Ezekiel 12

1 And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

The LORD’s word also came to me, saying,

2 “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.

“Son of man, you dwell in the middle of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see, and don’t see, who have ears to hear, and don’t hear; for they are a rebellious house.

3 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.

“Therefore, you son of man, prepare your baggage for moving, and move by day in their sight. You shall move from your place to another place in their sight. It may be they will consider, though they are a rebellious house.

4 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.

You shall bring out your baggage by day in their sight, as baggage for moving. You shall go out yourself at evening in their sight, as when men go out into exile.

5 You dig through the wall before their eyes, and you have brought forth by it.

Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry your baggage out that way.

6 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.”

In their sight you shall bear it on your shoulder, and carry it out in the dark. You shall cover your face, so that you don’t see the land, for I have set you for a sign to the house of Israel.”

7 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.

I did so as I was commanded. I brought out my baggage by day, as baggage for moving, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I brought it out in the dark, and bore it on my shoulder in their sight.

8 And there is a word of YHWH to me, in the morning, saying,

In the morning, the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

9 “Son of man, have they not said to you—the house of Israel—the house of rebellion—What are you doing?

“Son of man, hasn’t the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’

10 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.

“Say to them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel amongst whom they are.”’

11 Say: I [am] your sign; as I have done so it is done to them, into a removal, into a captivity, they go.

“Say, ‘I am your sign. As I have done, so will it be done to them. They will go into exile, into captivity.

12 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.

“‘The prince who is amongst them will bear his baggage on his shoulder in the dark, and will go out. They will dig through the wall to carry things out that way. He will cover his face, because he will not see the land with his eyes.

13 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.

I will also spread my net on him, and he will be taken in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will not see it, though he will die there.

14 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.

I will scatter towards every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his bands. I will draw out the sword after them.

15 And they have known that I [am] YHWH, in My scattering them among nations, and I have spread them through lands;

“‘They will know that I am the LORD when I disperse them amongst the nations and scatter them through the countries.

16 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.”

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 amongst the nations where they come. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”

17 And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

18 “Son of man, eat your bread in haste, and drink your water with trembling and with fear;

“Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with fearfulness.

19 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.

Tell the people of the land, ‘The Lord GOD says concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the land of Israel: “They will eat their bread with fearfulness and drink their water in dismay, that her land may be desolate, and all that is therein, because of the violence of all those who dwell therein.

20 And the cities that are inhabited are laid waste, and the land is a desolation, and you have known that I [am] YHWH.”

The cities that are inhabited will be laid waste, and the land will be a desolation. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”’”

21 And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

22 “Son of man, what [is] this allegory to you, concerning the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision has perished?

“Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel, saying, ‘The days are prolonged, and every vision fails’?

23 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.

Tell them therefore, ‘The Lord GOD says: “I will make this proverb to cease, and they will no more use it as a proverb in Israel;”’ but tell them, ‘“The days are at hand, and the fulfilment of every vision.

24 For there is no longer any vain vision, and flattering divination, In the midst of the house of Israel.

For there will be no more any false vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.

25 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.”

For I am the LORD. I will speak, and the word that I speak will be performed. It will be no more deferred; for in your days, rebellious house, I will speak the word and will perform it,” says the Lord GOD.’”

26 And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

Again the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

27 “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,

“Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, ‘The vision that he sees is for many days to come, and he prophesies of times that are far off.’

28 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!”

“Therefore tell them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “None of my words will be deferred any more, but the word which I speak will be performed,” says the Lord GOD.’”