Judah’s Captivity Portrayed

12 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not; ³ for they are a rebellious house. Therefore, son of man, prepare for yourself an exile’s baggage, and go into exile by day in their sight; you shall go like an exile from your place to another place in their sight. 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 forth yourself at evening in their sight, as men do who must go into exile. ⁵ Dig through the wall in their sight, and go^[b] out through it. ⁶ In their sight you shall lift the baggage upon your shoulder, and carry it out in the dark; you shall cover your face, that you may not see the land; for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel.”

⁷ And I did as I was commanded. 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 went forth in the dark, carrying my outfit upon my shoulder in their sight.

⁸ In the morning the word of the Lord came to me: ⁹ “Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’ ¹⁰ Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: This oracle concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are in it.’^{[c] 11} Say, ‘I am a sign for you: as I have done, so shall it be done to them; they shall go into exile, into captivity.’ ¹² And the prince who is among them shall lift his baggage upon his shoulder in the dark, and shall go forth; he^[d] shall dig through the wall and go^[e] out through it; he shall cover his face, that he may not see the land with his eyes. ¹³ And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare; and I will bring him to Babylon in the land of the Chalde′ans, yet he shall not see it; and he shall die there. ¹⁴ And I will scatter toward every wind all who are round about him, his helpers^[f] and all his troops; and I will unsheathe the sword after them. ¹⁵ And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries. ¹⁶ But I will let a few of them escape from the sword, from famine and pestilence, that they may confess all their abominations among the nations where they go, and may know that I am the Lord.”