Ezekiel 12

1 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

The word of the Lord came unto 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, in the midst of a rebellious family art thou dwelling, who have eyes to see, and see not; who have ears to hear, and hear not; for they are a rebellious family.

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.

But thou, O son of man, prepare for thyself vessels for going into exile, and wander away by day before their eyes; and thou shalt wander away from thy place to another place before their eyes: perhaps they may become aware that they are a rebellious family.

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.

Then shalt thou carry forth thy vessels, like vessels of exile, by day before their eyes: and thou shalt go forth at evening before their eyes, as they do that go forth into exile.

5 As they watch, dig through the wall and carry your belongings out through it.

Before their eyes break a hole through the wall, and carry [them] through it.

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.”

Before their [eyes] shalt thou bear them upon thy shoulders, in the dark shalt thou carry them forth: thy face shalt thou cover, that thou mayest not see the ground; for as a token have I set thee unto 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 had been commanded; my vessels I carried forth by day, like vessels of exile, and in the evening I broke a hole for myself through the wall with my hand: in the dark I brought them forth, and I bore them upon my shoulder before their eyes.

8 And in the morning the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

And the word of the Lord came unto me in the morning, saying,

9 “Son of man, hasn’t the rebellious house of Israel asked you, ‘What are you doing?’

Son of man, have not the house of Israel, the rebellious family, said unto thee, What doest thou?

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 unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, For the prince in Jerusalem is the doom, and for all the house of Israel, [and those] that are in the midst of them.

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 token; just as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: into exile, into captivity, shall they wander.

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 prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the dark, and shall go forth; through the wall shall they break a hole to carry [things] through it: his face shall he cover up, that he may not see the ground 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.

And I will spread out my net over him, and he shall be caught in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon into the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, and there shall he die.

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 all that are round about him, those who assist him, and all the wings of his armies will I disperse toward every wind; and the sword will I draw out 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 the Lord, when I scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in 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 of them men few in number from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence: in order that they may relate all their abominations among the nations whither they shall have come; and they shall know that I am the Lord.

17 Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

18 “Son of man, eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with quivering and anxiety.

Son of man, thy bread shalt thou eat with quaking, and thy water shalt thou drink with trembling and with anxious care.

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 thou shalt say unto the people of the land, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, [and] concerning the land of Israel, Their bread shall they eat with anxious care, and their water shall they drink with confusion, for the cause that her land will be desolate, deprived of its plenteousness because of the violence of all those that 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 in ruins, and the land shall be made desolate: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

21 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

And the word of the Lord came unto 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 sort of proverb is that which ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are lasting long, and lost is every vision?

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.

Therefore say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, I will cause this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but speak unto them, The days are coming nigh, and the word of every vision.

24 For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations within the house of Israel,

For there shall be no more any false vision and a deceptive 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 the Lord, —I do speak, and whatever word I do speak shall be done; it shall not be delayed any more; for in your days, O rebellious family, will I speak the word, and I will execute it, saith the Lord Eternal.

26 Furthermore, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

And the word of the Lord 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, the house of Israel say, The vision that he foreseeth is for distant days, and for times that are far off doth he prophesy.

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 unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, There shall not be delayed any more one of all my words; but whatever word I do speak shall be done, saith the Lord Eternal.