Ezekiel 12

Modern

Literal

Signs of the Coming Captivity

¹Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

¹And the word of YHWH came to me, saying:

²“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.

²“Son of man, you are dwelling in the midst of the house of rebellion, which has eyes unto them to see, and they do not see, and ears unto them to hear, and they do not hear; for they are a house of rebellion!

³Therefore, 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.

³And you, son of man, take up for yourself vessels for exile, and go into exile by day before their eyes; and you will go into exile from your place to another place before their eyes. Perhaps they will see, though they are a house of rebellion.

⁴Bring 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.

⁴And you shall bring out your vessels like vessels for exile by day before their eyes, and you shall go out in the evening before their eyes, like those going into captivity.

⁵As they watch, dig through the wall and carry your belongings out through it.

⁵Before their eyes you shall dig for yourself through the wall, and go out through it.

⁶And 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.”

⁶Before their eyes, you shall bear them on your shoulders in the darkness and carry them out; you shall cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have given you as a sign for the house of Israel.”

⁷So 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.

⁷And I did just as I was commanded. My vessels I brought out as vessels for captivity by day, and in the evening I dug for myself through the wall with my hand; in the darkness I brought them out on my shoulder, I bore them before their eyes.

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

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

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

⁹“Son of man, have they not said to you—the house of Israel, this house of rebellion, ‘What are you doing?’

¹⁰Tell 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.’

¹⁰Say to them, thus says the Lord YHWH: ‘This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel who are in their midst.’

¹¹You are to say, ‘I am a sign to you.’ Just as it happened here,^a so will it be done to them; they will go into exile as captives.

¹¹Say, ‘I am a sign to you.’ As I have done, so will it be done to them—into exile, into captivity, they will go!

¹²And 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.

¹²And the prince who is in their midst, on his shoulder he will bear it in the darkness, and he will go out; they will dig through the wall to bring them out through it; he will cover his face so that he might not see with his eyes, he, the land.

¹³But 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.

¹³And I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare; and I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans; and he will not see it, and there he will die.

¹⁴And 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.

¹⁴And all who are around him as his help, and all his troops, I will scatter to every wind, and I will unsheath the sword after them.

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

¹⁵And they will know that I am YHWH, in My dispersing them among the nations and scattering them throughout the lands.

¹⁶But 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.”

¹⁶I will spare from their people a few—from the sword, from famine, and from pestilence—so that they may recount all their abominations among the nations to which they go there. And they will know that I am YHWH.”

¹⁷Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

¹⁷And the word of YHWH came to me, saying:

¹⁸“Son of man, eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with quivering and anxiety.

¹⁸“Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with anxiety!

¹⁹Then 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.

¹⁹And say to the people of the land, thus says the Lord YHWH to those dwelling in Jerusalem, and to the land of Israel: ‘They will eat their bread with anxiety, and they will drink their water with dread, so that her land may be emptied of all her fullness, because of the violence of all those dwelling in her.

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

²⁰And the cities that were inhabited will be dried up, and the land will become a desolation; and you will know that I am YHWH!’”

The Presumptuous Proverb

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

²¹And the word of YHWH came to me, saying:

²²“Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel:

‘The days go by,

and every vision fails’?

²²“Son of man, what is this proverb for you over the land of Israel, saying, ‘The days are prolonged, and every vision perishes’?

²³Therefore 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.

²³Therefore say to them, thus says the Lord YHWH: ‘To this proverb I will put an end, and will they use it as a proverb no more in Israel. But rather speak to them: ‘The days are near, and the word of every vision!’

²⁴For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations within the house of Israel,

²⁴For there will be no longer any vision of emptiness, or of smooth divination, in the midst of the house of Israel.

²⁵because 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.’”

²⁵For I am YHWH! I speak, and the word that I speak will come to pass; it will not drag out any longer, but in your days, O house of rebellion, I will speak the word and will do it! An utterance of the Lord YHWH.’”

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

²⁶And the word came of YHWH to me, saying:

²⁷“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.’

²⁷“Son of man, behold, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for many days, and times far off he is prophesying.’

²⁸Therefore 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.’”

²⁸Therefore say to them, thus says the Lord YHWH: ‘Not any of My words will be drawn out anymore; the word that I speak, it will be done! An utterance of the Lord YHWH.’”