Ezekiel 12

1 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

Yahweh gave me another message. [He said, ]

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.

“You human, you are living among people who are [very] rebellious. They have eyes, but they do not [what I want them to see]; they have ears, but they do not [what I want them to hear], because they are rebellious/stubborn people.

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.

Therefore, you human, pack your belongings as though you were (going into exile/being forced to go to another country). Then, during the daytime, while people are watching, [prepare to] go to another place. Even though the people are rebellious, perhaps they will [what you are symbolizing].

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.

During the daytime, while they are watching, bring out the things that you want to take and pack them. Then in the evening, while they are watching, do what those who are preparing to go into exile do.

5 Dig a hole through the wall in their sight, and go out through it.

Dig through [city] wall and take your things through the hole.

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.”

Then put [in a sack] on your shoulder while they are watching and leave at dusk. Cover your face in order that you cannot see the path. [I want you to do this] because I want you to warn the Israeli people.”

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.

[So] I did what Yahweh told me to do. During the day I brought things out of my [as though] I was packing to go into exile. Then in the evening I dug through [city] wall. [Then] while people watched, I put my sack of belongings on my shoulder and left.

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

The next morning, Yahweh gave me this message:

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

“You human, the rebellious people [MTY] of Israel asked 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.'

[So go back and] say to them, ‘What I did is about the king in Jerusalem and all the [other] people of Israel who are there.’

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.

Tell [them], ‘[What I did] is a warning to you.’ What has happened to you will happen to them. They will be captured and forced to go to another country.

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.

Their king will put his belongings on his shoulder at dusk and leave. [His servants] will dig a hole through the city wall, [and he will take his belongings] through it. He will cover his face in order [others will not recognize] him.

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.

[it will be as though] I will spread a net for [to be captured]; [enemy soldiers will] capture him and take him to [city]. But he will [be able to] see it; and there he will 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.

I will scatter in all directions [IDM] all those who have been around him—his advisors and his soldiers—and I will cause his enemies to pursue them, with their swords ready to strike them.

15 Then they will know that I am Yahweh, when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands.

Then, when I scatter them among many nations [DOU], they will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].

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.”

But I will spare/save a few of them from being killed by swords and from dying from famines or plagues, with the result that in the nations to which they are forced to go, they will realize/admit that they have been doing disgusting things, and they will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].”

17 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

Then Yahweh gave me another message. [He said, ]

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

“You human, tremble while you eat your food, and shudder fearfully while you drink your water.

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.

Tell [this to] the Israeli people: 'This is what Yahweh the Lord says about those who are [still] living in Jerusalem and [other places in] Israel: They also will be very anxious/worried [DOU] while they eat their food and drink their water, because their country will [soon] have everything taken away. That will happen because the people who live there [continually] act [very] violently.

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.”'”

The towns where people live will be devastated, and the land will become barren/empty. Then you people will know that it is I, Yahweh, [who have the power to do what I say that I will do].'”

21 Again the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

Yahweh gave me another message. [He said, ]

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'?

“You human, the people in Israel have this proverb/saying: ‘The days pass, and [the prophets] predict never happens.’

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.

So say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: I am going to prove that (what they say/that proverb) is not correct, and then they will never say that again in Israel.’ Tell them, ‘It will soon be the time when everything that the prophets have predicted will happen.

24 For there will no longer be any false visions or favorable divinations within the house of Israel.

No longer [false prophets tell] to the Israeli people false visions, or prophecies that try to please people.

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.'”

Instead, I, Yahweh, will say what I want to tell the people, and what I predict will quickly happen. You rebellious people, I will cause to happen everything that I say will happen. [That is what I, ] Yahweh the Lord, say.’”

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

Yahweh also gave me this message:

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.'

“You human, the Israeli people are [constantly] saying [about you], ‘The things that he sees in [will not happen soon]. They are [things that will happen] many years from now, far in the future.’

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.'”

Therefore say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord [DOU] says: I will no longer [causing to happen] any of the things that I have prophesied. Whatever I have predicted [very soon] happen.’”