Ezekiel 12

1 A message from the Lord came to me, saying,

The word of the LORD also 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, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for 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, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight; it may be they will consider, 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.

Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing: and thou shalt go forth at evening in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity.

5 While they go on watching, knock down part of the wall of your house and take your belongings out through the hole.

Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.

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 shalt thou bear [it] upon [thy] shoulders, [and] carry [it] forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou mayest not see the ground: for I have set thee [for] 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 did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the evening I digged through the wall with my hand; I brought [it] forth in the twilight, [and] I bore [it] upon [my] shoulder in their sight.

8 In the morning a message from the Lord came to me, saying,

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

9 “Son of man, haven't those rebellious Israelites asked you, ‘What are you doing?’

Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to thee, What doest thou?

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 thou to them, Thus saith the Lord GOD, This burden [concerneth] the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that [are] among them.

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 shall it be done to them: they shall remove [and] go 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.

And the prince that [is] among them shall bear upon [his] shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he may not see the ground 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.

My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon [to] the land of the Chaldeans, yet shall he not see it, though he shall 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.

And I will scatter towards every wind all that [are] about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them.

15 They will know that I am the Lord when I scatter them among the different nations and countries.

And they shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries.

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 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 heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I [am] the LORD.

17 A message from the Lord came to me, saying,

Moreover the word of the LORD 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 thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with solicitude.

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 say to the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, [and] of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with solicitude, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.

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 shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD.

21 Another message from the Lord came to me, saying,

And the word of the LORD 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] that proverb [that] ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?

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.

Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord GOD: 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 effect of every vision.

24 There won't be any more false visions or fake prophecies among the Israelites,

For there shall no more be any vain vision nor flattering divination 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] the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall no more be prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD.

26 An additional message from the Lord came to me, saying,

Again the word of the LORD 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, [they of] the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth [is] for many days [to come], and he prophesieth of the times [that are] distant.

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 saith the Lord GOD; There shall none of my words be further deferred, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.