וַיְהִי דְבַר־ה' אֵלַי בַּשָּׁנָה הַתְּשִׁיעִית בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָעֲשִׂירִי בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ לֵאמֹר

The word of the Lord was with me in the ninth year of the exile of Yehoyakhin, with whom Ezekiel was also taken into exile, and therefore the first year of Tzidkiyahu’s reign, thus making it the reference date for many other accounts in this book. God spoke to Ezekiel in the tenth month, Tevet, on the tenth day of the month, saying:

בֶּן־אָדָם כְּתָב לְךָ אֶת־שֵׁם הַיּוֹם אֶת־עֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה סָמַךְ מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִַם בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

Son of man, write for yourself the name of this day, of this very day, as this date will be of historical importance. Record that the king of Babylon has approached Jerusalem on this very day, effectively beginning the siege of Jerusalem.

וּמְשֹׁל אֶל־בֵּית־הַמֶּרִי מָשָׁל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים שְׁפֹת הַסִּיר שְׁפֹת וְגַם־יְצֹק בּוֹ מָיִם

Relate a parable to the house of defiance, the people of Judah. You shall say to them: So said the Lord God: Set the pot; set it on the fire, and also pour water into it.

אֱסֹף נְתָחֶיהָ אֵלֶיהָ כָּל־נֵתַח טוֹב יָרֵךְ וְכָתֵף מִבְחַר עֲצָמִים מַלֵּא

Gather its pieces of meat into it, the pot. Take every good piece, including the thigh and the shoulder, which have much meat, and fill it with choice bones. This is a metaphor for the people of Jerusalem, which is situated in the fire of war. The leaders of the people, the king, his ministers, and the great men of the generation all gathered into the city, like choice slices of meat in a pot.

מִבְחַר הַצֹּאן לָקוֹחַ וְגַם דּוּר הָעֲצָמִים תַּחְתֶּיהָ רַתַּח רְתָחֶיהָ גַּם־בָּשְׁלוּ עֲצָמֶיהָ בְּתוֹכָהּ

Take the choice of the flock to the pot, and also arrange the bones beneath it, at the bottom of the pot; boil its boiled pieces, and also cook its bones within it.

לָכֵן כֹּה־אָמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים אוֹי עִיר הַדָּמִים סִיר אֲשֶׁר חֶלְאָתָה בָהּ וְחֶלְאָתָהּ לֹא יָצְאָה מִמֶּנָּה לִנְתָחֶיהָ לִנְתָחֶיהָ הוֹצִיאָהּ לֹא־נָפַל עָלֶיהָ גּוֹרָל

Therefore, so said the Lord God to Jerusalem: Woe, city of bloodshed, the pot whose filth is in it, and whose filth has not gone out of it. The filth in the pot irreparably contaminates all the meat inside, representing how the good people in Jerusalem became contaminated by the evil performed in the city. Take it out piece by piece. All the pieces of meat must be discarded from the pot, and no lot has been drawn over it to determine which of the diners receive which piece. Even the worthy inhabitants of Jerusalem will perish or be exiled.

כִּי דָמָהּ בְּתוֹכָהּ הָיָה עַל־צְחִיחַ סֶלַע שָׂמָתְהוּ לֹא שְׁפָכַתְהוּ עַל־הָאָרֶץ לְכַסּוֹת עָלָיו עָפָר

For its, the city’s, blood was within it; on a bare rock, one bereft of earth or vegetation, it, the city, placed it, the blood. It did not pour it on the ground to cover it with dirt. Here, the prophet is alluding to the Torah commandment to cover the blood of slaughtered fowl and undomesticated animals with dirt, and how at the time, even human blood was not absorbed or covered, an indictment of a society of murderers not ashamed of its deeds and not troubled to conceal them.

לְהַעֲלוֹת חֵמָה לִנְקֹם נָקָם נָתַתִּי אֶת־דָּמָהּ עַל־צְחִיחַ סָלַע לְבִלְתִּי הִכָּסוֹת

The exposed blood cries out for justice: To arouse fury and to take vengeance, I placed its blood upon the bare rock so it would not be covered, so that none of these matters would be ignored or forgotten.

לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים אוֹי עִיר הַדָּמִים גַּם־אֲנִי אַגְדִּיל הַמְּדוּרָה

Therefore, so said the Lord God: Woe, city of bloodshed; just as you increased your sins, I too will increase the conflagration.

הַרְבֵּה הָעֵצִים הַדְלֵק הָאֵשׁ הָתֵם הַבָּשָׂר וְהַרְקַח הַמֶּרְקָחָה וְהָעֲצָמוֹת יֵחָרוּ

It behooves you to increase the wood, ignite the fire, and consume the flesh. When the fire is large and the cooking continues for an extended period of time, the meat disintegrates and almost dissolves. And cook the resulting mixture until all the water will evaporate and the bones will be charred.

