The Pot, the Fire, and the Silence.

וַיְהִי֩ דְבַר־יְהוָ֨ה אֵלַ֜י בַּשָּׁנָ֤ה הַתְּשִׁיעִית֙ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָעֲשִׂירִ֔י בֶּעָשׂ֥וֹר לַחֹ֖דֶשׁ לֵאמֹֽר׃

In the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:

בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם ׳כְּתוֹב־כְּתָב־לְךָ֙׳ אֶת־שֵׁ֣ם הַיּ֔וֹם אֶת־עֶ֖צֶם הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה סָמַ֤ךְ מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶל֙ אֶל־יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם בְּעֶ֖צֶם הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃

[2] “Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.

וּמְשֹׁ֤ל אֶל־בֵּית־הַמֶּ֙רִי֙ מָשָׁ֔ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֑ה שְׁפֹ֤ת הַסִּיר֙ שְׁפֹ֔ת וְגַם־יְצֹ֥ק בּ֖וֹ מָֽיִם׃

[3] And utter a parable to the rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord God : “Set on the pot, set it on; pour in water also;

אֱסֹ֤ף נְתָחֶ֙יהָ֙ אֵלֶ֔יהָ כָּל־נֵ֥תַח ט֖וֹב יָרֵ֣ךְ וְכָתֵ֑ף מִבְחַ֥ר עֲצָמִ֖ים מַלֵּֽא׃

[4] put in it the pieces of meat, all the good pieces, the thigh and the shoulder; fill it with choice bones.

מִבְחַ֤ר הַצֹּאן֙ לָק֔וֹחַ וְגַ֛ם דּ֥וּר הָעֲצָמִ֖ים תַּחְתֶּ֑יהָ רַתַּ֣ח רְתָחֶ֔יהָ גַּם־בָּשְׁל֥וּ עֲצָמֶ֖יהָ בְּתוֹכָֽהּ׃ ס

[5] Take the choicest one of the flock; pile the logs under it; boil it well; seethe also its bones in it.

לָכֵ֞ן כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִֹ֗ה אוֹי֮ עִ֣יר הַדָּמִים֒ סִ֚יר אֲשֶׁ֣ר חֶלְאָתָ֣ה בָ֔הּ וְחֶ֨לְאָתָ֔הּ לֹ֥א יָצְאָ֖ה מִמֶּ֑נָּה לִנְתָחֶ֤יהָ לִנְתָחֶ֙יהָ֙ הוֹצִיאָ֔הּ לֹא־נָפַ֥ל עָלֶ֖יהָ גּוֹרָֽל׃

[6] “Therefore thus says the Lord God : Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose corrosion is in it, and whose corrosion has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, without making any choice.

כִּ֤י דָמָהּ֙ בְּתוֹכָ֣הּ הָיָ֔ה עַל־צְחִ֥יחַ סֶ֖לַע שָׂמָ֑תְהוּ לֹ֤א שְׁפָכַ֙תְהוּ֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ לְכַסּ֥וֹת עָלָ֖יו עָפָֽר׃

[7] For the blood she has shed is in her midst; she put it on the bare rock; she did not pour it out on the ground to cover it with dust.

לְהַעֲל֤וֹת חֵמָה֙ לִנְקֹ֣ם נָקָ֔ם נָתַ֥תִּי אֶת־דָּמָ֖הּ עַל־צְחִ֣יחַ סָ֑לַע לְבִלְתִּ֖י הִכָּסֽוֹת׃ פ

[8] To rouse my wrath, to take vengeance, I have set on the bare rock the blood she has shed, that it may not be covered.

לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה א֖וֹי עִ֣יר הַדָּמִ֑ים גַּם־אֲנִ֖י אַגְדִּ֥יל הַמְּדוּרָֽה׃

[9] Therefore thus says the Lord God : Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great.

הַרְבֵּ֤ה הָעֵצִים֙ הַדְלֵ֣ק הָאֵ֔שׁ הָתֵ֖ם הַבָּשָׂ֑ר וְהַרְקַח֙ הַמֶּרְקָחָ֔ה וְהָעֲצָמ֖וֹת יֵחָֽרוּ׃

[10] Heap on the logs, kindle the fire, boil the meat well, mix in the spices, and let the bones be burned up.

וְהַעֲמִידֶ֥הָ עַל־גֶּחָלֶ֖יהָ רֵקָ֑ה לְמַ֨עַן תֵּחַ֜ם וְחָ֣רָה נְחֻשְׁתָּ֗הּ וְנִתְּכָ֤ה בְתוֹכָהּ֙ טֻמְאָתָ֔הּ תִּתֻּ֖ם חֶלְאָתָֽהּ׃

[11] Then set it empty upon the coals, that it may become hot, and its copper may burn, that its uncleanness may be melted in it, its corrosion consumed.

תְּאֻנִ֖ים הֶלְאָ֑ת וְלֹֽא־תֵצֵ֤א מִמֶּ֙נָּה֙ רַבַּ֣ת חֶלְאָתָ֔הּ בְּאֵ֖שׁ חֶלְאָתָֽהּ׃

[12] She has wearied herself with toil; its abundant corrosion does not go out of it. Into the fire with its corrosion!

בְּטֻמְאָתֵ֖ךְ זִמָּ֑ה יַ֤עַן טִֽהַרְתִּיךְ֙ וְלֹ֣א טָהַ֔רְתְּ מִטֻּמְאָתֵךְ֙ לֹ֣א תִטְהֲרִי־ע֔וֹד עַד־הֲנִיחִ֥י אֶת־חֲמָתִ֖י בָּֽךְ׃

[13] On account of your unclean lewdness, because I would have cleansed you and you were not cleansed from your uncleanness, you shall not be cleansed anymore till I have satisfied my fury upon you.

