Ezekiel Dramatizes the Exile

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

³ “Now you, son of man, get your bags ready for exile and go into exile in their sight during the day. You will go into exile from your place to another place while they watch; perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house. ⁴ During the day, bring out your bags like an exile’s bags while they look on. Then in the evening go out in their sight like those going into exile. ⁵ As they watch, dig through the wall and take the bags out through it. ⁶ And while they look on, lift the bags to your shoulder and take them out in the dark; cover your face so that you cannot see the land. For I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.”^(D)

⁷ So I did just as I was commanded. In the daytime I brought out my bags like an exile’s bags. In the evening I dug through the wall by hand; I took them out in the dark, carrying them on my shoulder in their sight.

⁸ In the morning the word of the Lord came to me: ⁹ “Son of man, hasn’t the house of Israel, that rebellious house,^(E) asked you, ‘What are you doing?’ ^{(F) 10} Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: This pronouncement concerns the prince^[a] in Jerusalem and the whole house of Israel living there.’^{[b] 11} You are to say, ‘I am a sign for you. Just as I have done, it will be done to them; they will go into exile,^(G) into captivity.’ ¹² The prince who is among^(H) them will lift his bags to his shoulder in the dark and go out. They^[c] will dig through the wall to bring him out through it. He will cover his face so he cannot see the land with his eyes. ¹³ But I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, yet he will not see it,^(I) and he will die there. ¹⁴ I will also scatter all the attendants who surround him and all his troops to every direction of the wind,^(J) and I will draw a sword to chase after them. ¹⁵ They will know that I am the Lord^(K) when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries.^{(L) 16} But I will spare a few of them from the sword,^(M) famine, and plague, so that among the nations where they go they can tell about all their detestable practices. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”