Yehezkiel 24:1-11

The Boiling Pot

24:1 The word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month ¹ : 24:2 “Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege ²  to Jerusalem ³  this very day. 24:3 Recite a proverb to this rebellious house ⁴  and say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘Set on the pot, ⁵  set it on,

pour water in it too;

24:4 add the pieces of meat to it,

every good piece,

the thigh and the shoulder;

fill it with choice bones.

24:5 Take the choice bone of the flock,

heap up bones under it;

boil rapidly,

and boil its bones in it.

24:6 “‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says:

Woe to the city of bloodshed,

the pot whose rot ⁶  is in it,

whose rot has not been removed ⁷  from it!

Empty it piece by piece.

No lot has fallen on it. ⁸ 

24:7 For her blood was in it;

she poured it on an exposed rock;

she did not pour it on the ground to cover it up with dust.

24:8 To arouse anger, to take vengeance,

I have placed her blood on an exposed rock so that it cannot be covered up.

24:9 “‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says:

Woe to the city of bloodshed!

I will also make the pile high.

24:10 Pile up the bones, kindle the fire;

cook the meat well, mix in the spices,

let the bones be charred.

24:11 Set the empty pot on the coals, ⁹ 

until it becomes hot and its copper glows,

until its uncleanness melts within it and its rot ¹⁰  is consumed.

[24:1]  ¹ tn The date of this oracle was January 15, 588 b.c.

[24:2]  ² tn Heb “lean on, put pressure on.”

[24:2]  ³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[24:3]  ⁴ sn The book of Ezekiel frequently refers to the Israelites as a rebellious house (Ezek 2:5, 6, 8; 3:9, 26-27; 12:2-3, 9, 25; 17:12; 24:3).

[24:3]  ⁵ sn See Ezek 11:3-12.

[24:6]  ⁶ tn Or “rust.”

[24:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “has not gone out.”

[24:6]  ⁸ tn Here “lot” may refer to the decision made by casting lots; it is not chosen at all.

[24:11]  ⁹ tn Heb “set it upon its coals, empty.”

[24:11]  ¹⁰ tn Or “rust” (so also in v. 12).