Ezekiel 12
1 A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, you are living among rebellious people. They have eyes to see but they don't see, and ears to hear but they don't hear, because they are rebellious people.
“Son of man, you are dwelling in the midst of the house of rebellion, that have eyes to see, and they have not seen; they have ears to hear, and they have not heard; for they [are] a house of rebellion.
3 So, son of man, go and pack your bags as if you're going into exile. As people watch, get everything ready during the day so you can leave where you are and go somewhere else. Maybe they will realize what this means, even though they are rebellious people.
And you, son of man, make your vessels of removal, and remove by day before their eyes, and you have removed from your place to another place before their eyes, it may be they consider, for they [are] a house of rebellion.
4 Take your bags out for traveling into exile during the day while they watch. But you yourself are to leave in the evening as they watch, just like someone going into exile.
And you have brought forth your vessels as vessels of removal by day before their eyes, and you go forth in the evening before their eyes, as the goings forth of a removal.
5 While they go on watching, knock down part of the wall of your house and take your belongings out through the hole.
You dig through the wall before their eyes, and you have brought forth by it.
6 When it gets dark, as they continue to watch, put your bags on your shoulder and carry them as you leave. Cover your face so that you can't see the country you're leaving behind, because I'm providing you as a sign to warn the people of Israel.”
Carry on the shoulder before their eyes, bring forth in the darkness, cover your face, and you do not see the earth, for I have given you [as] a sign to the house of Israel.”
7 So I did as I was told. I took my bags out to go into exile during the day, and in the evening I knocked down part of the wall of my house with my bare hands. I took my belongings out when it got dark, carrying them on my shoulder while they watched.
And I do so, as I have been commanded; I have brought forth my vessels as vessels of removal by day, and I have dug through the wall with my hand in the evening; I have brought forth in the darkness, I have carried away on the shoulder, before their eyes.
8 In the morning a message from the Lord came to me, saying,
And there is a word of YHWH to me, in the morning, saying,
9 “Son of man, haven't those rebellious Israelites asked you, ‘What are you doing?’
“Son of man, have they not said to you—the house of Israel—the house of rebellion—What are you doing?
10 Tell them that this is what the Lord God says: ‘This prophetic sign concerns the prince who is ruling in Jerusalem and all the people of Israel who are living there.’
Say to them, Thus said Lord YHWH: This burden [concerns] the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel who are in their midst.
11 You are to say to them, ‘I'm a sign to you.’ Just as it was demonstrated here, so it will happen to them—they will go into exile as prisoners.
Say: I [am] your sign; as I have done so it is done to them, into a removal, into a captivity, they go.
12 When it gets dark, their prince will also put his bags on his shoulder and leave. They will knock down the wall to take him away. He will cover his face so he can't see the country he's leaving behind.
As for the prince who [is] in their midst, he carries on the shoulder in the darkness, and he goes forth; they dig through the wall to bring forth by it; he covers his face that he may not look on the very surface of the land.
13 But I will catch him in my net; I will trap him in my snare. I will take him to Babylon in the country of Babylonia. However, won't see it, and he'll die there.
And I have spread My net for him, and he has been caught in My snare, and I have brought him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, and he does not see it—and he dies there.
14 I'm going to scatter all his attendants and all his troops in every direction, and I will chase after them with a drawn sword.
And all who are around him to help him, and all his bands, I scatter to every wind, and I draw out a sword after them.
15 They will know that I am the Lord when I scatter them among the different nations and countries.
And they have known that I [am] YHWH, in My scattering them among nations, and I have spread them through lands;
16 But I will let a few of them survive war, famine, and disease so that they can tell the nations where they're exiled about all their disgusting sins. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
and I have left of them, a few in number, from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence, so that they recount all their abominations among the nations to where they have come, and they have known that I [am] YHWH.”
17 A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,
18 “Son of man, tremble as you eat your bread; shake with worry as you drink your water.
“Son of man, eat your bread in haste, and drink your water with trembling and with fear;
19 Then explain to the people of this country that this is what the Lord God says to those living in Jerusalem and in the country of Israel: They will be worried as eat their bread and they will be in despair as they drink their water, for their land will be stripped bare because of the violent crimes committed by everyone who lives there.
and you have said to the people of the land, Thus said Lord YHWH concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, concerning the land of Israel: They eat their bread with fear, and drink their water with astonishment, because its land is desolate, because of its fullness, because of the violence of all who are dwelling in it.
20 The towns will be destroyed, and the countryside turned into a wasteland. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”
And the cities that are inhabited are laid waste, and the land is a desolation, and you have known that I [am] YHWH.”
21 Another message from the Lord came to me, saying,
And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,
22 “Son of man, what's this proverb you people have in the land of Israel: ‘Time goes by, and no vision comes true’?
“Son of man, what [is] this allegory to you, concerning the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision has perished?
23 So tell them that this is what the Lord God says: ‘I will put a stop to this proverb. No one in Israel will quote it anymore.’ Instead tell them: The time is soon coming when every vision will come true.
Therefore say to them, Thus said Lord YHWH: I have caused this allegory to cease, And they do not use it as an allegory in Israel again, But speak to them: The days have drawn near, And every vision has spoken.
24 There won't be any more false visions or fake prophecies among the Israelites,
For there is no longer any vain vision, and flattering divination, In the midst of the house of Israel.
25 because I, the Lord, will say whatever I choose to say, and it will happen immediately. Right now, you rebellious people, I will say something and make sure it happens, declares the Lord God.”
For I, YHWH, speak, The word that I speak—it is done, It is not prolonged anymore, For in your days, O house of rebellion, I speak a word, and I have done it, A declaration of Lord YHWH.”
26 An additional message from the Lord came to me, saying,
And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,
27 “Son of man, notice what the people of Israel are saying, ‘The vision that he's describing won't happen for a long time. He's prophesying about a time in the distant future.’
“Son of man, behold, the house of Israel is saying, The vision that he is seeing [is not] for many days, and he is prophesying of far-off times,
28 So tell them that this is what the Lord God says: Everything I've said is about to happen. There won't be any more delay, declares the Lord God.”
therefore say to them, Thus said Lord YHWH: None of My words are prolonged anymore, When I speak a word—it is done, A declaration of Lord YHWH!”
