Jezekiel 12

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

The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying:

2 Son of man, you dwell in the midst of the iniquities of those, who have eyes to see, and see not; and have ears to hear, and hear not: because it is a provoking house.

'Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of the rebellious house, that have eyes to see, and see not, that have ears to hear, and hear not; for they are a rebellious house.

3 You therefore, son of man, prepare yourself baggage for going into captivity by day in their sight; and you shall be led into captivity from your place into another place in their sight; that they may see that it is a provoking house.

Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for exile, and remove as though for exile by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight; it may be they will perceive, for they are a rebellious house.

4 And you shall carry forth your baggage, baggage for captivity, by day before their eyes: and you shall go forth at even, as a captive goes forth, in their sight.

And thou shalt bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for exile; and thou shalt go forth thyself at even in their sight, as when men go forth into exile.

5 Dig for yourself into the wall [of the house], and you shall pass through it in their sight:

Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.

6 you shall be lifted up on [men's] shoulders, and shall go forth in secret: you shall cover your face, and shall not see the ground: because I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.

In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulder, and carry it forth in the darkness; thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground; for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.'

7 And I did thus according to all that he commanded me; and I carried forth my baggage for captivity by day, and in the evening I dug through the wall for myself, and went out secretly; I was taken up on [men's] shoulders before them.

And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for exile, and in the even I digged through the wall with my hand; I carried out in the darkness, and bore it upon my shoulder in their sight.

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

And in the morning came the word of the LORD unto me, saying:

9 Son of man, have not the house of Israel, the provoking house, said to you, What do you?

'Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee: What doest thou?

10 Say to them, Thus says the Lord God, the Prince and the Ruler in Israel, even to all the house of Israel who are in the midst of them:

Say thou unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Concerning the prince, even this burden, in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel among whom they are,

11 say, I am performing signs: as I have done, so shall it be to him: they shall go into banishment and captivity.

say: I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them — they shall go into exile, into captivity.

12 And the prince in the midst of them shall be borne upon shoulders, and shall go forth in secret through the wall, and shall dig so that he may go forth thereby: he shall cover his face, that he may not be seen by [any] eye, and he himself shall not see the ground.

And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder, and go forth in the darkness; they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby; he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.

13 And I will spread out my net upon him, and he shall be caught in my toils: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; but he shall not see it, though he shall die there.

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

14 And I will scatter to every wind all his assistants round about him, and all that help him; and I will draw out a sword after them;

And I will disperse toward every wind all that are round about him to help him, and all his troops; and I will draw out the sword after them.

15 And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have scattered them amongst the nations; and I will disperse them in the countries.

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

16 And I will leave of them [a few] men in number [spared] from the sword, and from famine, and pestilence; that they may declare all their iniquities amongst the nations whither they have gone; and they shall know that I am the Lord.

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 whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD.'

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

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

18 Son of man, eat your bread with sorrow, and drink [your] water with torment and affliction.

'Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with anxiety;

19 And you shall say to the people of the land, Thus says the Lord to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, on the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread in scarcity, and shall drink their water in desolation, that the land may be desolate with all that it contains: for all that dwell in it are ungodly.

and say unto the people of the land: Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel. They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink their water with appalment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.

20 And their inhabited cities shall be laid utterly waste, and the land shall be desolate; and you shall know that I am the Lord.

And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.'

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

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

22 Son of man, what is your parable on the land of Israel, that you say, The days are long, the vision has perished?

'Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying: The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?

23 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord; I will even set aside this parable, and the house of Israel shall no more at all use this parable: for you shall say to them, The days are at hand, and the import of every vision.

Tell them therefore: Thus saith the Lord GOD: I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them: The days are at hand, and the word of every vision.

24 For there shall no more be any false vision, nor any one prophesying flatteries in the midst of the children of Israel.

For there shall be no more any vain vision nor smooth divination within the house of Israel.

25 For I the Lord will speak my words; I will speak and perform [them], and will no more delay, for in your days, O provoking house, I will speak the word, and will perform [it], says the Lord.

For I am the LORD; I will speak, what word soever it be that I shall speak, and it shall be performed; it shall be no more delayed; for in your days, O rebellious house, will I speak the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD.'

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

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

27 Son of man, behold, the provoking house of Israel boldly say, The vision which this man sees is for many days, and he prophesies for times afar off.

'Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say: The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of times that are far off.

28 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord; Henceforth none of my words shall linger, which I shall speak: I will speak and do, says the Lord.

Therefore say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD: There shall none of My words be delayed any more, but the word which I shall speak shall be performed, saith the Lord GOD.'