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.’ ”
1The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying, 2Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house. 3Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house.12.3 stuff: or, instruments 4Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing: and thou shalt go forth at even in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity.12.4 as they…: Heb. as the goings forth of captivity 5Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.12.5 Dig…: Heb. Dig for thee 6In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel. 7And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the even I digged through the wall with mine hand; I brought it forth in the twilight, and I bare it upon my shoulder in their sight.12.7 digged: Heb. digged for me
8¶ And in the morning came the word of the LORD unto me, saying, 9Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou? 10Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them. 11Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove and go into captivity.12.11 they…: Heb. by removing go into captivity 12And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes. 13My 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. 14And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them. 15And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries. 16But 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 heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD.12.16 a few…: Heb. men of number
17¶ Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 18Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness; 19And say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.12.19 all that…: Heb. the fulness thereof 20And 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 unto me, saying, 22Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? 23Tell 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 effect of every vision. 24For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel. 25For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD.
26¶ Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 27Son 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 the times that are far off. 28Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.
