Ezekiel 4

1 “Son of man, take a brick, set it in front of you, and draw the city of Jerusalem on it.” 2 “Besiege it. Build siege works, raise a mound around it, pitch camps against it, and set up siege engines on every side.” 3 “Take an iron pan and set it up as an iron wall between you and the city. Set your face against it as it comes under siege, and besiege it. This will be a sign to the people of Israel.” 4 “Lie on your left side and place the house of Israel’s wrongdoings on it. You will bear their wrongdoings for the 150 days you lie there.” [c] 5 “I have assigned their two wrongdoings to you for 190 days. During that time you will bear the house of Israel’s wrongdoings.” 6 “When you complete this, lie on your right side and bear the house of Judah’s wrongdoings for forty days. I have assigned you one day for each year.” 7 “Set your face toward Jerusalem’s siege, strengthen your arm, and prophesy against the city.” 8 “Look, I have put restraints on you so that you cannot turn from one side to the other until the days of your siege are complete.” 9 “Take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt. Put them in one clay container and make them into loaves for yourself. Eat them during the 190 days you lie on your side.” 10 “Weigh out about eight ounces of food to eat each day, and eat it at set times.” [a] 11 “Measure out about 2 and 2/3 cups of water to drink, and drink it at set times.” [b] 12 “Eat it as a barley cake, baking it over human dung while they watch.” 13 “Say, ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: This is how the people of Israel will eat unclean food among the nations.’” 14 Then I said, 14 “No, Lord God of Israel! I have never defiled my life with uncleanness. From my birth until now I have not eaten anything that died by itself, anything torn by wild animals, or any corrupt flesh.” 15 He told me, 15 “Look, I will let you use cattle dung instead of human dung to prepare your loaves.” 16 He told me, 16 “Son of man, look, I am breaking Jerusalem’s supply of bread. They will eat rationed bread in need and drink measured water in ruin.” 17 “They will lack bread and water. Each person and his brother will be brought to ruin, and they will waste away in their wrongdoings.”