Ezekiel 12

1 The LORD’s word also came to me, saying,

The word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

2 “Son of man, you dwell in the middle of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see, and don’t see, who have ears to hear, and don’t hear; for they are a rebellious house.

Son of man, in the midst of a rebellious family art thou dwelling, who have eyes to see, and see not; who have ears to hear, and hear not; for they are a rebellious family.

3 “Therefore, you son of man, prepare your baggage for moving, and move by day in their sight. You shall move from your place to another place in their sight. It may be they will consider, though they are a rebellious house.

But thou, O son of man, prepare for thyself vessels for going into exile, and wander away by day before their eyes; and thou shalt wander away from thy place to another place before their eyes: perhaps they may become aware that they are a rebellious family.

4 You shall bring out your baggage by day in their sight, as baggage for moving. You shall go out yourself at evening in their sight, as when men go out into exile.

Then shalt thou carry forth thy vessels, like vessels of exile, by day before their eyes: and thou shalt go forth at evening before their eyes, as they do that go forth into exile.

5 Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry your baggage out that way.

Before their eyes break a hole through the wall, and carry [them] through it.

6 In their sight you shall bear it on your shoulder, and carry it out in the dark. You shall cover your face, so that you don’t see the land, for I have set you for a sign to the house of Israel.”

Before their [eyes] shalt thou bear them upon thy shoulders, in the dark shalt thou carry them forth: thy face shalt thou cover, that thou mayest not see the ground; for as a token have I set thee unto the house of Israel.

7 I did so as I was commanded. I brought out my baggage by day, as baggage for moving, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I brought it out in the dark, and bore it on my shoulder in their sight.

And I did so as I had been commanded; my vessels I carried forth by day, like vessels of exile, and in the evening I broke a hole for myself through the wall with my hand: in the dark I brought them forth, and I bore them upon my shoulder before their eyes.

8 In the morning, the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

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

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

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

10 “Say to them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel among whom they are.”’

Say thou unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, For the prince in Jerusalem is the doom, and for all the house of Israel, [and those] that are in the midst of them.

11 “Say, ‘I am your sign. As I have done, so will it be done to them. They will go into exile, into captivity.

Say, I am your token; just as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: into exile, into captivity, shall they wander.

12 “‘The prince who is among them will bear his baggage on his shoulder in the dark, and will go out. They will dig through the wall to carry things out that way. He will cover his face, because he will not see the land with his eyes.

And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the dark, and shall go forth; through the wall shall they break a hole to carry [things] through it: his face shall he cover up, that he may not see the ground with his eyes.

13 I will also spread my net on him, and he will be taken in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will not see it, though he will die there.

And I will spread out my net over him, and he shall be caught in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon into the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, and there shall he die.

14 I will scatter toward every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his bands. I will draw out the sword after them.

And all that are round about him, those who assist him, and all the wings of his armies will I disperse toward every wind; and the sword will I draw out after them.

15 “‘They will know that I am the LORD when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries.

And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in 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 where they come. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”

But I will leave of them men few in number from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence: in order that they may relate all their abominations among the nations whither they shall have come; and they shall know that I am the Lord.

17 Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

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

18 “Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with fearfulness.

Son of man, thy bread shalt thou eat with quaking, and thy water shalt thou drink with trembling and with anxious care.

19 Tell the people of the land, ‘The Lord GOD says concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the land of Israel: “They will eat their bread with fearfulness and drink their water in dismay, that her land may be desolate, and all that is therein, because of the violence of all those who dwell therein.

And thou shalt say unto the people of the land, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, [and] concerning the land of Israel, Their bread shall they eat with anxious care, and their water shall they drink with confusion, for the cause that her land will be desolate, deprived of its plenteousness because of the violence of all those that dwell therein.

20 The cities that are inhabited will be laid waste, and the land will be a desolation. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”’”

And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid in ruins, and the land shall be made desolate: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

21 The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

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

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

Son of man, what sort of proverb is that which ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are lasting long, and lost is every vision?

23 Tell them therefore, ‘The Lord GOD says: “I will make this proverb to cease, and they will no more use it as a proverb in Israel;”’ but tell them, ‘“The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision.

Therefore say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, I will cause this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but speak unto them, The days are coming nigh, and the word of every vision.

24 For there will be no more any false vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.

For there shall be no more any false vision and a deceptive divination within the house of Israel.

25 For I am the LORD. I will speak, and the word that I speak will be performed. It will be no more deferred; for in your days, rebellious house, I will speak the word and will perform it,” says the Lord GOD.’”

For I am the Lord, —I do speak, and whatever word I do speak shall be done; it shall not be delayed any more; for in your days, O rebellious family, will I speak the word, and I will execute it, saith the Lord Eternal.

26 Again the LORD’s word 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 sees is for many days to come, and he prophesies of times that are far off.’

Son of man, behold, the house of Israel say, The vision that he foreseeth is for distant days, and for times that are far off doth he prophesy.

28 “Therefore tell them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “None of my words will be deferred any more, but the word which I speak will be performed,” says the Lord GOD.’”

Therefore say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, There shall not be delayed any more one of all my words; but whatever word I do speak shall be done, saith the Lord Eternal.