A Sign of Jerusalem’s Siege

1Thou sonne of man, take thee a tyle stone and lay it before thee, and purtray vpon it the citie Hierusalem, 2And lay siege against it, and builde a fort against it, and cast a mount against it: set the campe also against it, and lay engins of warre against it rounde about. 3Moreouer, take an iron panne, and set it betwixt thee and the citie in steede of an iron wall, then set thy face towarde it to besiege it, and make an assault against it: this shalbe a token vnto the house of Israel.

4But thou shalt sleepe vpon thy left side, and lay the sinne of the house of Israel vpon it according to the number of the dayes that thou shalt sleepe vpon it, thou shalt beare their iniquitie. 5For I haue layde vpon thee the yeres of their iniquitie according to the number of the dayes euen three hundred and ninetie dayes, so shalt thou beare the iniquitie of the house of Israel. 6When thou hast fulfilled these dayes, lye downe agayne and sleepe vpon thy right side, and beare the sinnes of the house of Iuda: fourtie dayes haue I appointed thee, a day for a yere euen a day for a yere. 7Therfore set nowe thy face towarde the siege of Hierusalem, and discouer thine arme, that thou mayest prophecie against it. 8Behold, I will lay chaines vpon thee, that thou shalt not turne thee from one side to another, till thou hast ended the dayes of thy besieging.

The Defiled Bread

9Wherfore take vnto thee wheate, barlye, beanes, lintils, millot, and fetches, and put these together in a vessell, and make thee loaues of bread thereof, according to the number of the dayes that thou must lye vpon thy side, that thou mayest haue bread to eate for three hundred and ninetie dayes. 10And thy meate that thou eatest shall haue a certaine wayght appointed, namely twentie sicles euery day: & from time to time shalt thou eate therof. 11Thou shalt drinke also a certaine measure of water namely the sixt part of an Hin from tyme to tyme shalt thou drinke. 12Barly cakes shalt thou eate, and them shalt thou bake in mans doung before their eyes. 13And with that sayde the Lord, Euen thus shall the chyldren of Israel eate their defiled bread among the gentiles whyther I wyll cast them. 14Then sayde I, Oh Lorde God: beholde, my soule was yet neuer stayned, for fro my youth vp vnto this houre, I did neuer eate of a dead carkase, or of that whiche was slayne of wylde beastes, neither came there euer any vncleane fleshe in my mouth. 15Whervnto he aunswered me: Lo, I wyll graunt thee cowcasins in steede of mans doung, and thou shalt make thy bread with them. 16And he saide vnto me, Beholde thou sonne of man, I wyll breake the staffe of bread in Hierusalem, and they shall eate their bread with waight and with care, and their water in measure and astonishment shall they drinke, 17That they may cause a lacke of bread and water, and be astonied one at another, and be consumed in their iniquitie.