וְהַעֲמִידֶהָ עַל־גֶּחָלֶיהָ רֵקָה לְמַעַן תֵּחַם וְחָרָה נְחֻשְׁתָּהּ וְנִתְּכָה בְתוֹכָהּ טֻמְאָתָהּ תִּתֻּם חֶלְאָתָהּ

Set it, the pot, empty upon its coals, so that its bottom will be heated and charred, and its impurity will be melted within it; its filth will be eradicated. Judah’s evil will be no more.

תְּאֻנִים הֶלְאָת וְלֹא־תֵצֵא מִמֶּנָּה רַבַּת חֶלְאָתָהּ בְּאֵשׁ חֶלְאָתָהּ

It has wearied of rationalizations, and its abundant filth will not come out of it; its filth will be in the fire, or its filth can be burned only in fire. The dirt has stuck to the sides of the pot to such an extent that it cannot be removed; rather, it must be burned together with the pot.

בְּטֻמְאָתֵךְ זִמָּה יַעַן טִהַרְתִּיךְ וְלֹא טָהַרְתְּ מִטֻּמְאָתֵךְ לֹא תִטְהֲרִי־עוֹד עַד־הֲנִיחִי אֶת־חֲמָתִי בָּךְ

Because of your lewd impurity, because I gave you prohibitions, statutes, and boundaries, and My prophets’ words of reproof that should have purified you by preventing you from sinning, and yet you were not purified, as you ignored all such matters, you will no longer be purified from your impurity, and you will have no remedy until I have assuaged My fury upon you.

אֲנִי ה' דִּבַּרְתִּי בָּאָה וְעָשִׂיתִי לֹא־אֶפְרַע וְלֹא־אָחוּס וְלֹא אֶנָּחֵם כִּדְרָכַיִךְ וְכַעֲלִילוֹתַיִךְ שְׁפָטוּךְ נְאֻם ה' אֱלוֹהִים

I, the Lord, have spoken. It, My word, is coming, and I will act; I will not neglect or abandon it, and I will not pity, and I will not regret. Now, when the time has come for Jerusalem to be destroyed, I will not lighten the punishment. In accordance with your ways, and in accordance with your exploits, as befitting your way of life and your deeds, they have judged you – the utterance of the Lord God.

וַיְהִי דְבַר־ה' אֵלַי לֵאמֹר

The word of the Lord was with me, saying:

בֶּן־אָדָם הִנְנִי לֹקֵחַ מִמְּךָ אֶת־מַחְמַד עֵינֶיךָ בְּמַגֵּפָה וְלֹא תִסְפֹּד וְלֹא תִבְכֶּה וְלוֹא תָבוֹא דִּמְעָתֶךָ

Son of man, behold, I am taking from you the delight of your eyes, the person dearest to you, in a plague, but despite this tragedy that will befall you, you will not lament, and you will not weep, and your tears will not come. You shall not display your grief outwardly, with eulogies or weeping. Even if this tragedy renders you a broken man inside, you must not betray your emotions outwardly.

הֵאָנֵק דֹּם מֵתִים אֵבֶל לֹא־תַעֲשֶׂה פְּאֵרְךָ חֲבוֹשׁ עָלֶיךָ וּנְעָלֶיךָ תָּשִׂים בְּרַגְלֶיךָ וְלֹא תַעְטֶה עַל־שָׂפָם וְלֶחֶם אֲנָשִׁים לֹא תֹאכֵל

Sigh in silence. You may sigh and groan, but do so quietly, as your sighs and groans must not be heard. Perform no mourning that is customarily performed for the dead, i.e., you must don your splendor, and put your shoes upon your feet, unlike a mourner, who does not wear fine garments and removes his shoes. And do not cover your upper lip. It was customary for mourners to cover their faces as a sign of grief, withdrawal from society, and silence. And do not eat the bread of people, the first meal after the burial [seudat havraa]. A mourner eats from the food of others after the burial of the dead, a gesture of comfort and support or to prevent him from returning immediately to his daily routine by tending to his next meal. In short, Ezekiel is instructed to refrain from all external signs of mourning.

וָאֲדַבֵּר אֶל־הָעָם בַּבֹּקֶר וַתָּמָת אִשְׁתִּי בָּעָרֶב וָאַעַשׂ בַּבֹּקֶר כַּאֲשֶׁר צֻוֵּיתִי

I spoke this prophecy to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. Either she died suddenly in a plague, and only then he discovered the identity of “the desire of your eyes” who was destined to die, or she had already been on her deathbed when he received the prophecy. And I did in the next morning as I was commanded. I displayed no signs of mourning.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלַי הָעָם הֲלֹא־תַגִּיד לָנוּ מָה אֵלֶּה לָּנוּ כִּי אַתָּה עֹשֶׂה

The people said to me: Won’t you tell us what are these atypical actions meant to indicate to us, that you are doing? Your bizarre behavior upon the death of your wife is certainly designed to send us a message.

