Ezekiel 12

1 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

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

2 “Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house, where they have eyes to see but they do not see; and where they have ears to hear but do not listen, because 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 as for you, son of man, prepare your things for exile, and begin going out by day in their sight, for I will exile you in their sight from your place to another place. Perhaps they will begin to see, though they are 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 You will bring out your things for an exile in the day in their sight; go out in the evening in their sight in the way that anyone goes 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 a hole through the wall in their sight, and go out through it.

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

6 In their sight, lift up your things onto your shoulder, and bring them out in the darkness. Cover your face, for you must not see the land, since I have set you as a sign to 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 So I did this, just as I was commanded. I brought out my things of exile in the daytime, and in the evening I dug a hole through the wall by hand. I brought my things out in the dark, and lifted them up on 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 Then the word of Yahweh came to me in the morning, saying,

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

9 “Son of man, is the house of Israel, that rebellious house, not asking, 'What are you doing?'

“Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the provoking house, said to you: ‘What are you doing?’

10 Say to them, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: this prophetic action concerns the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel in whose midst 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 a sign to you.' As I have done, so it will be done to them; they will go into exile and 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 The prince who is among them will lift up his things upon his shoulder in the dark, and will go out through the wall. They will dig through the wall and bring out their things. He will cover his face, so he will not see the land 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 I will spread out my net over him and he will be caught in my snare; then I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, but he will not see it. He will 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 I will also scatter in every direction all of those around him who were to assist him and his entire army, and I will send out a 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 Then they will know that I am Yahweh, when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands.

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 spare a few men from among them from the sword, famine, and plague, so they may record all of their abominations in the lands where I take them, so they will know that I am Yahweh.”

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 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

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

18 “Son of man, eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with shaking and worry.

“Son of man, eat your bread in consternation. Moreover, drink your water hurriedly and in sorrow.

19 Then say to the people of the land, 'The Lord Yahweh says this concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the land of Israel, “They will eat their bread with trembling and drink their water while shaking, since the land will be despoiled of its fullness because of the violence of all those who live there.

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 So the cities that were inhabited will be desolate, and the land will become a wasteland; so you will know that I am Yahweh.”'”

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 Again the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

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

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

“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 Therefore, say to them, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: I will put an end to this proverb, and the people of Israel will no longer use it.' Say to them, 'The days have drawn near when every vision will be fulfilled.

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 will no longer be any false visions or favorable divinations 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 Yahweh! I speak, and I carry out the words that I speak. The matter will no longer be delayed. For I will speak this word in your days, rebellious house, and I will carry it out!—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.'”

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 Yahweh came to me, saying,

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

27 “Son of man! Behold, the house of Israel has said, 'The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of far off times.'

“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 to them, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: My words will not be delayed any longer, but the word that I have spoken will be done—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.'”

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.”