Ezekiel 12

12 ¹ The word of our Father came to me:

² "Son of man, you live among a rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house.

³ "So you, son of man, prepare for yourself baggage for exile, and go into exile by day in their sight. Go into exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will see, though they are a rebellious house. ⁴ "Bring out your baggage by day in their sight, as baggage for exile; and you yourself go out in the evening in their sight, like those going into exile. ⁵ "In their sight dig through the wall, and carry your baggage out through it. ⁶ "In their sight lift it on your shoulder and carry it 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."

⁷ So I did as I was commanded. I brought out my baggage by day, as baggage for exile, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands. I carried it out in the dark, lifting it on my shoulder in full view.

⁸ In the morning the word of our Father came to me:

⁹ "Son of man, has not the house of Israel, that rebellious house, asked you, 'What are you doing?' ¹⁰ "Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign Father says: This oracle concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are in it.'

¹¹ "Say, 'I am a sign for you. As I have done, so it will be done to them: into exile, into captivity they will go.' ¹² "The prince who is among them will lift his baggage on his shoulder in the dark and go out. They will dig through the wall to bring him out through it. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land with his eyes. ¹³ "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, and there he will die. ¹ 1 v13 The prince is Zedekiah, Judah's last king. He was captured fleeing Jerusalem and blinded before being taken to Babylon — so he reached the city but never saw it, exactly as foretold. ¹⁴ "And all who are around him, his helpers and all his troops, I will scatter to every wind, and I will draw the sword after them. ¹⁵ "And they will know that I am their Father, when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the lands. ¹⁶ "But I will spare a few of them from the sword, from famine and plague, so that they may recount all their detestable practices among the nations where they go. Then they will know that I am their Father."

¹⁷ Then the word of our Father came to me:

¹⁸ "Son of man, eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with shuddering and anxiety. ¹⁹ "And say to the people of the land, 'This is what the Sovereign Father says concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They will eat their bread in anxiety and drink their water in dismay, because their land will be stripped of all its fullness, on account of the violence of all who live in it. ²⁰ "The inhabited cities will be laid waste, and the land will become a desolation. Then you will know that I am your Father.'"

The Father Ends the Empty Proverb

²¹ Then the word of our Father came to me:

²² "Son of man, what is this proverb you have in the land of Israel, that says, 'The days drag on, and every vision comes to nothing'? ²³ "Therefore say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign Father says: I will put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.' Instead say to them, 'The days are near, and the fulfillment of every vision.' ²⁴ "For there will no longer be any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. ²⁵ "For I am your Father; I will speak the word that I will speak, and it will be done. It will no longer be delayed, for in your days, you rebellious house, I will speak a word and perform it, declares the Sovereign Father."

²⁶ Then the word of our Father came to me:

²⁷ "Son of man, look, the house of Israel is saying, 'The vision he sees is for many years from now; he prophesies of times far off.'

²⁸ "Therefore say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign Father says: None of my words will be delayed any longer. The word that I speak will be performed, declares the Sovereign Father.'"