1 Then the word of the Loʀᴅ came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, you live in the AIs 6:5midst of the BPs 78:40; Is 1:23; Ezek 2:7, 8rebellious house, who CIs 6:9f; 43:8; Jer 5:21; Matt 13:13, 14; Mark 4:12; 8:18; Luke 8:10; John 9:39-41; 12:40; Acts 28:26f; Rom 11:8have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house. 3  “Therefore, son of man, prepare for yourself baggage for exile and go into exile by day in their sight; even go into exile from your place to another place in their sight. AJer 26:3; 36:3, 7; Luke 20:13; 2 Tim 2:25Perhaps they will 1Or see that they areunderstand though they are a rebellious house. 4  “Bring your baggage out by day in their sight, as baggage for exile. Then you will go out A2 Kin 25:4; Jer 39:4; Ezek 12:12at evening in their sight, as those going into exile. 5  “Dig a hole through the wall in their sight and 1Lit bring it outgo out through it. 6  “Load the baggage on your shoulder in their sight and carry it out in the dark. You shall A1 Sam 28:8; Ezek 12:12, 13cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have set you as a BIs 8:18; 20:3; Ezek 4:3; 12:11; 24:24sign to the house of Israel.”

7 I AEzek 24:18; 37:7, 10did so, as I had been commanded. By day I BEzek 12:3-6brought out my baggage like the baggage of an exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands; I went out in the dark and carried the baggage on my shoulder in their sight.

8 In the morning the word of the Loʀᴅ came to me, saying, 9 “Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the AEzek 2:5-8; 12:1-3rebellious house, said to you, ‘BEzek 17:12; 20:49; 24:19What are you doing?’ 10  “Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord 1Heb YHWH, usually rendered Loʀᴅ, and so throughout the chGoᴅ, “This 2Or oracleA2 Kin 9:25; Is 13:1; Ezek 12:3-8burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem as well as all the house of Israel who are 3Lit in their midstin it.” ’ 11  “Say, ‘I am 1Lit your signa AEzek 12:6sign to you. As I have done, so it will be done to them; they will BJer 15:2; 52:15, 28-30; Ezek 12:3go into exile, into captivity.’ 12  “The A2 Kin 25:4; Jer 39:4; 52:7; Ezek 12:6prince who is among them will load his baggage on his shoulder in the dark and go out. 1I.e. the king’s attendantsThey will dig a hole through the wall to bring it out. He will cover his face so that he can not see the land with his eyes. 13  “I will also spread My AIs 24:17, 18; Ezek 17:20; 19:8; Hos 7:12net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. And I will bring him to Babylon in the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will BJer 39:7; 52:11not see it, though he will die there. 14  “I will A2 Kin 25:4, 5; Ezek 5:2; 17:21scatter to every wind all who are around him, his helpers and all his troops; and I will draw out a sword after them. 15  “So they will AEzek 6:7, 14; 12:16, 20know that I am the Loʀᴅ when I scatter them among the nations and spread them among the countries. 16  “But I will 1Lit leave overspare a few of them from the AEzek 7:15; 14:21sword, the famine and the pestilence that they may tell all their abominations among the nations where they go, and 2Or they will knowmay BJer 22:8, 9know that I am the Loʀᴅ.”

17 Moreover, the word of the Loʀᴅ came to me saying, 18 “Son of man, ALam 5:9; Ezek 4:16eat your bread with trembling and drink your water with quivering and anxiety. 19  “Then say to the people of the land, ‘Thus says the Lord Goᴅ concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel, “They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water with horror, because 1Lit hertheir land will be 2Lit desolateAJer 10:22; Ezek 6:6, 7, 14; Mic 7:13; Zech 7:14stripped of its fullness on account of the violence of all who live in it. 20  “The inhabited AIs 3:26; Jer 4:7; Ezek 5:14cities will be laid waste and the BIs 7:23, 24; Jer 25:9; Ezek 36:3land will be a desolation. So you will know that I am the Loʀᴅ.” ’ ”

21 Then the word of the Loʀᴅ came to me, saying, 22 “Son of man, what is this AEzek 16:44; 18:2, 3proverb you people have concerning the land of Israel, saying, ‘The BJer 5:12; Ezek 11:3; 12:27; Amos 6:3; 2 Pet 3:4days are long and every CEzek 7:26vision fails’? 23  “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Goᴅ, “I will make this proverb cease so that they will no longer use it as a proverb in Israel.” But tell them, “APs 37:13; Joel 2:1; Zeph 1:14The days draw near as well as the 1Lit wordfulfillment of every vision. 24  “For there will no longer be any 1Lit vainAJer 14:13-16; Ezek 13:6, 23; Zech 13:2-4false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. 25  “For I the Loʀᴅ will speak, and whatever ANum 14:28-34; Is 14:24; Ezek 6:10; 12:28word I speak will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, for in BJer 16:9; Hab 1:5your days, O CEzek 12:2rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it,” declares the Lord Goᴅ.’ ”

26 Furthermore, the word of the Loʀᴅ came to me, saying, 27 “Son of man, behold, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for AEzek 12:22; Dan 10:14many 1Lit daysyears from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’ 28  “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Goᴅ, “None of My words will be delayed any longer. Whatever word I speak will be performed,” ’ ” declares the Lord Goᴅ.