Ezechiele 12

Conferenza Episcopale Italiana

L'imitazione dell'emigrante

12 Questa parola del Signore mi fu riferita: ²«Figlio dell'uomo, tu abiti in mezzo a una genìa di ribelli, che hanno occhi per vedere e non vedono, hanno orecchi per udire e non odono, perché sono una genìa di ribelli.

³Tu, figlio dell'uomo, fà il tuo bagaglio da deportato e, di giorno davanti ai loro occhi, prepàrati a emigrare; emigrerai dal luogo dove stai verso un altro luogo, davanti ai loro occhi: forse comprenderanno che sono una genìa di ribelli. ⁴Prepara di giorno il tuo bagaglio, come il bagaglio d'un esiliato, davanti ai loro occhi; uscirai però al tramonto, davanti a loro, come partirebbe un esiliato. ⁵Fà alla loro presenza un'apertura nel muro ed esci di lì. ⁶Mettiti alla loro presenza il bagaglio sulle spalle ed esci nell'oscurità: ti coprirai la faccia in modo da non vedere il paese, perché io ho fatto di te un simbolo per gli Israeliti».

⁷Io feci come mi era stato comandato: preparai di giorno il mio bagaglio come il bagaglio d'un esiliato e sul tramonto feci un foro nel muro con le mani, uscii nell'oscurità e mi misi il bagaglio sulle spalle sotto i loro occhi.

⁸Al mattino mi fu rivolta questa parola del Signore: ⁹«Figlio dell'uomo, non t'ha chiesto il popolo d'Israele, quella genìa di ribelli, che cosa stai facendo? ¹⁰Rispondi loro: Così dice il Signore Dio: Quest'oracolo è per il principe di Gerusalemme e per tutti gli Israeliti che vi abitano.

¹¹Tu dirai: Io sono un simbolo per voi; infatti quello che ho fatto a te, sarà fatto a loro; saranno deportati e andranno in schiavitù. ¹²Il principe, che è in mezzo a loro si caricherà il bagaglio sulle spalle, nell'oscurità, e uscirà per la breccia che verrà fatta nel muro per farlo partire; si coprirà il viso, per non vedere con gli occhi il paese. ¹³Ma io tenderò la mia rete contro di lui ed egli rimarrà preso nei miei lacci: lo condurrò in Babilonia, nel paese dei Caldei, ma egli non la vedrà e là morirà. ¹⁴Disperderò ad ogni vento quanti sono intorno a lui, le sue guardie e tutte le sue truppe, e snuderò dietro a loro la spada. ¹⁵Allora sapranno che io sono il Signore, quando li avrò dispersi fra le genti e li avrò disseminati in paesi stranieri. ¹⁶Tuttavia ne risparmierò alcuni, superstiti alla spada, alla fame e alla peste, perché raccontino tutte le loro scelleratezze alle genti fra le quali andranno e anch'esse sappiano che io sono il Signore».

¹⁷Mi fu rivolta ancora questa parola del Signore: ¹⁸«Figlio dell'uomo, mangia il pane con paura e bevi l'acqua con trepidazione e con angoscia. ¹⁹Al popolo del paese dirai: Così dice il Signore Dio agli abitanti di Gerusalemme, al paese d'Israele: Mangeranno il loro pane nell'angoscia e berranno la loro acqua nella desolazione, perché la loro terra sarà spogliata della sua abbondanza per l'empietà di tutti i suoi abitanti. ²⁰Le città popolose saranno distrutte e la campagna ridotta a un deserto: saprete che io sono il Signore».

Proverbi popolari

²¹Mi fu ancora rivolta questa parola del Signore: ²²«Figlio dell'uomo, che cos'è questo proverbio che si va ripetendo nel paese di Israele: Passano i giorni e ogni visione svanisce? ²³Ebbene, riferisci loro: Così dice il Signore Dio: Farò cessare questo proverbio e non si sentirà più ripetere in Israele; anzi riferisci loro: Si avvicinano i giorni in cui si avvererà ogni visione.

