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.’ ”
Símbolo del exilio
1La palabra del Señor vino a mí y me dijo: 2«Hijo de hombre, vives en medio de un pueblo rebelde. Tienen ojos para ver, pero no ven; tienen oídos para oír, pero no oyen. ¡Son un pueblo rebelde!
3»Por tanto, hijo de hombre, prepara tu equipaje para el exilio y a plena luz del día, a la vista de todos, saldrás como quien va exiliado a otro lugar. Tal vez así entiendan, aunque son un pueblo rebelde. 4Saca tu equipaje a plena luz del día, a la vista de todos, y al caer la tarde ponte en marcha, a la vista de todos, como quien va al exilio. 5También en presencia de todos, haz un hueco en la pared y sal por ahí con tu equipaje. 6Al llegar la noche, mientras todos te estén viendo, ponte en marcha con el equipaje al hombro. Cúbrete la cara para que no puedas ver la tierra, porque de ti he hecho un presagio para el pueblo de Israel».
7Hice lo que se me había mandado; a plena luz del día saqué mi equipaje, como quien va al exilio. Al caer la tarde cavé en el muro con mis propias manos y, al llegar la noche, en presencia de todos, salí con mi equipaje al hombro.
8Por la mañana el Señor me dirigió la palabra: 9«Hijo de hombre, con toda seguridad el pueblo rebelde de Israel te preguntará: “¿Qué estás haciendo?”. 10Pero tú explícales: “Así dice el Señor y Dios: ‘Este mensaje se refiere al pueblo de Israel que vive en Jerusalén y también a su príncipe’ ”. 11Diles: “Yo soy un presagio para ustedes.
»”Lo que hice yo, les va a pasar a ustedes, pues serán llevados cautivos al exilio”.
12»Su príncipe se echará el equipaje al hombro y saldrá de noche por la abertura que abrirán en el muro. Se cubrirá la cara para no ver la tierra. 13Le tenderé mis redes y caerá en mi trampa. Así lo llevaré a Babilonia, la tierra de los babilonios,12:13 Lit. caldeos. pero no podrá verla y allá morirá. 14Dispersaré a los cuatro vientos a todos los que lo rodean, tanto a sus ayudantes como a todas sus tropas, y los perseguiré espada en mano. 15Entonces sabrán que yo soy el Señor.
»Cuando los haya dispersado y esparcido por las naciones, 16dejaré que unos pocos de ellos se escapen de la espada, del hambre y de la plaga, para que en las naciones por donde vayan den cuenta de sus prácticas abominables. Entonces sabrán que yo soy el Señor».
17La palabra del Señor vino a mí y me dijo: 18«Hijo de hombre, tiembla al comer tu pan, y llénate de espanto y miedo al beber tu agua. 19Adviértele al pueblo que está en la tierra que así dice el Señor y Dios acerca de los que habitan en Jerusalén y en la tierra de Israel: “Con angustia comerán su pan y con terror beberán su agua. Por la violencia de sus habitantes la tierra será despojada de todo lo que hay en ella. 20Las ciudades habitadas serán arrasadas y su país quedará en ruinas. Entonces sabrán ustedes que yo soy el Señor”».
21La palabra del Señor vino a mí y me dijo: 22«Hijo de hombre, ¿qué quiere decir este refrán que se repite en la tierra de Israel: “Se cumple el tiempo, pero no la visión”? 23Por lo tanto, adviérteles que así dice el Señor y Dios: “Pondré fin a ese refrán y ya no volverán a repetirlo en Israel”. También diles: “Ya vienen los días en que se cumplirán las visiones. 24Pues ya no habrá visiones engañosas ni predicciones que susciten falsas expectativas en el pueblo de Israel. 25Porque yo, el Señor, hablaré y lo que diga se cumplirá sin retraso. Pueblo rebelde, mientras ustedes aún tengan vida, yo cumpliré mi palabra”», afirma el Señor y Dios.
26La palabra del Señor vino a mí y me dijo: 27«Hijo de hombre, el pueblo de Israel anda diciendo que tus visiones son para un futuro distante y que tus profecías son a largo plazo.
28»Por lo tanto, adviérteles que así dice el Señor y Dios: “Mis palabras se cumplirán sin retraso: yo cumpliré con lo que digo”», afirma el Señor y Dios.
