1 It was the ninth year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the tenth day of the tenth month, a message came to me from the Lord. He said,
2 "Son of man, write down today's date. The king of Babylonia has surrounded Jerusalem and attacked it this very day.
3 "Your people refuse to obey me. So tell them a story. Say to them, 'The Lord and King told me, " ' "Put a cooking pot on the fire. Pour water into it.
4 Put pieces of meat in it. Use all of the best pieces. Use the leg and shoulder. Fill it with the best bones.
5 Pick the finest animal in the flock. Pile wood under the pot to cook the bones. Bring the water to a boil. Cook the bones in it." ' "