Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Good News Translation

Ezekiel 11:3

They say, ‘We will soon be building houses again. The city is like a cooking pot, and we are like the meat in it, but at least it protects us from the fire.'

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Backsliders;   Caldron;   Infidelity;   Jaazaniah;   Pelatiah;   Procrastination;   Scoffing;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Apocalyptic literature;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Pelatiah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Caldron;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ezekiel;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Caldron;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Israel;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Jaazaniah;   Pot;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Captivity;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for February 12;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They are saying, ‘Isn’t the time near to build houses? The city is the pot, and we are the meat.’
Hebrew Names Version
who say, [The time] is not near to build houses: this [city] is the caldron, and we are the flesh.
King James Version
Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.
English Standard Version
who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This city is the cauldron, and we are the meat.'
New American Standard Bible
who say, 'The time is not near to build houses. This city is the pot and we are the meat.'
New Century Version
They say, ‘It is almost time for us to build houses. This city is like a cooking pot, and we are like the best meat.'
Amplified Bible
who say, 'Is not the time near to build houses? This city is [secure just like] the pot and we are the meat [in it].'
World English Bible
who say, [The time] is not near to build houses: this [city] is the caldron, and we are the flesh.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For they say, It is not neere, let vs builde houses: this citie is the caldron, and wee be the flesh.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
who say, 'The time is not near to build houses. This city is the pot and we are the flesh.'
Legacy Standard Bible
who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This city is the pot, and we are the flesh.'
Berean Standard Bible
They are saying, 'Is not the time near to build houses? The city is a cooking pot, and we are the meat.'
Contemporary English Version
They say things like, ‘Let's build more houses. This city is like a cooking pot over a fire, and we are the meat, but at least the pot keeps us from being burned in the fire.'
Complete Jewish Bible
They say, ‘The time hasn't come to build houses. This city is the cooking pot, and we're the meat!'
Darby Translation
who say, It is not the time to build houses: this is the cauldron, and we are the flesh.
Easy-to-Read Version
These men say, ‘We will be building our houses again very soon. We are as safe in this city as meat in a pot!'
George Lamsa Translation
Saying, We have built houses in the midst of it; the city is the caldron, and we are the meat.
Lexham English Bible
who are saying, "The building of houses is not near; the city is the pot, and we are the flesh.
Literal Translation
who say, It is not near, let us build houses; she is the pot, and we are the flesh.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
sayenge: Tush, there is no destruccion at honde, let vs buylde houses: This Ierusalem is the cauldron, & we be the flesh.
American Standard Version
that say, The time is not near to build houses: this city is the caldron, and we are the flesh.
Bible in Basic English
Who say, This is not the time for building houses: this town is the cooking-pot and we are the flesh.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
that say: The time is not near to build houses! this city is the caldron, and we are the flesh.
King James Version (1611)
Which say, It is not neere, let vs build houses: this citie is the caldron, and we be the flesh.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Saying, It is not neare, let vs builde houses: this [Hierusalem] is the cauldron, and we be the fleshe.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
who say, Have not the houses been newly built? This is the caldron, and we are the flesh.
English Revised Version
which say, The time is not near to build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and seien, Whether housis weren not bildid a while ago? this is the cawdrun, forsothe we ben fleischis.
Update Bible Version
that say, [The time] is not near to build houses: this [city] is the cauldron, and we are the flesh.
Webster's Bible Translation
Who say, [It is] not near; let us build houses: this [city is] the caldron, and we [are] the flesh.
New English Translation
They say, ‘The time is not near to build houses; the city is a cooking pot and we are the meat in it.'
New King James Version
who say, "The time is not near to build houses; this city is the caldron, and we are the meat.'
New Living Translation
They say to the people, ‘Is it not a good time to build houses? This city is like an iron pot. We are safe inside it like meat in a pot.'
New Life Bible
They say, ‘Will it not soon be time to build houses? This city is the pot and we are the meat.'
New Revised Standard
they say, ‘The time is not near to build houses; this city is the pot, and we are the meat.'
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
who are saying, Not near! let us build houses, - It, is the caldron, and, we, are the flesh!
Douay-Rheims Bible
Saying: Were not houses lately built? This city is the caldron, and we the flesh.
Revised Standard Version
who say, 'The time is not near to build houses; this city is the caldron, and we are the flesh.'
Young's Literal Translation
who are saying, It [is] not near -- to build houses, it [is] the pot, and we the flesh.

Contextual Overview

1 God's spirit lifted me up and took me to the east gate of the Temple. There near the gate I saw twenty-five men, including Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, two leaders of the nation. 2 God said to me, "Mortal man, these men make evil plans and give bad advice in this city. 3 They say, ‘We will soon be building houses again. The city is like a cooking pot, and we are like the meat in it, but at least it protects us from the fire.' 4 Now then, denounce them, mortal man." 5 The spirit of the Lord took control of me, and the Lord told me to give the people this message: "People of Israel, I know what you are saying and what you are planning. 6 You have murdered so many people here in the city that the streets are full of corpses. 7 "So this is what I, the Sovereign Lord , am saying to you. This city is a cooking pot all right, but what is the meat? The corpses of those you have killed! You will not be here—I will throw you out of the city! 8 Are you afraid of swords? I will bring soldiers with swords to attack you. 9 I will take you out of the city and hand you over to foreigners. I have sentenced you to death, 10 and you will be killed in battle in your own country. Then everyone will know that I am the Lord .