וָאֹמַר אֲלֵיהֶם דְּבַר־ה' הָיָה אֵלַי לֵאמֹר

I said to them: The word of the Lord was with me, saying:

אֱמֹר לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֹּה־אָמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים הִנְנִי מְחַלֵּל אֶת־מִקְדָּשִׁי גְּאוֹן עֻזְּכֶם מַחְמַד עֵינֵיכֶם וּמַחְמַל נַפְשְׁכֶם ובְנֵיכֶם וּבְנוֹתֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר עֲזַבְתֶּם בַּחֶרֶב יִפֹּלוּ

Say to the house of Israel: So said the Lord God: Behold, I am profaning, defiling or damaging, My Sanctuary, the pride of your strength, of whose might you boast, the delight of your eyes, and the love of your soul; and your sons and your daughters whom you left in Judah will fall by the sword.

וַעֲשִׂיתֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי עַל־שָׂפָם לֹא תַעְטוּ וְלֶחֶם אֲנָשִׁים לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ

When all this occurs, you too will do as I have done: You will not cover your upper lip like mourners do, and you will not eat the bread of people, the first meal after burial provided by others.

וּפְאֵרֵכֶם עַל־רָאשֵׁיכֶם וְנַעֲלֵיכֶם בְּרַגְלֵיכֶם לֹא תִסְפְּדוּ וְלֹא תִבְכּוּ וּנְמַקֹּתֶם בַּעֲוֹנֹתֵיכֶם וּנְהַמְתֶּם אִישׁ אֶל־אָחִיו

Your splendor will be on your heads and your shoes will be on your feet; you will not lament, and you will not weep, and you will molder in your iniquities. The terrible scale of the tragedy as well as the prophet’s admonishment to the people not to express mourning would cause the people to feel that they are consumed by their suffering. This will soon be the situation for the residents of Judah. Perhaps they will be struck dumb in astonishment. Alternatively, they will be unable to mourn due to a sense of total despair and a lack of comforters, or due to fear of the Chaldeans. And when that occurs, each of you will moan, grumble in anger, pain, and regret, to the other.

וְהָיָה יְחֶזְקֵאל לָכֶם לְמוֹפֵת כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה תַּעֲשׂוּ בְּבֹאָהּ וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי ה' אֱלוֹהִים

Ezekiel will be a model for you; in accordance with everything that he has done, you will do; when this comes, you will know that I am the Lord God, who fulfills My word.

וְאַתָּה בֶן־אָדָם הֲלוֹא בְּיוֹם קַחְתִּי מֵהֶם אֶת־מָעֻזָּם מְשׂוֹשׂ תִּפְאַרְתָּם אֶת־מַחְמַד עֵינֵיהֶם וְאֶת־מַשָּׂא נַפְשָׁם בְּנֵיהֶם וּבְנוֹתֵיהֶם

You, Son of man, will it not be that on the day that I take from them their bastion, the joy of their splendor, the delight of their eyes, and the longing of their soul, the Temple, the most perfect thing in their eyes, for which their souls yearn; and their sons and their daughters,

בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יָבוֹא הַפָּלִיט אֵלֶיךָ לְהַשְׁמָעוּת אָזְנָיִם

on that day, during that time, the survivor from Judah will come to you to be heard with the ears what happened there?

בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִפָּתַח פִּיךָ אֶת הַפָּלִיט וּתְדַבֵּר וְלֹא תֵאָלֵם עוֹד וְהָיִיתָ לָהֶם לְמוֹפֵת וְיָדְעוּ כִּי־אֲנִי ה'

On that day, your mouth will be opened with the arrival of the survivor, and you will be able to speak, and you will be mute no longer. Until that point, although Ezekiel was obligated to prophesy from time to time, between his prophecies he was unable to speak (see 3:26–27). Now he is told that when the exiles are informed of the great scale of the destruction, he will once again be permitted to speak like a regular person. And you will be a model for them, and they will know that I am the Lord. As long as this prediction remained a mere threat, and despite the fact that it was issued by various prophets over several generations, people reacted to those statements with complacency and indifference. Even if they believed in the prophet, they believed that the retribution would be visited upon later generations (see 12:22). However, when Ezekiel’s vision of the impending destruction is substantiated, he will gain his listeners’ trust and they will take him seriously. He will then be able to castigate them routinely, he will no longer need to force his message upon them, and he will not face resistance.