Ezekiel 12

1 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

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

2 'Son of man, in the midst of the rebellious house thou art dwelling, that have eyes to see, and they have not seen; ears they have to hear, and they have not heard; for a rebellious house [are] they.

“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 And thou, son of man, make to thee vessels of removal, and remove by day before their eyes, and thou hast removed from thy place unto another place before their eyes, it may be they consider, for a rebellious 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 And thou hast brought forth thy vessels as vessels of removal by day before their eyes, and thou, thou dost go forth at even before their eyes, as the goings forth of a removal.

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 dig for thee through the wall, and thou hast brought forth by it.

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

6 Before their eyes on the shoulder thou dost bear, in the darkness thou dost bring forth, thy face thou dost cover, and thou dost not see the earth, for a type I have given 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 do so, as I have been commanded; my vessels I have brought forth as vessels of removal by day, and at even I have dug for me through the wall with the hand; in the darkness I have brought forth, on the shoulder I have borne away, 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 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, in the morning, saying,

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

9 'Son of man, have they not said unto thee — the house of Israel — the rebellious house — 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 said the Lord Jehovah: 'The prince [is] this burden in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel who 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 type; as I have done so it is done to them, into a removal, into a captivity, they do 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 As to the prince who [is] in their midst, on the shoulder he beareth in the darkness, and he goeth forth, through the wall they dig to bring forth by it, his face he covereth, that he may not look on the very surface of 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 And I have spread My net for him, and he hath been caught in My snare, and I have brought him in to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, and it he doth not see — and there doth 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 bands, I do scatter to every wind, and a sword I draw out 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 And they have known that I [am] Jehovah, in My scattering them among nations, and I have spread them through lands;

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

16 and I have left of them, a few in number, from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence, so that they recount all their abominations among the nations whither they have come, and they have known that I [am] Jehovah.'

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 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

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

18 'Son of man, thy bread in haste thou dost eat, and thy water with trembling and with fear thou dost drink;

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

19 and thou hast said unto the people of the land, Thus said the Lord Jehovah concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, concerning the land of Israel: Their bread with fear they do eat, and their water with astonishment drink, because its land is desolate, because of its fulness, because of the violence of all who are dwelling in it.

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 And the cities that are inhabited are laid waste, and the land is a desolation, and ye have known that I [am] Jehovah.'

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

21 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

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

22 'Son of man, what [is] this simile to you, concerning the land of Israel, saying, Prolonged are the days, and perished hath every vision?

“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 said the Lord Jehovah: I have caused this simile to cease, And they use it not as a simile again in Israel, But speak to them: Drawn near have the days, And spoken hath 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 is no more any vain vision, and flattering divination, 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 [am] Jehovah, I speak, The word that I speak — it is done, It is not prolonged any more, For, in your days, O rebellious house, I speak a word, and I have done it, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'

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 there is a word of Jehovah 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 that he is seeing [is] for many days, and of times far off he is prophesying,

“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 said the Lord Jehovah: None of my words are prolonged any more, When I speak a word — it is done, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah!'

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.’”