אֲנִ֨י יְהוָ֤ה דִּבַּ֙רְתִּי֙ בָּאָ֣ה וְעָשִׂ֔יתִי לֹֽא־אֶפְרַ֥ע וְלֹא־אָח֖וּס וְלֹ֣א אֶנָּחֵ֑ם כִּדְרָכַ֤יִךְ וְכַעֲלִילוֹתַ֙יִךְ֙ שְׁפָט֔וּךְ נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֹֽה׃ פ

[14] I am the Lord . I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; I will not spare; I will not relent; according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord God .”

וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃

[15] The word of the Lord came to me:

בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם הִנְנִ֨י לֹקֵ֧חַ מִמְּךָ֛ אֶת־מַחְמַ֥ד עֵינֶ֖יךָ בְּמַגֵּפָ֑ה וְלֹ֤א תִסְפֹּד֙ וְלֹ֣א תִבְכֶּ֔ה וְל֥וֹא תָב֖וֹא דִּמְעָתֶֽךָ׃

[16] “Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down.

הֵאָנֵ֣ק׀ דֹּ֗ם מֵתִים֙ אֵ֣בֶל לֹֽא־תַֽעֲשֶׂ֔ה פְאֵֽרְךָ֙ חֲב֣וֹשׁ עָלֶ֔יךָ וּנְעָלֶ֖יךָ תָּשִׂ֣ים בְּרַגְלֶ֑יךָ וְלֹ֤א תַעְטֶה֙ עַל־שָׂפָ֔ם וְלֶ֥חֶם אֲנָשִׁ֖ים לֹ֥א תֹאכֵֽל׃

[17] Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban, and put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.”

וָאֲדַבֵּ֤ר אֶל־הָעָם֙ בַּבֹּ֔קֶר וַתָּ֥מָת אִשְׁתִּ֖י בָּעָ֑רֶב וָאַ֥עַשׂ בַּבֹּ֖קֶר כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר צֻוֵּֽיתִי׃

[18] So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded.

וַיֹּאמְר֥וּ אֵלַ֖י הָעָ֑ם הֲלֹֽא־תַגִּ֥יד לָ֙נוּ֙ מָה־אֵ֣לֶּה לָּ֔נוּ כִּ֥י אַתָּ֖ה עֹשֶֽׂה׃

[19] And the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?”

וָאֹמַ֖ר אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם דְּבַ֨ר־יְהוָ֔ה הָיָ֥ה אֵלַ֖י לֵאמֹֽר׃

[20] Then I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me:

אֱמֹ֣ר׀ לְבֵ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כֹּֽה־אָמַר֮ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִה֒ הִנְנִ֨י מְחַלֵּ֤ל אֶת־מִקְדָּשִׁי֙ גְּא֣וֹן עֻזְּכֶ֔ם מַחְמַ֥ד עֵֽינֵיכֶ֖ם וּמַחְמַ֣ל נַפְשְׁכֶ֑ם וּבְנֵיכֶ֧ם וּבְנֽוֹתֵיכֶ֛ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר עֲזַבְתֶּ֖ם בַּחֶ֥רֶב יִפֹּֽלוּ׃

[21] ‘Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God : Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword.

וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֑יתִי עַל־שָׂפָם֙ לֹ֣א תַעְט֔וּ וְלֶ֥חֶם אֲנָשִׁ֖ים לֹ֥א תֹאכֵֽלוּ׃

[22] And you shall do as I have done; you shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.

וּפְאֵרֵכֶ֣ם עַל־רָאשֵׁיכֶ֗ם וְנַֽעֲלֵיכֶם֙ בְּרַגְלֵיכֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תִסְפְּד֖וּ וְלֹ֣א תִבְכּ֑וּ וּנְמַקֹּתֶם֙ בַּעֲוֺנֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם וּנְהַמְתֶּ֖ם אִ֥ישׁ אֶל־אָחִֽיו׃

[23] Your turbans shall be on your heads and your shoes on your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but you shall rot away in your iniquities and groan to one another.

וְהָיָ֨ה יְחֶזְקֵ֤אל לָכֶם֙ לְמוֹפֵ֔ת כְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֖ה תַּעֲשׂ֑וּ בְּבֹאָ֕הּ וִֽידַעְתֶּ֕ם כִּ֥י אֲנִ֖י אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃ ס

[24] Thus shall Ezekiel be to you a sign; according to all that he has done you shall do. When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord God .’

וְאַתָּ֣ה בֶן־אָדָ֔ם הֲל֗וֹא בְּי֨וֹם קַחְתִּ֤י מֵהֶם֙ אֶת־מָ֣עוּזָּ֔ם מְשׂ֖וֹשׂ תִּפְאַרְתָּ֑ם אֶת־מַחְמַ֤ד עֵֽינֵיהֶם֙ וְאֶת־מַשָּׂ֣א נַפְשָׁ֔ם בְּנֵיהֶ֖ם וּבְנוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃

[25] “As for you, son of man, surely on the day when I take from them their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes and their soul's desire, and also their sons and daughters,

בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא יָב֥וֹא הַפָּלִ֖יט אֵלֶ֑יךָ לְהַשְׁמָע֖וּת אָזְנָֽיִם׃

[26] on that day a fugitive will come to you to report to you the news.

בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִפָּ֤תַח פִּ֙יךָ֙ אֶת־הַפָּלִ֔יט וּתְדַבֵּ֕ר וְלֹ֥א תֵֽאָלֵ֖ם ע֑וֹד וְהָיִ֤יתָ לָהֶם֙ לְמוֹפֵ֔ת וְיָדְע֖וּ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ ס

[27] On that day your mouth will be opened to the fugitive, and you shall speak and be no longer mute. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord .”