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 live in the midst of a provoking house. They have eyes to see, and they do not see; and ears to hear, and they do not hear. For they are a provoking house.

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.

As for you, then, son of man, prepare for yourself the supplies for traveling far away, and travel away in the daytime in their sight. And you shall travel from your place to another place in their sight, so that perhaps they may consider it. For they are a provoking house.

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.

And you shall carry your supplies outside, like the supplies of one who is traveling far away, in the daytime in their sight. Then you shall go forth in the evening in their presence, just as one goes forth who is moving far away.

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

Dig for yourself through the wall, before their eyes. And you shall 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.

In their sight, you shall be carried on shoulders, you shall be carried in the dark. You shall cover your face, and you shall not see the ground. For I have appointed you as a portent for the house 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.

Therefore, I did just as he had instructed me. I brought out my supplies in the daytime, like the supplies of one who is moving far away. And in the evening, I dug myself through the wall by hand. And I went out in the dark, and I was carried on shoulders, in their sight.

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

And the word of the Lord came to me, in the morning, 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 the house of Israel, the provoking house, 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.

Say to them: Thus says the Lord God: This is the burden concerning my leader who is in Jerusalem, and concerning the entire house of Israel, who are in their midst.

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 portent. Just as I have done, so shall it be done to them. They will be taken captive and moved far away.

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 leader who is in their midst will be carried on shoulders; he will go forth in darkness. They will dig through the wall, so that they may lead him away. His face will be covered, so that he may not see the land with his eye.

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 I will extend my net over him, and he will be captured in my dragnet. And I will lead him to Babylon, into the land of the Chaldeans, but he himself will not see it. And there he shall die.

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 who are around him, his guards and his companies, I will scatter into every wind. And I will unsheathe the 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 shall know that I am the Lord, when I will have dispersed them among the Gentiles, and will have sowed them among the lands.

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.

And I will leave behind a few men of them, apart from the sword, and the famine, and the pestilence, so that they may declare all their wicked deeds among the Gentiles, to whom they will go. And they shall know that I am the Lord.”

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

And 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, eat your bread in consternation. Moreover, drink your water hurriedly and in sorrow.

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: Thus says the Lord God, to those who are living in Jerusalem, in the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread in anxiety, and drink their water in desolation, so that the land may be desolate before its multitude, because of the iniquity of all who are 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 cities that are now inhabited will become desolate, and the land will be forsaken. And you shall know 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 proverb that you have in the land of Israel? saying: ‘The days shall be extended in length, and every vision shall perish.’

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.

Therefore, say to them: Thus says the Lord God: I will cause this proverb to cease, and it shall no longer be a common saying in Israel. And tell them that the days are approaching, and the word of every vision.

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

For there shall no longer be any empty visions, nor any ambiguous divination in the midst of the sons of 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, the Lord, will speak. And whatever word I will speak, it shall be done, and it shall not be delayed any more. Instead, in your days, O provoking house, I will speak a word and do it, says the Lord God.”

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

And 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, behold the house of Israel, those who are saying: ‘The visions that this one sees is many days away,’ and, ‘This man prophesies about times that are 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.

Because of this, say to them: Thus says the Lord God: No word of mine will be delayed any longer. The word that I will speak will be fulfilled, says the Lord God.”