Ezekiel Gives a Picture of What Will Happen
1A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 2“Son of man, you are living among people who refuse to obey me. They have eyes that can see. But they do not really see. They have ears that can hear. But they do not really hear. They refuse to obey me.
3“Son of man, pack your belongings as if you were going on a long trip. Leave in the daytime. Let the people see you. Start out from where you are. Go to another place. Perhaps they will understand the meaning of what you are doing. But they will still refuse to obey me. 4Bring out your belongings packed for a long trip. Do this during the daytime. Let the people see you. Then in the evening, pretend you are being forced to leave home. Let the people see you. 5While the people are watching, dig through the mud bricks of your house. Then take your belongings out through the hole in the wall. 6Put them on your shoulder. Carry them out at sunset. Let the people see you. Cover your face so you can’t see the land. All of that will show the Israelites what is going to happen to them.”
7So I did just as he commanded me. During the day I brought out my things as if I were going on a long trip. In the evening I dug through the wall of my house with my hands. At sunset I took my belongings out. I put them on my shoulders. The people watched what I was doing.
8In the morning a message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 9“Son of man, didn’t the Israelites ask you, ‘What are you doing?’ They always refuse to obey me.
10“Tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “This prophecy is about Zedekiah, the prince in Jerusalem. It is also about all the Israelites who still live there.” ’ 11Tell them, ‘The things I’ve done are a picture of what’s going to happen to you.
“ ‘So what I’ve done will happen to you. You will be forced to leave home. You will be taken to Babylon as prisoners.’
12“The prince among them will put his things on his shoulder and leave. He will do this at sunset. Someone will dig a hole in the city wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so he can’t see the land. 13I will spread out my net to catch him. He will be caught in my trap. I will bring him to Babylon. It is the land where the Chaldeans live. But he will not see it. He will die there. 14I will scatter to the winds all those around him. I will scatter his officials and all his troops. And I will chase them with a sword that is ready to strike them down.
15“They will know that I am the Lord when I scatter them among the nations. I will send them to other countries. 16But I will spare a few of them. I will save them from war, hunger and plague. In those countries they will admit they have done all kinds of evil things. I hate those things. They will know that I am the Lord.”
17A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 18“Son of man, tremble with fear as you eat your food. Tremble as you drink your water. 19Speak to the people of the land. Say to them, ‘Here is what the Lord and King says. He says this about those who live in Jerusalem and Israel. “They will be worried as they eat their food. They will not have any hope as they drink their water. Their land will be stripped of everything in it because all those who live there are harming one another. 20The towns where people live will be completely destroyed. The land will become a dry and empty desert. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”
The Lord’s Judgment Will Come Soon
21A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 22“Son of man, you have a proverb in the land of Israel. It says, ‘The days go by, and not even one vision comes true.’ 23Tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “I am going to put an end to this proverb. They will not use that saying in Israel anymore.” ’ Tell them, ‘The days are coming soon when every vision will come true. 24There will be no more false visions. People will no longer use magic to find out whether good things are going to happen in Israel. 25I am the Lord. So I will say what I want to. And it will come true when I want it to. In your days I will do everything I say I will. But you people always refuse to obey me,’ announces the Lord and King.”
26A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 27“Son of man, the Israelites are saying, ‘The vision Ezekiel sees won’t come true for many years. He is prophesying about a time that is a long way off.’
28“So tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “Everything I say will come true. It will happen when I want it to,” announces the Lord and King.’ ”
被擄的預兆
1耶和華對我說： 2「人子啊，你住在叛逆的人當中。他們有眼睛卻視而不見，有耳朵卻聽而不聞，因為他們是叛逆的人。 3所以，人子啊，你要準備流亡的行裝，在白天當著他們的面從你住的地方搬到別處。他們雖然叛逆，或許還會明白其中的意思。 4你要在白天當著他們的面把預備流亡的行裝拿出來，你要在晚上當著他們的面像流亡的人一樣出去。 5你要當著他們的面在牆上挖一個洞，帶著行裝鑽出去。 6你要在天黑時當著他們的面背著行裝出發。你要蒙著臉使自己看不見地，因為我要使你成為以色列人被擄的預兆。」
7於是，我遵命而行。白天我把預備流亡的行裝拿出來，晚上用手挖通了牆，當著他們的面背著行裝在夜色中出發。
8第二天早晨，耶和華對我說： 9「人子啊，那些叛逆的以色列人不是問你在做什麽嗎？ 10你要對他們說，『主耶和華說，這是關於耶路撒冷的首領和城中以色列人的預兆。』 11你要說，『我就是給你們的預兆，我所做的必發生在你們身上，你們必被擄流亡。』 12他們當中的首領必在黑夜背著行裝出發，在牆上挖洞鑽出去，而且必蒙著臉，看不見地。 13我必撒開網羅捕捉他，把他帶到迦勒底人的巴比倫。他必看不見那地方，卻要死在那裡。 14我要把他周圍的隨從和所有軍隊驅散到四方，並且拔刀追殺他們。 15當我把他們驅趕到各國，分散到列邦時，他們就知道我是耶和華。 16然而，我要使他們當中一些人免遭刀劍、饑荒和瘟疫，使他們可以在各國供述自己一切可憎的事。他們就知道我是耶和華。」
17耶和華對我說： 18「人子啊，你要戰戰兢兢地吃飯，惶惶恐恐地喝水， 19然後對這地方的人說，『關於耶路撒冷和以色列的居民，主耶和華這樣說，他們必焦慮不安地吃飯，惶恐不已地喝水，他們的土地必因其中居民的暴行而荒無人煙。 20他們居住的城邑必淪為廢墟，土地必一片荒涼，他們就知道我是耶和華。』」
21耶和華對我說： 22「人子啊，你們以色列有一句俗語，『光陰流逝，異象都落空。』 23主耶和華這樣宣告，我要廢掉這句俗語，使它從以色列人的口中消失。你要對他們說，『日子已近，異象都要應驗。』 24在以色列人中必不再有虛假的異象和諂媚的預言。 25我是耶和華，我的話都必實現，決不遲延。你們這叛逆的人啊，我說的話必在你們有生之年應驗！」這是主耶和華說的。
26耶和華對我說： 27「人子啊，你看，以色列人在說，『他見的異象是關乎多年後的事，他說的預言是針對遙遠的未來。』 28因此，你要對他們說，『主耶和華這樣說，我的話必應驗，不再遲延。』這是主耶和華說的。」
