< Ezekiel 12 >
1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, you live in the midst of a provoking house. They have eyes to see, and they do not see; and ears to hear, and they do not hear. For they are a provoking house.
Son of man, you are living among an uncontrolled people, who have eyes to see but see not, and ears for hearing but they do not give ear; for they are an uncontrolled people.
3 As for you, then, son of man, prepare for yourself the supplies for traveling far away, and travel away in the daytime in their sight. And you shall travel from your place to another place in their sight, so that perhaps they may consider it. For they are a provoking house.
And you, O son of man, by day, before their eyes, get ready the vessels of one who is taken away, and go away from your place to another place before their eyes: it may be that they will see, though they are an uncontrolled people.
4 And you shall carry your supplies outside, like the supplies of one who is traveling far away, in the daytime in their sight. Then you shall go forth in the evening in their presence, just as one goes forth who is moving far away.
By day, before their eyes, take out your vessels like those of one who is taken away: and go out in the evening before their eyes, like those who are taken away as prisoners.
5 Dig for yourself through the wall, before their eyes. And you shall go out through it.
Make a hole in the wall, before their eyes, and go out through it.
6 In their sight, you shall be carried on shoulders, you shall be carried in the dark. You shall cover your face, and you shall not see the ground. For I have appointed you as a portent for the house of Israel.”
And before their eyes, take your goods on your back and go out in the dark; go with your face covered: for I have made you a sign to the children of Israel.
7 Therefore, I did just as he had instructed me. I brought out my supplies in the daytime, like the supplies of one who is moving far away. And in the evening, I dug myself through the wall by hand. And I went out in the dark, and I was carried on shoulders, in their sight.
And I did as I was ordered: I took out my vessels by day, like those of one who is taken away, and in the evening I made a hole through the wall with a tent-pin; and in the dark I went out, taking my things on my back before their eyes.
8 And the word of the Lord came to me, in the morning, saying:
And in the morning the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
9 “Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the provoking house, said to you: ‘What are you doing?’
Son of man, has not Israel, the uncontrolled people, said to you, What are you doing?
10 Say to them: Thus says the Lord God: This is the burden concerning my leader who is in Jerusalem, and concerning the entire house of Israel, who are in their midst.
You are to say to them, This is what the Lord has said: This word has to do with the ruler in Jerusalem and all the children of Israel in it.
11 Say: I am your portent. Just as I have done, so shall it be done to them. They will be taken captive and moved far away.
Say, I am your sign: as I have done, so will it be done to them: they will go away as prisoners.
12 And the leader who is in their midst will be carried on shoulders; he will go forth in darkness. They will dig through the wall, so that they may lead him away. His face will be covered, so that he may not see the land with his eye.
And the ruler who is among them will take his goods on his back in the dark and go out: he will make a hole in the wall through which to go out: he will have his face covered so that he may not be seen.
13 And I will extend my net over him, and he will be captured in my dragnet. And I will lead him to Babylon, into the land of the Chaldeans, but he himself will not see it. And there he shall die.
And my net will be stretched out on him, and he will be taken in my cords: and I will take him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldaeans; but he will not see it, and there death will come to him.
14 And all who are around him, his guards and his companies, I will scatter into every wind. And I will unsheathe the sword after them.
And all his helpers round about him and all his armies I will send in flight to every wind; and I will let loose a sword after them.
15 And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I will have dispersed them among the Gentiles, and will have sowed them among the lands.
And they will be certain that I am the Lord, when I send them in flight among the nations, driving them out through the countries.
16 And I will leave behind a few men of them, apart from the sword, and the famine, and the pestilence, so that they may declare all their wicked deeds among the Gentiles, to whom they will go. And they shall know that I am the Lord.”
But a small number of them I will keep from the sword, from the need of food, and from disease, so that they may make clear all their disgusting ways among the nations where they come; and they will be certain that I am the Lord.
17 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
18 “Son of man, eat your bread in consternation. Moreover, drink your water hurriedly and in sorrow.
Son of man, take your food with shaking fear, and your water with trouble and care;
19 And say to the people of the land: Thus says the Lord God, to those who are living in Jerusalem, in the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread in anxiety, and drink their water in desolation, so that the land may be desolate before its multitude, because of the iniquity of all who are living in it.
And say to the people of the land, This is what the Lord has said about the people of Jerusalem and the land of Israel: They will take their food with care and their drink with wonder, so that all the wealth of their land may be taken from it because of the violent ways of the people living in it.
20 And cities that are now inhabited will become desolate, and the land will be forsaken. And you shall know that I am the Lord.”
And the peopled towns will be made waste, and the land will become a wonder; and you will be certain that I am the Lord.
21 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
22 “Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel? saying: ‘The days shall be extended in length, and every vision shall perish.’
Son of man, what is this saying which you have about the land of Israel, The time is long and every vision comes to nothing?
23 Therefore, say to them: Thus says the Lord God: I will cause this proverb to cease, and it shall no longer be a common saying in Israel. And tell them that the days are approaching, and the word of every vision.
For this cause say to them, This is what the Lord has said: I have made this saying come to an end, and it will no longer be used as a common saying in Israel; but say to them, The days are near, and the effect of every vision.
24 For there shall no longer be any empty visions, nor any ambiguous divination in the midst of the sons of Israel.
For there will be no more false visions or smooth use of secret arts in Israel.
25 For I, the Lord, will speak. And whatever word I will speak, it shall be done, and it shall not be delayed any more. Instead, in your days, O provoking house, I will speak a word and do it, says the Lord God.”
For I am the Lord; I will say the word and what I say I will do; it will not be put off: for in your days, O uncontrolled people, I will say the word and do it, says the Lord.
26 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
27 “Son of man, behold the house of Israel, those who are saying: ‘The visions that this one sees is many days away,’ and, ‘This man prophesies about times that are far away.’
Son of man, see, the children of Israel say, The vision which he sees is for the days which are a long way off, and his words are of times still far away.
28 Because of this, say to them: Thus says the Lord God: No word of mine will be delayed any longer. The word that I will speak will be fulfilled, says the Lord God.”
Say to them then, This is what the Lord has said: Not one of my words will be put off any longer, but what I say I will do, says the Lord.