Ezekiel 12
Living Bible
12 Again a message came to me from the Lord:
2 “Son of dust,” he said, “you live among rebels who could know the truth if they wanted to, but they don’t want to; they could hear me if they would listen, but they won’t, 3 for they are rebels. So now put on a demonstration to show them what being exiled will be like. Pack whatever you can carry on your back and leave your home—go somewhere else. Go in the daylight so they can see, for perhaps even yet they will consider what this means, even though they are such rebels. 4 Bring your baggage outside your house during the daylight so they can watch. Then leave the house at night, just as captives do when they begin their long march to distant lands. 5 Dig a tunnel through the city wall while they are observing and carry your possessions out through the hole. 6 As they watch, lift your pack to your shoulders and walk away into the night; muffle your face and don’t gaze around. All this is a sign to the people of Israel of the evil that will come upon Jerusalem.”
7 So I did as I was told. I brought my pack outside in the daylight—all I could take into exile—and in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands. I went out into the darkness with my pack on my shoulder while the people looked on. 8 The next morning this message came to me from the Lord:
9 “Son of dust, these rebels, the people of Israel, have asked what all this means. 10 Tell them the Lord God says it is a message to King Zedekiah[a] in Jerusalem and to all the people of Israel. 11 Explain that what you did was a demonstration of what is going to happen to them, for they shall be driven out of their homes and sent away into exile.
12 “Even King Zedekiah shall go out at night through a hole in the wall, taking only what he can carry with him, with muffled face, for he won’t be able to see.[b] 13 I will capture him in my net and bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans; but he shall not see it, and he shall die there. 14 I will scatter his servants and guards to the four winds and send the sword after them. 15 And when I scatter them among the nations, then they shall know I am the Lord. 16 But I will spare a few of them from death by war and famine and disease. I will save them to confess to the nations how wicked they have been, and they shall know I am the Lord.”
17 Then this message came to me from the Lord:
18 “Son of dust, tremble as you eat your meals; ration out your water as though it were your last, 19 and say to the people, the Lord God says that the people of Israel and Jerusalem shall ration their food with utmost care and sip their tiny portions of water in utter despair because of all their sins. 20 Your cities shall be destroyed and your farmlands deserted, and you shall know I am the Lord.”
21 Again a message came to me from the Lord:
22 “Son of dust, what is that proverb they quote in Israel—‘The days as they pass make liars out of every prophet.’ 23 The Lord God says: I will put an end to this proverb and they will soon stop saying it. Give them this one instead: ‘The time has come for all these prophecies to be fulfilled.’
24 “Then you will see what becomes of all the false predictions of safety and security for Jerusalem. 25 For I am the Lord! What I threaten always happens. There will be no more delays, O rebels of Israel! I will do it in your own lifetime!” says the Lord God.
26 Then this message came:
27 “Son of dust, the people of Israel say, ‘His visions won’t come true for a long, long time.’ 28 Therefore say to them: ‘The Lord God says: All delay has ended! I will do it now!’”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 12:10 to King Zedekiah, literally, “to the prince in Jerusalem.”
- Ezekiel 12:12 for he won’t be able to see, literally, “that he may not see the land with his eyes.” Apparently a reference to the fact that his eyes were put out before he was taken to Babylon; see Jeremiah 52:11. Also in v. 13.
Ezekiel 12
English Standard Version
Judah's Captivity Symbolized
12 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 (A)“Son of man, you dwell in the midst of (B)a rebellious house, (C)who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not, for they are (D)a rebellious house. 3 As for you, son of man, prepare for yourself (E)an exile's baggage, and go into exile by day (F)in their sight. You shall go like an exile from your place to another place (G)in their sight. (H)Perhaps they will understand, though[a] they are a rebellious house. 4 You shall bring out your baggage by day in their sight, as baggage for exile, and you shall go out yourself (I)at evening in their sight, as those do who must go into exile. 5 In their sight (J)dig through the wall, and bring your baggage out through it. 6 In their sight you shall lift the baggage upon your shoulder and carry it out at dusk. You shall cover your face that you may not see the land, for I have made you (K)a sign for the house of Israel.”
7 (L)And I did as I was commanded. (M)I brought out my baggage by day, as baggage for exile, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my own hands. I brought out my baggage at dusk, carrying it on my shoulder in their sight.
8 In the morning the word of the Lord came to me: 9 (N)“Son of man, has not the house of Israel, (O)the rebellious house, said to you, (P)‘What are you doing?’ 10 Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: This oracle concerns[b] (Q)the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are in it.’[c] 11 Say, (R)‘I am a sign for you: (S)as I have done, so shall it be done to them. They shall go into exile, into captivity.’ 12 (T)And the prince who is among them shall lift his baggage upon his shoulder at dusk, and shall go out. (U)They shall dig through the wall to bring him out through it. (V)He shall cover his face, that he may not see the land with his eyes. 13 (W)And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare. And (X)I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, (Y)yet he shall not see it, and he shall die there. 14 (Z)And I will scatter toward every wind all who are around him, his helpers and all his troops, (AA)and I will unsheathe the sword after them. 15 (AB)And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries. 16 (AC)But I will let a few of them escape from the sword, from famine and pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the nations where they go, (AD)and may know that I am the Lord.”
17 And the word of the Lord came to me: 18 (AE)“Son of man, (AF)eat your bread with quaking, and drink water with trembling and with anxiety. 19 And say to the people of the land, Thus says the Lord God concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: (AG)They shall eat their bread with anxiety, (AH)and drink water in dismay. In this way (AI)her land will be stripped of all it contains, (AJ)on account of the violence of all those who dwell in it. 20 (AK)And the inhabited cities shall be laid waste, and the land shall become a desolation; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
21 And the word of the Lord came to me: 22 “Son of man, (AL)what is this proverb that you[d] have about the land of Israel, saying, (AM)‘The days grow long, and every vision comes to nothing’? 23 Tell them therefore, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will put an end to this proverb, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.’ But say to them, (AN)The days are near, and the fulfillment[e] of every vision. 24 (AO)For there shall be no more any (AP)false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. 25 For I am the Lord; I will speak (AQ)the word that I will speak, and it will be performed. (AR)It will no longer be delayed, but in your days, (AS)O rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it, declares the Lord God.”
26 And the word of the Lord came to me: 27 “Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, (AT)‘The vision that he sees is (AU)for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’ 28 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord God: (AV)None of my words will be delayed any longer, (AW)but the word that I speak will be performed, declares the Lord God.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 12:3 Or will see that
- Ezekiel 12:10 Or This burden is
- Ezekiel 12:10 Hebrew in the midst of them
- Ezekiel 12:22 The Hebrew for you is plural
- Ezekiel 12:23 Hebrew word
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