Ezekiel 12

¹Now the word of the Lord

²“Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; 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, 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

⁹“Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’

¹⁰Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God

¹¹Say, ‘I am a sign to you. As I have done, so shall it be done to them; they shall be carried away into captivity.’

¹²And 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 net over him, and he shall be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he shall not see it, though he shall die there.

¹⁴I will scatter to every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his troops; and I will draw out the sword after them.

¹⁵“Then they shall know that I am the Lord

¹⁶But 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

¹⁷Moreover the word of the Lord

¹⁸“Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and anxiety.

¹⁹And say to the people of the land, ‘Thus says the Lord God

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

²²“Son of man, what is this proverb that you people have about the land of Israel, which says, ‘The days are prolonged, and every vision fails’?

²³Tell them therefore, ‘Thus says the Lord God

²⁴For no more shall there be any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel.

²⁵For I am the Lord

²⁶Again the word of the Lord

²⁷“Son of man, look, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’

²⁸Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God