Ezekiel’s wife died

15 One day Yahweh gave me this message: 16 “You human, I am going to suddenly take from youyour wife, whom you love very much. Butwhen she dies, do notshow that you are sad or lament or cry. 17 Groan quietly; do not cry openly for her. Keep your turban wrapped around your head, andinstead of being barefoot, keep your sandals on your feet. Do not cover the lower part of your faceto show that you are sad. And do not eat the kind of food that people who are mourning usually eat.”

18 Soone morning I talked to the peopleas usual, and that evening my wife suddenly died. The next morning I did what Yahweh had told me to do.

19 Then the people asked me, “What do the things that you are doing signify to us?”

20 So I said to them, “This is what Yahweh told me: 21 ‘Tell the Israeli people [MTY] that I am about to destroy the temple, the building that you are very proud of, the building that you delight to look at. Your children whom you leftin Jerusalem when you were forced to come to Babylon will be killed bytheir enemies’ swords. 22 When that happens, you will do like I have done: You will not cover the lower part of your faces, or eat the kinds of food that people who are mourning usually eat. 23 You will keep your turbans wrapped around your heads and keep your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or cry, but your bodies will become very thin and slowly die because of your sins. And you will groan to each other. 24 Ezekiel will be a warning to you, and you must do what he has done. When that happens, you will know that I, Yahweh the Lordhave the power to do what I say that I will do.’ ”

25 Then Yahweh said to me, “You human, soon I will destroy their sacred temple, which they rejoice about and which they respect and delight to look at, and I will get rid of their sons and daughters also. 26 On that day, someone will escape from Jerusalem and come and tell you what has happened there. 27 When that happens, you will be able to speak again [MTY] without constraint. You two will talk together [DOU]. You will be a warning to the people; and they will know that I, Yahweh the Lord, have the power to do what I say that I will do.”