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

It is not: etc. or, It is not for us to build houses near, Ezekiel 7:7, Ezekiel 12:22, Ezekiel 12:27, Isaiah 5:19, Jeremiah 1:11, Jeremiah 1:12, Amos 6:5, 2 Peter 3:4

this city: Ezekiel 11:7-11, Ezekiel 24:3-14, Jeremiah 1:13

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 8:12 - and hast built Ezekiel 11:11 - General Ezekiel 21:23 - as a Micah 3:3 - and chop

Cross-References

Genesis 11:4
They said, "Now let's build a city with a tower that reaches the sky, so that we can make a name for ourselves and not be scattered all over the earth."
Genesis 11:6
and he said, "Now then, these are all one people and they speak one language; this is just the beginning of what they are going to do. Soon they will be able to do anything they want!
Genesis 11:7
Let us go down and mix up their language so that they will not understand each other."
Genesis 11:18
When Peleg was 30 years old, he had a son, Reu;
Genesis 14:10
The valley was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah tried to run away from the battle, they fell into the pits; but the other three kings escaped to the mountains.
Exodus 2:3
But when she could not hide him any longer, she took a basket made of reeds and covered it with tar to make it watertight. She put the baby in it and then placed it in the tall grass at the edge of the river.
2 Samuel 12:31
and put its people to work with saws, iron hoes, and iron axes, and forced them to work at making bricks. He did the same to the people of all the other towns of Ammon. Then he and his men returned to Jerusalem.
Psalms 64:5
They encourage each other in their evil plots; they talk about where they will place their traps. "No one can see them," they say.
Proverbs 1:11
Suppose they say, "Come on; let's find someone to kill! Let's attack some innocent people for the fun of it!
Ecclesiastes 2:1
I decided to enjoy myself and find out what happiness is. But I found that this is useless, too.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Which say [it is] not near, let us build houses,.... Meaning that the destruction of the city was not near, as the prophet had foretold, Ezekiel 7:3; and therefore encourage the people to build houses, and rest themselves secure, as being safe from all danger, and having nothing to fear from the Chaldean army; and so putting away the evil day far from them, which was just at hand: though the words may be rendered, "it is not [proper] to build houses near" e; near the city of Jerusalem, in the suburbs of it, since they would be liable to be destroyed by the enemy; but this would not be condemned as wicked counsel, but must be judged very prudent and advisable: and the same may be objected to another rendering of the word, which might be offered, "not in the midst to build houses"; or it is not proper to build houses in the midst of the city, in order to receive the multitude that flock out of the country, through fear of the enemy, to Jerusalem for safety; since by this means, as the number of the inhabitants would be increased, so provisions in time would become scarce, and a famine must ensue, which would oblige to deliver up the city into the hands of the besiegers; wherefore the first sense seems best. The Septuagint and Arabic versions render them, "are not the houses lately built?" and so not easily demolished, and are like to continue long, and we in them;

this [city is] the cauldron, and we [be] the flesh; referring to, and laughing at, what one of the prophets, namely Jeremiah, had said of them, comparing them to a boiling pot, Jeremiah 1:13; and it is as if they should say, be it so, that this city is as a cauldron or boiling pot, then we are the flesh in it; and as flesh is not taken out of a pot until it is boiled, no more shall we be removed from hence till we die; we shall live and die in this city; and as it is difficult and dangerous to take hot boiling meat out of a cauldron, so it, is unlikely we should be taken out of this city, and carried captive; what a cauldron or brasen pot is to the flesh, it holds and keeps it from falling into the fire; that the walls of Jerusalem are to us, our safety and preservation; nor need we fear captivity.

e לא בקרוב בנות בתים "non in propinque aedificandae domus", Junius Tremellius, Cocceius, Polanus "non in propinquo aedificare domos", Montanus, Piscator, Starckius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

It is not near - In contradiction to Ezekiel 7:2.

Let us build houses - “To build houses” implies a sense of security. Jeremiah bade the exiles “build houses” in a foreign land because they would not soon quit it Jeremiah 29:5; Jeremiah 35:7. These false counselors promised to their countrymen a sure and permanent abode in the city which God had doomed to destruction. No need, they said, to go far for safety; you are perfectly safe at home. The Hebrew, however, is, difficult: literally it means, “It is not near to build houses,” which may be explained as spoken in mockery of such counsel as that of Jeremiah: matters have not gone so far as to necessitate “house-building” in a foreign land. The same idea is expressed by the image of the “caldron:” whatever devastation may rage around the city, we are safe within its walls, as flesh within a caldron is unburned by the surrounding fire (compare Ezekiel 24:6).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 11:3. It is not near — That is, the threatened invasion.

This city is the caldron, and we be the flesh. — See the vision of the seething pot, Jeremiah 1:13. These infidels seem to say: "We will run all risks, we will abide in the city. Though it be the caldron, and we the flesh, yet we will share its fate: if it perish, we will perish with it." Or they may allude to the above prediction of Jeremiah, in order to ridicule it: "We were to have been boiled long ago: but the fulfilment of that prediction is not near yet."


 
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