Jezekiel 12
1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
2 Son of man, you dwell in the midst of the iniquities of those, who have eyes to see, and see not; and have ears to hear, and hear not: because it is a provoking house.
“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.
3 You therefore, son of man, prepare yourself baggage for going into captivity by day in their sight; and you shall be led into captivity from your place into another place in their sight; that they may see that it is a provoking house.
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.
4 And you shall carry forth your baggage, baggage for captivity, by day before their eyes: and you shall go forth at even, as a captive goes forth, in their sight.
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.
5 Dig for yourself into the wall [of the house], and you shall pass through it in their sight:
While they go on watching, knock down part of the wall of your house and take your belongings out through the hole.
6 you shall be lifted up on [men's] shoulders, and shall go forth in secret: you shall cover your face, and shall not see the ground: because I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.
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.”
7 And I did thus according to all that he commanded me; and I carried forth my baggage for captivity by day, and in the evening I dug through the wall for myself, and went out secretly; I was taken up on [men's] shoulders before them.
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.
8 And the word of the Lord came to me in the morning, saying,
In the morning a message from the Lord came to me, saying,
9 Son of man, have not the house of Israel, the provoking house, said to you, What do you?
“Son of man, haven't those rebellious Israelites asked you, ‘What are you doing?’
10 Say to them, Thus says the Lord God, the Prince and the Ruler in Israel, even to all the house of Israel who are in the midst of them:
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.’
11 say, I am performing signs: as I have done, so shall it be to him: they shall go into banishment and captivity.
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.
12 And the prince in the midst of them shall be borne upon shoulders, and shall go forth in secret through the wall, and shall dig so that he may go forth thereby: he shall cover his face, that he may not be seen by [any] eye, and he himself shall not see the ground.
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.
13 And I will spread out my net upon him, and he shall be caught in my toils: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; but he shall not see it, though he shall die there.
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.
14 And I will scatter to every wind all his assistants round about him, and all that help him; and I will draw out a sword after them;
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.
15 And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have scattered them among the nations; and I will disperse them in the countries.
They will know that I am the Lord when I scatter them among the different nations and countries.
16 And I will leave of them [a few] men in number [spared] from the sword, and from famine, and pestilence; that they may declare all their iniquities among the nations whither they have gone; and they shall know that I am the Lord.
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.”
17 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
18 Son of man, eat your bread with sorrow, and drink [your] water with torment and affliction.
“Son of man, tremble as you eat your bread; shake with worry as you drink your water.
19 And you shall say to the people of the land, Thus says the Lord to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, on the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread in scarcity, and shall drink their water in desolation, that the land may be desolate with all that it contains: for all that dwell in it are ungodly.
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.
20 And their inhabited cities shall be laid utterly waste, and the land shall be desolate; and you shall know that I am the Lord.
The towns will be destroyed, and the countryside turned into a wasteland. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”
21 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
Another message from the Lord came to me, saying,
22 Son of man, what is your parable on the land of Israel, that you say, The days are long, the vision has perished?
“Son of man, what's this proverb you people have in the land of Israel: ‘Time goes by, and no vision comes true’?
23 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord; I will even set aside this parable, and the house of Israel shall no more at all use this parable: for you shall say to them, The days are at hand, and the import of every vision.
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.
24 For there shall no more be any false vision, nor any one prophesying flatteries in the midst of the children of Israel.
There won't be any more false visions or fake prophecies among the Israelites,
25 For I the Lord will speak my words; I will speak and perform [them], and will no more delay, for in your days, O provoking house, I will speak the word, and will perform [it], says the Lord.
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.”
26 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
An additional message from the Lord came to me, saying,
27 Son of man, behold, the provoking house of Israel boldly say, The vision which this man sees is for many days, and he prophesies for times afar off.
“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.’
28 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord; Henceforth none of my words shall linger, which I shall speak: I will speak and do, says the Lord.
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.”
