Ezekiel 12

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

And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

2 Son of man, you are living among an uncontrolled people, who have eyes to see but see not, and ears for hearing but they do not give ear; for they are an uncontrolled people.

“Son of man, you are dwelling in the midst of the house of rebellion, that have eyes to see, and they have not seen; they have ears to hear, and they have not heard; for they [are] a house of rebellion.

3 And you, O son of man, by day, before their eyes, get ready the vessels of one who is taken away, and go away from your place to another place before their eyes: it may be that they will see, though they are an uncontrolled people.

And you, son of man, make your vessels of removal, and remove by day before their eyes, and you have removed from your place to another place before their eyes, it may be they consider, for they [are] a house of rebellion.

4 By day, before their eyes, take out your vessels like those of one who is taken away: and go out in the evening before their eyes, like those who are taken away as prisoners.

And you have brought forth your vessels as vessels of removal by day before their eyes, and you go forth in the evening before their eyes, as the goings forth of a removal.

5 Make a hole in the wall, before their eyes, and go out through it.

You dig through the wall before their eyes, and you have brought forth by it.

6 And before their eyes, take your goods on your back and go out in the dark; go with your face covered: for I have made you a sign to the children of Israel.

Carry on the shoulder before their eyes, bring forth in the darkness, cover your face, and you do not see the earth, for I have given you [as] a sign to the house of Israel.”

7 And I did as I was ordered: I took out my vessels by day, like those of one who is taken away, and in the evening I made a hole through the wall with a tent-pin; and in the dark I went out, taking my things on my back before their eyes.

And I do so, as I have been commanded; I have brought forth my vessels as vessels of removal by day, and I have dug through the wall with my hand in the evening; I have brought forth in the darkness, I have carried away on the shoulder, before their eyes.

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

And there is a word of YHWH to me, in the morning, saying,

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

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

10 You are to say to them, This is what the Lord has said: This word has to do with the ruler in Jerusalem and all the children of Israel in it.

Say to them, Thus said Lord YHWH: This burden [concerns] the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel who are in their midst.

11 Say, I am your sign: as I have done, so will it be done to them: they will go away as prisoners.

Say: I [am] your sign; as I have done so it is done to them, into a removal, into a captivity, they go.

12 And the ruler who is among them will take his goods on his back in the dark and go out: he will make a hole in the wall through which to go out: he will have his face covered so that he may not be seen.

As for the prince who [is] in their midst, he carries on the shoulder in the darkness, and he goes forth; they dig through the wall to bring forth by it; he covers his face that he may not look on the very surface of the land.

13 And my net will be stretched out on him, and he will be taken in my cords: and I will take him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldaeans; but he will not see it, and there death will come to him.

And I have spread My net for him, and he has been caught in My snare, and I have brought him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, and he does not see it—and he dies there.

14 And all his helpers round about him and all his armies I will send in flight to every wind; and I will let loose a sword after them.

And all who are around him to help him, and all his bands, I scatter to every wind, and I draw out a sword after them.

15 And they will be certain that I am the Lord, when I send them in flight among the nations, driving them out through the countries.

And they have known that I [am] YHWH, in My scattering them among nations, and I have spread them through lands;

16 But a small number of them I will keep from the sword, from the need of food, and from disease, so that they may make clear all their disgusting ways among the nations where they come; and they will be certain that I am the Lord.

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 to where they have come, and they have known that I [am] YHWH.”

17 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

18 Son of man, take your food with shaking fear, and your water with trouble and care;

“Son of man, eat your bread in haste, and drink your water with trembling and with fear;

19 And say to the people of the land, This is what the Lord has said about the people of Jerusalem and the land of Israel: They will take their food with care and their drink with wonder, so that all the wealth of their land may be taken from it because of the violent ways of the people living in it.

and you have said to the people of the land, Thus said Lord YHWH concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, concerning the land of Israel: They eat their bread with fear, and drink their water with astonishment, because its land is desolate, because of its fullness, because of the violence of all who are dwelling in it.

20 And the peopled towns will be made waste, and the land will become a wonder; and you will be certain that I am the Lord.

And the cities that are inhabited are laid waste, and the land is a desolation, and you have known that I [am] YHWH.”

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

And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

22 Son of man, what is this saying which you have about the land of Israel, The time is long and every vision comes to nothing?

“Son of man, what [is] this allegory to you, concerning the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision has perished?

23 For this cause say to them, This is what the Lord has said: I have made this saying come to an end, and it will no longer be used as a common saying in Israel; but say to them, The days are near, and the effect of every vision.

Therefore say to them, Thus said Lord YHWH: I have caused this allegory to cease, And they do not use it as an allegory in Israel again, But speak to them: The days have drawn near, And every vision has spoken.

24 For there will be no more false visions or smooth use of secret arts in Israel.

For there is no longer any vain vision, and flattering divination, In the midst of the house of Israel.

25 For I am the Lord; I will say the word and what I say I will do; it will not be put off: for in your days, O uncontrolled people, I will say the word and do it, says the Lord.

For I, YHWH, speak, The word that I speak—it is done, It is not prolonged anymore, For in your days, O house of rebellion, I speak a word, and I have done it, A declaration of Lord YHWH.”

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

And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

27 Son of man, see, the children of Israel say, The vision which he sees is for the days which are a long way off, and his words are of times still far away.

“Son of man, behold, the house of Israel is saying, The vision that he is seeing [is not] for many days, and he is prophesying of far-off times,

28 Say to them then, This is what the Lord has said: Not one of my words will be put off any longer, but what I say I will do, says the Lord.

therefore say to them, Thus said Lord YHWH: None of My words are prolonged anymore, When I speak a word—it is done, A declaration of Lord YHWH!”