⁹ “Son of man, did not the Israelites, that rebellious people, ask you, ‘What are you doing?’^(A)

¹⁹ Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things have to do with us?^(A) Why are you acting like this?”

¹² “Say to this rebellious people, ‘Do you not know what these things mean?^(A)’ Say to them: ‘The king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and carried off her king and her nobles,^(B) bringing them back with him to Babylon.^(C)

⁴⁹ Then I said, “Sovereign Lord,^(A) they are saying of me, ‘Isn’t he just telling parables?^(B)’”^[a]

The Exile Symbolized

12 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people.^(A) They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.^(B)

³ “Therefore, son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in the daytime, as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another place. Perhaps^(C) they will understand,^(D) though they are a rebellious people.^(E)