< Ezekiel 12 >

1 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
The word of Jehovah also came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, you are living in a rebellious house. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house.
Son of man, thou dwell in the midst of the rebellious house, that have eyes to see, and see not, that have ears to hear, and hear not, for they are a rebellious house.
3 Therefore, son of man, pack your bags for exile. In broad daylight, set out from your place and go to another as they watch. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house.
Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for moving, and move by day in their sight. And thou shall move from thy place to another place in their sight. It may be they will consider, though they are a rebellious house.
4 Bring out your baggage for exile by day, as they watch. Then in the evening, as they watch, go out like those who go into exile.
And thou shall bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for moving. And thou shall go forth thyself at evening in their sight, as when men go forth into exile.
5 As they watch, dig through the wall and carry your belongings out through it.
Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out by that.
6 And as they watch, lift your bags to your shoulder and take them out at dusk; cover your face so that you cannot see the land. For I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.”
Thou shall bear it upon thy shoulder in their sight, and carry it forth in the dark. Thou shall cover thy face, that thou not see the land. For I have set thee for a sign to the house of Israel.
7 So I did as I was commanded. I brought out my bags for exile by day, and in the evening I dug through the wall by hand. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulder as they watched.
And I did so as I was commanded. I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for moving, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I brought it forth in the dark, and bore it upon my shoulder in their sight.
8 And in the morning the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
And in the morning the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
9 “Son of man, hasn’t the rebellious house of Israel asked you, ‘What are you doing?’
Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to thee, What are thou doing?
10 Tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are there.’
Say thou to them, Thus says the lord Jehovah: This burden concerns the ruler in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel among whom they are.
11 You are to say, ‘I am a sign to you.’ Just as it happened here, so will it be done to them; they will go into exile as captives.
Say, I am your sign. Just as I have done, so shall it be done to them. They shall go into exile, into captivity.
12 And at dusk the prince among them will lift his bags to his shoulder and go out. They will dig through the wall to bring him out. He will cover his face so he cannot see the land.
And the ruler who is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the dark, and shall go forth. They shall dig through the wall to carry out by it. He shall cover his face, because he shall not see the land with his eyes.
13 But I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will not see it, and there he will die.
I will also spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare. And I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans, yet he shall not see it, though he shall die there.
14 And I will scatter to every wind all the attendants around him and all his troops, and I will draw a sword to chase after them.
And I will scatter toward every wind all who are round about him to help him, and all his groups. And I will draw out the sword after them.
15 And they will know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them throughout the countries.
And they shall know that I am Jehovah, when I shall disperse them among the nations, and scatter them through the countries.
16 But I will spare a few of them from sword and famine and plague, so that in the nations to which they go, they can recount all their abominations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”
But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the nations where they come. And they shall know that I am Jehovah.
17 Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Moreover the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
18 “Son of man, eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with quivering and anxiety.
Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with fearfulness.
19 Then tell the people of the land that this is what the Lord GOD says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: ‘They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water in dread, for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who dwell in it.
And say to the people of the land, Thus says the lord Jehovah concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with fearfulness, and drink their water in dismay, that her land may be desolate of all that is in it, because of the violence of all those who dwell therein.
20 The inhabited cities will be laid waste, and the land will become desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be a desolation. And ye shall know that I am Jehovah.
21 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
22 “Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by, and every vision fails’?
Son of man, what is this proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision fails?
23 Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will put an end to this proverb, and in Israel they will no longer recite it.’ But say to them: ‘The days are at hand when every vision will be fulfilled.
Tell them therefore, Thus says the lord Jehovah: I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel, but say to them, The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision.
24 For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations within the house of Israel,
For there shall no more be any false vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.
25 because I, the LORD, will speak whatever word I speak, and it will be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak a message and bring it to pass, declares the Lord GOD.’”
For I am Jehovah. I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall be performed. It shall be no more deferred. For in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word, and will perform it, says the lord Jehovah.
26 Furthermore, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Again the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
27 “Son of man, take note that the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for many years from now; he prophesies about the distant future.’
Son of man, behold, those of the house of Israel say, The vision that he sees is for many day to come, and he prophesies of times that are far off.
28 Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘None of My words will be delayed any longer. The message I speak will be fulfilled, declares the Lord GOD.’”
Therefore say to them, Thus says the lord Jehovah: There shall none of my words be deferred any more, but the word which I shall speak shall be performed, says the lord Jehovah.

< Ezekiel 12 >