Ezekiel 12

1 Then came the word of Yahweh unto me saying:

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

2 Son of man. In the midst of a perverse house, dost thou dwell, — Who have eyes to see—and have not seen. Ears have they to hear—and have no heard, For a perverse house, they are.

“Son of man, you are living in a rebellious house. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house.

3 Thou, therefore Son of man, Prepare thee baggage for exile, and exile thyself, by day, before their eyes, —so shalt thou exile thyself out of thy place unto another place before their eyes, peradventure they will consider— though a perverse house, they are.

Therefore, son of man, pack your bags for exile. In broad daylight, set out from your place and go to another as they watch. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house.

4 Therefore shalt thou take forth thy baggage as baggage for exile, by day before their eyes, —and thou thyself, shalt go forth in the evening, before their eyes, like them who go forth to exile.

Bring out your baggage for exile by day, as they watch. Then in the evening, as they watch, go out like those who go into exile.

5 Before their eyes, break thou forth by thyself through the wall, —and carry forth through it.

As they watch, dig through the wall and carry your belongings out through it.

6 Before their eyes, Upon the shoulder, shalt thou lift it. In thick darkness, take it forth, Thy face, shalt thou cover so that thou see not the land; For a sign, have I appointed thee to the house of Israel.

And as they watch, lift your bags to your shoulder and take them out at dusk; cover your face so that you cannot see the land. For I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.”

7 And I did so, just as I was commanded, My baggage, took I forth as baggage for exile by day, and in the evening, I brake forth by myself through the wall, by force: in the twilight, I took it forth—on to my shoulder, I lifted it, before their eyes.

So I did as I was commanded. I brought out my bags for exile by day, and in the evening I dug through the wall by hand. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulder as they watched.

8 Then came the word of Yahweh unto me in the morning, saying:

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

9 Son of man, Have not the house of Israel the perverse house, said unto thee, — What art thou doing?

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

10 Say unto them, Thus, saith My Lord, Yahweh, — [For] the Bearer, is this burden, in Jerusalem, and [for] all the house of Israel such as are in their midst.

Tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are there.’

11 Say, I, am your sign: As I have done, so. shall it be done to them, Into exile—into captivity, shall they go.

You are to say, ‘I am a sign to you.’ Just as it happened here, so will it be done to them; they will go into exile as captives.

12 Yea, the Bearer who is in their midst, Upon his shoulder, shall lift it. In thick darkness, shall he go forth, Through the wall, shall they break to bear forth through it, — His face, shall he cover, to the end that, his own eye, may not see the land.

And at dusk the prince among them will lift his bags to his shoulder and go out. They will dig through the wall to bring him out. He will cover his face so he cannot see the land.

13 Then will I spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare; And I will take him to Babylon. in the land of the Chaldeans, The which, indeed, he shall not see. And yet there, shall he die!

But I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will not see it, and there he will die.

14 And all who are round about him to help him and all his troops, will I scatter to every wind, —and, a sword, will I make bare after them.

And I will scatter to every wind all the attendants around him and all his troops, and I will draw a sword to chase after them.

15 So shall they know that, I, am Yahweh, — By my dispersing them among the nations, And scattering them throughout the lands.

And they will know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them throughout the countries.

16 Yet will I leave remaining of them men easily counted, from the sword from the famine and from the pestilence, —that they may recount all their abominations among the nations whither they have come, So shall they know that, I, am Yahweh.

But I will spare a few of them from sword and famine and plague, so that in the nations to which they go, they can recount all their abominations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

17 Then came the word of Yahweh unto me, saying:

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

18 Son of man, Thy bread with trembling, shalt thou eat, — And, thy water in agitation and in fear, shalt thou drink.

“Son of man, eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with quivering and anxiety.

19 Then shalt thou say unto the people of the land, Thus saith My Lord Yahweh concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem upon the soil of Israel, Their bread with anxious care, shall they eat, And, their water in astonishment, shall they drink, — That her land, may be deserted, of her fulness, because of the violence of all them who dwell therein:

Then tell the people of the land that this is what the Lord GOD says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: ‘They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water in dread, for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who dwell in it.

20 Yea, the cities that are inhabited, shall be laid waste, And, the land, shall become, an astonishment, — So shall ye know that, I, am Yahweh.

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

21 And the word of Yahweh came unto me saying:

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

22 Son of man What is this proverb ye have, concerning the soil of Israel, saying, — The days, are prolonged, Therefore shall every vision come to nought?

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

23 Therefore say unto them, Thus, saith My Lord Yahweh, I will cause this proverb to cease, And they shall use it as a proverb no more in Israel, — But speak unto them, The days, are drawn near, And the substance of every vision.

Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will put an end to this proverb, and in Israel they will no longer recite it.’ But say to them: ‘The days are at hand when every vision will be fulfilled.

24 For there shall no more be— Any vision of falsehood Or divination of deceit, In the midst of the house of Israel.

For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations within the house of Israel,

25 For, I, Yahweh will speak whatsoever word I please to speak, And it shall be done, It shall not be delayed any more, — For in your own days, O perverse house, will I speak a word and perform it, Declareth My Lord. Yahweh.

because I, the LORD, will speak whatever word I speak, and it will be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak a message and bring it to pass, declares the Lord GOD.’”

26 And the word of Yahweh came unto me, saying:

Furthermore, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

27 Son of man. Lo! the house of Israel are saying, the vision which he seeth is for many days, Yea for times far away, hath he prophesied.

“Son of man, take note that the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for many years from now; he prophesies about the distant future.’

28 Therefore say unto them. Thus saith My Lord Yahweh, None of my words shall be delayed any more, — Whatsoever word I speak, then shall it be performed, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.

Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘None of My words will be delayed any longer. The message I speak will be fulfilled, declares the Lord GOD.’”