²⁴Infatti non ci sarà più visione falsa, né predizione fallace in mezzo agli Israeliti, ²⁵perché io, il Signore, parlerò e attuerò senza indugio la parola che ho detta. Anzi, ai vostri giorni, o genìa di ribelli, pronunzierò una parola e l'attuerò: parola del Signore Dio».

²⁶Mi fu rivolta ancora questa parola del Signore: ²⁷«Figlio dell'uomo, ecco, gli Israeliti van dicendo: La visione che costui vede è per i giorni futuri; costui predice per i tempi lontani. ²⁸Ebbene, riferisci loro: Dice il Signore Dio: Non sarà ritardata più a lungo ogni mia parola: la parola che dirò l'eseguirò. Oracolo del Signore Dio».

Ezekiel 12

King James Version

12 The 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.

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.

⁵Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.

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.

⁸And 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.

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.

¹⁷Moreover 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.

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.

²¹And 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.

²⁶Again 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.

Ezekiel 12

New King James Version

Judah’s Captivity Portrayed

12 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying: ²“Son of man, you dwell in the midst of ^(A)a rebellious house, which ^(B)has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; ^(C)for they are a rebellious house.

³“Therefore, son of man, prepare your belongings for captivity, and go into captivity by day in their sight. You shall go from your place into captivity to another place in their sight. It may be that they will consider, though they are a rebellious house. ⁴By day you shall bring out your belongings in their sight, as though going into captivity; and at evening you shall go in their sight, like those who go into captivity. ⁵Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry your belongings out through it. ⁶In their sight you shall bear them on your shoulders and carry them out at twilight; you shall cover your face, so that you cannot see the ground, ^(D)for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.”

⁷So I did as I was commanded. I brought out my belongings by day, as though going into captivity, and at evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I brought them out at twilight, and I bore them on my shoulder in their sight.

⁸And in the morning the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ⁹“Son of man, has not the house of Israel, ^(E)the rebellious house, said to you, ^(F)‘What are you doing?’ ¹⁰Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “This ^(G)burden^[a] concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are among them.” ’ ¹¹Say, ^(H)‘I am a sign to you. As I have done, so shall it be done to them; ^(I)they shall be carried away into captivity.’ ¹²And ^(J)the prince who is among them shall bear his belongings on his shoulder at twilight and go out. They shall dig through the wall to carry them out through it. He shall cover his face, so that he cannot see the ground with his eyes. ¹³I will also spread My ^(K)net over him, and he shall be caught in My snare. ^(L)I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he shall not see it, though he shall die there. ¹⁴^(M)I will scatter to every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his troops; and ^(N)I will draw out the sword after them.

¹⁵^(O)“Then they shall know that I am the Lord, when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. ¹⁶^(P)But I will spare a few of their men from the sword, from famine, and from pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the Gentiles wherever they go. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.”

Judgment Not Postponed

¹⁷Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ¹⁸“Son of man, ^(Q)eat your bread with ^[b]quaking, and drink your water with trembling and anxiety. ¹⁹And say to the people of the land, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the land of Israel: “They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink their water with dread, so that her land may ^(R)be emptied of all who are in it, ^(S)because of the violence of all those who dwell in it. ²⁰Then the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall become desolate; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”

²¹And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ²²“Son of man, what is this proverb that you people have about the land of Israel, which says, ^(T)‘The days are prolonged, and every vision fails’? ²³Tell them therefore, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I will lay this proverb to rest, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.” ’ But say to them, ‘ ^(U)“The days are at hand, and the ^[c]fulfillment of every vision. ²⁴For ^(V)no more shall there be any ^(W)false^[d] vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. ²⁵For I am the Lord. I speak, and ^(X)the word which I speak will come to pass; it will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and ^(Y)perform it,” says the Lord God.’ ”

²⁶Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ²⁷^(Z)“Son of man, look, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is ^(AA)for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’ ²⁸^(AB)Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “None of My words will be postponed any more, but the word which I speak ^(AC)will be done,” says the Lord God.’ ”