Ezekiel 12

1 The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

2 Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of the rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not, which have ears to hear, and hear not; for they are a rebellious house.

Son of man, you are living among an uncontrolled people, who have eyes to see but see not, and ears for hearing but they do not give ear; for they are an uncontrolled people.

3 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 be a rebellious house.

And you, O son of man, by day, before their eyes, get ready the vessels of one who is taken away, and go away from your place to another place before their eyes: it may be that they will see, though they are an uncontrolled people.

4 And thou shalt bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing: and thou shalt go forth thyself at even in their sight, as when men go forth into exile.

By day, before their eyes, take out your vessels like those of one who is taken away: and go out in the evening before their eyes, like those who are taken away as prisoners.

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

Make a hole in the wall, before their eyes, and go out through it.

6 In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulder, and carry it forth in the dark; thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.

And before their eyes, take your goods on your back and go out in the dark; go with your face covered: for I have made you a sign to the children of Israel.

7 And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for removing, and in the even I digged through the wall with mine hand; I brought it forth in the dark, and bare it upon my shoulder in their sight.

And I did as I was ordered: I took out my vessels by day, like those of one who is taken away, and in the evening I made a hole through the wall with a tent-pin; and in the dark I went out, taking my things on my back before their eyes.

8 And in the morning came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,

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

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

Son of man, has not Israel, the uncontrolled people, said to you, What are you doing?

10 Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD: This burden [concerneth] the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel among whom they are.

You are to say to them, This is what the Lord has said: This word has to do with the ruler in Jerusalem and all the children of Israel in it.

11 Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall go into exile, into captivity.

Say, I am your sign: as I have done, so will it be done to them: they will go away as prisoners.

12 And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the dark, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, because he shall not see the ground with his eyes.

And the ruler who is among them will take his goods on his back in the dark and go out: he will make a hole in the wall through which to go out: he will have his face covered so that he may not be seen.

13 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.

And my net will be stretched out on him, and he will be taken in my cords: and I will take him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldaeans; but he will not see it, and there death will come to him.

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

And all his helpers round about him and all his armies I will send in flight to every wind; and I will let loose a sword after them.

15 And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall disperse them among the nations, and scatter them through the countries.

And they will be certain that I am the Lord, when I send them in flight among the nations, driving them out through the countries.

16 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 nations whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

But a small number of them I will keep from the sword, from the need of food, and from disease, so that they may make clear all their disgusting ways among the nations where they come; and they will be certain that I am the Lord.

17 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

18 Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness;

Son of man, take your food with shaking fear, and your water with trouble and care;

19 and say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with carefulness, 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.

And say to the people of the land, This is what the Lord has said about the people of Jerusalem and the land of Israel: They will take their food with care and their drink with wonder, so that all the wealth of their land may be taken from it because of the violent ways of the people living in it.

20 And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be a desolation; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

And the peopled towns will be made waste, and the land will become a wonder; and you will be certain that I am the Lord.

21 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

22 Son of man, what is this proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?

Son of man, what is this saying which you have about the land of Israel, The time is long and every vision comes to nothing?

23 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 unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.

For this cause say to them, This is what the Lord has said: I have made this saying come to an end, and it will no longer be used as a common saying in Israel; but say to them, The days are near, and the effect of every vision.

24 For there shall be no more any vain vision, nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.

For there will be no more false visions or smooth use of secret arts in Israel.

25 For I am the LORD; I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall be performed; it shall be no more deferred: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I speak the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD.

For I am the Lord; I will say the word and what I say I will do; it will not be put off: for in your days, O uncontrolled people, I will say the word and do it, says the Lord.

26 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

27 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 times that are far off.

Son of man, see, the children of Israel say, The vision which he sees is for the days which are a long way off, and his words are of times still far away.

28 Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD: There shall none of my words be deferred any more, but the word which I shall speak shall be performed, saith the Lord GOD.

Say to them then, This is what the Lord has said: Not one of my words will be put off any longer, but what I say I will do, says the Lord.