The Siege of Jerusalem Portrayed
1 “You also, son of man, take a clay tablet and lay it before you, and portray on it a city, Jerusalem.
2 Lay siege against it, build asiege wall against it, and heap up a mound against it; set camps against it also, and place battering rams against it all around.
3 Moreover take for yourself an iron plate, and set itasan iron wall between you and the city. Set your face against it, and it shall bebesieged, and you shall lay siege against it.Thiswillbea sign to the house of Israel.
4 “Lie also on your left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it.Accordingto the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their iniquity.
5 For I have laid on you the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days;so you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.
6 And when you have completed them, lie again on your right side; then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year.
7 “Therefore you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem; your armshallbeuncovered, and you shall prophesy against it.
8 And surely I will restrain you so that you cannot turn from one side to another till you have ended the days of your siege.
9 “Also take for yourself wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; put them into one vessel, and make bread of them for yourself.Duringthe number of days that you lie on your side, three hundred and ninety days, you shall eat it.
10 And your food which you eatshallbeby weight, twenty shekels a day; from time to time you shall eat it.
11 You shall also drink water by measure, one-sixth of a hin; from time to time you shall drink.
12 And you shall eat itasbarley cakes; and bake it using fuel of human waste in their sight.”
13 Then theLordsaid, “Soshall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, where I will drive them.”
14 So I said,“Ah, LordGod! Indeed I have never defiled myself from my youth till now; I have never eatenwhat died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor hasabominable flesh ever come into my mouth.”
15 Then He said to me, “See, I am giving you cow dung instead of human waste, and you shall prepare your bread over it.”
16 Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, surely I will cut off thesupply of bread in Jerusalem; they shalleat bread by weight and with anxiety, and shalldrink water by measure and with dread,
17 that they may lack bread and water, and be dismayed with one another, andwaste away because of their iniquity.