Ezekiel 12
New Living Translation
Signs of the Coming Exile
12 Again a message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of man, you live among rebels who have eyes but refuse to see. They have ears but refuse to hear. For they are a rebellious people.
3 “So now, son of man, pretend you are being sent into exile. Pack the few items an exile could carry, and leave your home to go somewhere else. Do this right in front of the people so they can see you. For perhaps they will pay attention to this, even though they are such rebels. 4 Bring your baggage outside during the day so they can watch you. Then in the evening, as they are watching, leave your house as captives do when they begin a long march to distant lands. 5 Dig a hole through the wall while they are watching and go out through it. 6 As they watch, lift your pack to your shoulders and walk away into the night. Cover your face so you cannot see the land you are leaving. For I have made you a sign for the people of Israel.”
7 So I did as I was told. In broad daylight I brought my pack outside, filled with the things I might carry into exile. Then in the evening while the people looked on, I dug through the wall with my hands and went out into the night with my pack on my shoulder.
8 The next morning this message came to me from the Lord: 9 “Son of man, these rebels, the people of Israel, have asked you what all this means. 10 Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: These actions contain a message for King Zedekiah in Jerusalem[a] and for all the people of Israel.’ 11 Explain that your actions are a sign to show what will soon happen to them, for they will be driven into exile as captives.
12 “Even Zedekiah will leave Jerusalem at night through a hole in the wall, taking only what he can carry with him. He will cover his face, and his eyes will not see the land he is leaving. 13 Then I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Babylonians,[b] though he will never see it, and he will die there. 14 I will scatter his servants and warriors to the four winds and send the sword after them. 15 And when I scatter them among the nations, they will know that I am the Lord. 16 But I will spare a few of them from death by war, famine, or disease, so they can confess all their detestable sins to their captors. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
17 Then this message came to me from the Lord: 18 “Son of man, tremble as you eat your food. Shake with fear as you drink your water. 19 Tell the people, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says concerning those living in Israel and Jerusalem: They will eat their food with trembling and sip their water in despair, for their land will be stripped bare because of their violence. 20 The cities will be destroyed and the farmland made desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
A New Proverb for Israel
21 Again a message came to me from the Lord: 22 “Son of man, you’ve heard that proverb they quote in Israel: ‘Time passes, and prophecies come to nothing.’ 23 Tell the people, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will put an end to this proverb, and you will soon stop quoting it.’ Now give them this new proverb to replace the old one: ‘The time has come for every prophecy to be fulfilled!’
24 “There will be no more false visions and flattering predictions in Israel. 25 For I am the Lord! If I say it, it will happen. There will be no more delays, you rebels of Israel. I will fulfill my threat of destruction in your own lifetime. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
26 Then this message came to me from the Lord: 27 “Son of man, the people of Israel are saying, ‘He’s talking about the distant future. His visions won’t come true for a long, long time.’ 28 Therefore, tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: No more delay! I will now do everything I have threatened. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!’”
Ezekiel 12
Legacy Standard Bible
The Vision of Captivity
12 Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, you live in the (A)midst of the (B)rebellious house, who (C)have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house. 3 Now as for you, 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. (D)Perhaps they will see, 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 (E)at evening in their sight, as those going into exile. 5 In their sight, dig a hole through the wall and [a]go out through it. 6 In their sight, carry the baggage on your shoulder and bring it out in the dark. You shall (F)cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have set you as a (G)wondrous sign to the house of Israel.”
7 I (H)did so, as I had been commanded. By day I (I)brought 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 And in the morning the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 9 “Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the (J)rebellious house, said to you, ‘(K)What are you doing?’ 10 Say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “This [b](L)oracle concerns the prince in Jerusalem as well as all the house of Israel who are [c]in it.”’ 11 Say, ‘I am [d]a (M)wondrous sign to you. As I have done, so it will be done to them; they will (N)go into exile, into captivity.’ 12 The (O)prince who is among them will carry his baggage on his shoulder in the dark and go out. [e]They will dig a hole through the wall to bring it out. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land with his eyes. 13 I will also spread My (P)net 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 (Q)not see it, though he will die there. 14 And I will (R)scatter 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 (S)know that I am Yahweh when I scatter them among the nations and spread them among the countries. 16 But I will [f]spare a few of them from (T)sword, famine, and pestilence that they may recount all their abominations among the nations where they go, and [g]may (U)know that I am Yahweh.”
17 Moreover, the word of Yahweh came to me saying, 18 “Son of man, (V)you shall eat your bread with trembling and drink your water with quivering and anxiety. 19 Then you will say to the people of the land, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel, “They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water with desolation because [h]their very soil will be (W)made desolate of its fullness on account of the violence of all who inhabit it. 20 The inhabited (X)cities will be laid waste, and the (Y)land will be a desolation. So you will know that I am Yahweh.”’”
21 Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 22 “Son of man, what is this (Z)proverb you people have concerning the land of Israel, saying, ‘The (AA)days are long, and every (AB)vision fails’? 23 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “I will make this proverb cease so that they will no longer use it as a proverb in Israel.” But speak to them, “(AC)The days draw near as well as the [i]fulfillment of every vision. 24 For there will no longer be any (AD)worthless vision or flattering divination in the midst of the house of Israel. 25 For I, Yahweh, will speak, and whatever (AE)word I speak will be done. It will no longer be delayed, for in (AF)your days, O (AG)rebellious house, I will speak the word and do it,” declares Lord Yahweh.’”
26 Furthermore, the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 27 “Son of man, behold, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he beholds is for (AH)many [j]years from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’ 28 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “None of My words will be delayed any longer. Whatever word I speak will be done,”’” declares Lord Yahweh.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 12:5 Lit bring it out
- Ezekiel 12:10 Or burden, what is carried; cf. 12:6-7, 12
- Ezekiel 12:10 Lit in their midst
- Ezekiel 12:11 Lit your sign
- Ezekiel 12:12 Possibly the king’s attendants
- Ezekiel 12:16 Lit leave over from them men few in number
- Ezekiel 12:16 Or they will know
- Ezekiel 12:19 Lit her
- Ezekiel 12:23 Lit word
- Ezekiel 12:27 Lit days
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