THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL

 

Ezekiel Chapter 12

1 ¶ The word of the LORD also came to me, saying,

2 Son of man, you are living in the midst of a rebellious house, they have eyes to see, but do not see; they have ears to hear, but do not hear: for they are a rebellious house.

3 Therefore, son of man, prepare your baggage for travel, and let them see you leave in the daytime; and you will move from your place to another place while they watch: perhaps they will understand, even though they are a rebellious house.

4 You shall bring out your baggage during the day as they watch, baggage like that for going into exile: and in the evening you will leave as they watch, like those who go into captivity.

5 Dig through the wall while they watch, and carry it out through there.

6 Let them see you lift it onto your shoulders, and carry it out in the twilight: you will also cover your face, so that you do not see the land: for I have set you for a sign to the house of Israel.

7 And I did as I was commanded: I brought out my baggage by day, as prepared for exile, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my own hands; and carried it out in the twilight, bearing it on my shoulders as they watched.

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

9 Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, What are you doing?

10 Say to them, The Lord GOD says; This warning concerns the ruler in Jerusalem, and all the people of Israel who are there.

11 Say, I am your sign: what I did, will happen to them: they will leave and go into captivity.

12 And the ruler who is among them will carry his baggage upon his shoulders in the twilight, and go out: they will dig through the wall and bring it out through there: and he will cover his face, so that he does not see the land with his eyes.

13 I will spread my net over him, and catch him in my net: and I will take him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; but he will not see it, though he will die there.

14 And I will scatter to all the winds all those who are around him to help him, and all his troops; and I will draw out the sword after them.

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

16 But I will let a few of them escape the sword, the famine, and the pestilence; so that they can tell about all their abominations among the heathen where they go; and they will know that I am the LORD.

17 ¶ Then 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 with anxiety;

19 And say to the people of the land, The Lord GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel says; They will eat their bread with fearfulness, and drink their water with dismay, for their land will be stripped of everything in it, because of the violence of all those who live in it.

20 And the cities that are inhabited will be laid waste, and the land will be desolate; and you will know that I am the LORD.

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

22 Son of man, what is this saying that you have in the land of Israel, which says, The days drag on, and every vision comes to nothing?

23 Tell them, The Lord GOD says this; I will put an end to that saying, and they will no longer use it as a proverb in Israel; instead tell them, The time is near, when every vision will be fulfilled.

24 For there will be no more false visions or people-pleasing prophesies within the house of Israel.

25 For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I speak will come to pass; it will no longer be postponed: for the Lord God says, I will speak the word, and I will carry it out, while you live, O rebellious house.

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

27 Son of man, behold, those of the house of Israel say, The vision that he sees is for far in the future, and he prophesies of a time that is far off.

28 Therefore say to them, The Lord GOD says; Nothing I have said will be delayed any longer, but what I say will be done, says the Lord GOD.