Ezekiel 12

1 Yahweh gave me another message. [He said, ]

The word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

2 “You human, you are living among people who are [very] rebellious. They have eyes, but they do not [what I want them to see]; they have ears, but they do not [what I want them to hear], because they are rebellious/stubborn people.

Son of man, in the midst of a rebellious family art thou dwelling, who have eyes to see, and see not; who have ears to hear, and hear not; for they are a rebellious family.

3 Therefore, you human, pack your belongings as though you were (going into exile/being forced to go to another country). Then, during the daytime, while people are watching, [prepare to] go to another place. Even though the people are rebellious, perhaps they will [what you are symbolizing].

But thou, O son of man, prepare for thyself vessels for going into exile, and wander away by day before their eyes; and thou shalt wander away from thy place to another place before their eyes: perhaps they may become aware that they are a rebellious family.

4 During the daytime, while they are watching, bring out the things that you want to take and pack them. Then in the evening, while they are watching, do what those who are preparing to go into exile do.

Then shalt thou carry forth thy vessels, like vessels of exile, by day before their eyes: and thou shalt go forth at evening before their eyes, as they do that go forth into exile.

5 Dig through [city] wall and take your things through the hole.

Before their eyes break a hole through the wall, and carry [them] through it.

6 Then put [in a sack] on your shoulder while they are watching and leave at dusk. Cover your face in order that you cannot see the path. [I want you to do this] because I want you to warn the Israeli people.”

Before their [eyes] shalt thou bear them upon thy shoulders, in the dark shalt thou carry them forth: thy face shalt thou cover, that thou mayest not see the ground; for as a token have I set thee unto the house of Israel.

7 [So] I did what Yahweh told me to do. During the day I brought things out of my [as though] I was packing to go into exile. Then in the evening I dug through [city] wall. [Then] while people watched, I put my sack of belongings on my shoulder and left.

And I did so as I had been commanded; my vessels I carried forth by day, like vessels of exile, and in the evening I broke a hole for myself through the wall with my hand: in the dark I brought them forth, and I bore them upon my shoulder before their eyes.

8 The next morning, Yahweh gave me this message:

And the word of the Lord came unto me in the morning, saying,

9 “You human, the rebellious people [MTY] of Israel asked you, ‘What are you doing?’

Son of man, have not the house of Israel, the rebellious family, said unto thee, What doest thou?

10 [So go back and] say to them, ‘What I did is about the king in Jerusalem and all the [other] people of Israel who are there.’

Say thou unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, For the prince in Jerusalem is the doom, and for all the house of Israel, [and those] that are in the midst of them.

11 Tell [them], ‘[What I did] is a warning to you.’ What has happened to you will happen to them. They will be captured and forced to go to another country.

Say, I am your token; just as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: into exile, into captivity, shall they wander.

12 Their king will put his belongings on his shoulder at dusk and leave. [His servants] will dig a hole through the city wall, [and he will take his belongings] through it. He will cover his face in order [others will not recognize] him.

And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the dark, and shall go forth; through the wall shall they break a hole to carry [things] through it: his face shall he cover up, that he may not see the ground with his eyes.

13 [it will be as though] I will spread a net for [to be captured]; [enemy soldiers will] capture him and take him to [city]. But he will [be able to] see it; and there he will die.

And I will spread out my net over him, and he shall be caught in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon into the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, and there shall he die.

14 I will scatter in all directions [IDM] all those who have been around him—his advisors and his soldiers—and I will cause his enemies to pursue them, with their swords ready to strike them.

And all that are round about him, those who assist him, and all the wings of his armies will I disperse toward every wind; and the sword will I draw out after them.

15 Then, when I scatter them among many nations [DOU], they will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].

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

16 But I will spare/save a few of them from being killed by swords and from dying from famines or plagues, with the result that in the nations to which they are forced to go, they will realize/admit that they have been doing disgusting things, and they will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].”

But I will leave of them men few in number from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence: in order that they may relate all their abominations among the nations whither they shall have come; and they shall know that I am the Lord.

17 Then Yahweh gave me another message. [He said, ]

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

18 “You human, tremble while you eat your food, and shudder fearfully while you drink your water.

Son of man, thy bread shalt thou eat with quaking, and thy water shalt thou drink with trembling and with anxious care.

19 Tell [this to] the Israeli people: 'This is what Yahweh the Lord says about those who are [still] living in Jerusalem and [other places in] Israel: They also will be very anxious/worried [DOU] while they eat their food and drink their water, because their country will [soon] have everything taken away. That will happen because the people who live there [continually] act [very] violently.

And thou shalt say unto the people of the land, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, [and] concerning the land of Israel, Their bread shall they eat with anxious care, and their water shall they drink with confusion, for the cause that her land will be desolate, deprived of its plenteousness because of the violence of all those that dwell therein.

20 The towns where people live will be devastated, and the land will become barren/empty. Then you people will know that it is I, Yahweh, [who have the power to do what I say that I will do].'”

And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid in ruins, and the land shall be made desolate: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

21 Yahweh gave me another message. [He said, ]

And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

22 “You human, the people in Israel have this proverb/saying: ‘The days pass, and [the prophets] predict never happens.’

Son of man, what sort of proverb is that which ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are lasting long, and lost is every vision?

23 So say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: I am going to prove that (what they say/that proverb) is not correct, and then they will never say that again in Israel.’ Tell them, ‘It will soon be the time when everything that the prophets have predicted will happen.

Therefore say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, I will cause this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but speak unto them, The days are coming nigh, and the word of every vision.

24 No longer [false prophets tell] to the Israeli people false visions, or prophecies that try to please people.

For there shall be no more any false vision and a deceptive divination within the house of Israel.

25 Instead, I, Yahweh, will say what I want to tell the people, and what I predict will quickly happen. You rebellious people, I will cause to happen everything that I say will happen. [That is what I, ] Yahweh the Lord, say.’”

For I am the Lord, —I do speak, and whatever word I do speak shall be done; it shall not be delayed any more; for in your days, O rebellious family, will I speak the word, and I will execute it, saith the Lord Eternal.

26 Yahweh also gave me this message:

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

27 “You human, the Israeli people are [constantly] saying [about you], ‘The things that he sees in [will not happen soon]. They are [things that will happen] many years from now, far in the future.’

Son of man, behold, the house of Israel say, The vision that he foreseeth is for distant days, and for times that are far off doth he prophesy.

28 Therefore say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord [DOU] says: I will no longer [causing to happen] any of the things that I have prophesied. Whatever I have predicted [very soon] happen.’”

Therefore say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, There shall not be delayed any more one of all my words; but whatever word I do speak shall be done, saith the Lord Eternal.