Ezekiel 12
1 A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
The word of Yahweh came 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 live in the midst of a rebellious house, where they have eyes to see but they do not see; and where they have ears to hear but do not listen, because they are a rebellious house.
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.
Therefore as for you, son of man, prepare your things for exile, and begin going out by day in their sight, for I will exile you in their sight from your place to another place. Perhaps they will begin to see, though they are a rebellious house.
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.
You will bring out your things for an exile in the day in their sight; go out in the evening in their sight in the way that anyone goes into exile.
5 While they go on watching, knock down part of the wall of your house and take your belongings out through the hole.
Dig a hole through the wall in their sight, and go out through 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.”
In their sight, lift up your things onto your shoulder, and bring them out in the darkness. Cover your face, for you must not see the land, since I have set 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.
So I did this, just as I was commanded. I brought out my things of exile in the daytime, and in the evening I dug a hole through the wall by hand. I brought my things out in the dark, and lifted them up on my shoulder in their sight.
8 In the morning a message from the Lord came to me, saying,
Then the word of Yahweh came to me in the morning, saying,
9 “Son of man, haven't those rebellious Israelites asked you, ‘What are you doing?’
“Son of man, is the house of Israel, that rebellious house, not asking, '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, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: this prophetic action concerns the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel in whose midst they are.'
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 a sign to you.' As I have done, so it will be done to them; they will go into exile and into captivity.
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.
The prince who is among them will lift up his things upon his shoulder in the dark, and will go out through the wall. They will dig through the wall and bring out their things. He will cover his face, so he will not see the land with his eyes.
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.
I will spread out my net over him and he will be caught in my snare; then I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, but he will not see it. He will die 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.
I will also scatter in every direction all of those around him who were to assist him and his entire army, and I will send out a sword after them.
15 They will know that I am the Lord when I scatter them among the different nations and countries.
Then they will know that I am Yahweh, when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the 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.”
But I will spare a few men from among them from the sword, famine, and plague, so they may record all of their abominations in the lands where I take them, so they will know that I am Yahweh.”
17 A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
The word of Yahweh came 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 with trembling, and drink your water with shaking and worry.
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.
Then say to the people of the land, 'The Lord Yahweh says this concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the land of Israel, “They will eat their bread with trembling and drink their water while shaking, since the land will be despoiled of its fullness because of the violence of all those who live there.
20 The towns will be destroyed, and the countryside turned into a wasteland. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”
So the cities that were inhabited will be desolate, and the land will become a wasteland; so you will know that I am Yahweh.”'”
21 Another message from the Lord came to me, saying,
Again the word of Yahweh came 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 proverb that you have in the land of Israel that says, 'The days are prolonged, and every vision fails'?
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, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: I will put an end to this proverb, and the people of Israel will no longer use it.' Say to them, 'The days have drawn near when every vision will be fulfilled.
24 There won't be any more false visions or fake prophecies among the Israelites,
For there will no longer be any false visions or favorable divinations within 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 am Yahweh! I speak, and I carry out the words that I speak. The matter will no longer be delayed. For I will speak this word in your days, rebellious house, and I will carry it out!—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.'”
26 An additional message from the Lord came to me, saying,
Again the word of Yahweh came 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 has said, 'The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies 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, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: My words will not be delayed any longer, but the word that I have spoken will be done—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.'”
