of it may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it, that the rust of it may be consumed.
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Then I'll set the empty pot on the coals and heat it red-hot so the bronze glows, So the germs are killed and the corruption is burned off.
12 She has wearied [herself] with toil; yet her great rust doesn't go forth out of her; her rust doesn't [go forth] by fire.
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But it's hopeless. It's too far gone. The filth is too thick.
13 In your filthiness is lewdness: because I have cleansed you and you weren't cleansed, you shall not be cleansed from your filthiness any more, until I have caused my wrath toward you to rest.
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"'Your encrusted filth is your filthy sex. I wanted to clean you up, but you wouldn't let me. I'll make no more attempts at cleaning you up until my anger quiets down.
14 I, the LORD, have spoken it: it shall happen, 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.
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I, God, have said it, and I'll do it. I'm not holding back. I've run out of compassion. I'm not changing my mind. You're getting exactly what's coming to you. Decree of God, the Master.'"
15 Also the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
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God's Message came to me:
16 Son of man, behold, I take away from you the desire of your eyes with a stroke: yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, neither shall your tears run down.
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"Son of man, I'm about to take from you the delight of your life - a real blow, I know. But, please, no tears.
17 Sigh, but not aloud, make no mourning for the dead; bind your headdress on you, and put your shoes on your feet, and don't cover your lips, and don't eat men's bread.
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Keep your grief to yourself. No public mourning. Get dressed as usual and go about your work - none of the usual funeral rituals."
18 So I spoke to the people in the morning; and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.
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I preached to the people in the morning. That evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I'd been told.
19 The people said to me, Won't you tell us what these things are to us, that you do so?
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The people came to me, saying, "Tell us why you're acting like this. What does it mean, anyway?"
20 Then I said to them, The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
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So I told them, "God's Word came to me, saying,
21 Speak to the house of Yisra'el, Thus says the Lord GOD: 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 shall fall by the sword.
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'Tell the family of Israel, This is what God, the Master, says: I will desecrate my Sanctuary, your proud impregnable fort, the delight of your life, your heart's desire. The children you left behind will be killed.
22 You shall do as I have done: you shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.
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"'Then you'll do exactly as I've done. You'll perform none of the usual funeral rituals.
23 Your tires shall be on your heads, and your shoes on your feet: you shall not mourn nor weep; but you shall pine away in your iniquities, and moan one toward another.
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You'll get dressed as usual and go about your work. No tears. But your sins will eat away at you from within and you'll groan among yourselves.
24 Thus shall Yechezkel be to you a sign; according to all that he has done shall you do: when this comes, then shall you know that I am the Lord GOD.
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Ezekiel will be your example. The way he did it is the way you'll do it. "'When this happens you'll recognize that I am God, the Master.'''
25 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 heart, their sons and their daughters,
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"And you, son of man: The day I take away the people's refuge, their great joy, the delight of their life, what they've most longed for, along with all their children
26 that in that day he who escapes shall come to you, to cause you to hear it with your ears?
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- on that very day a survivor will arrive and tell you what happened to the city.
27 In that day shall your mouth be opened to him who is escaped, and you shall speak, and be no more mute: so shall you be a sign to them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
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You'll break your silence and start talking again, talking to the survivor. Again, you'll be an example for them. And they'll recognize that I am God."
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.