Yechezkel - Chapter 12

1. Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

2. "Son of man, you are dwelling in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, who have ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house.

3. And you, son of man, make yourself implements for exile, and go into exile day by day before their eyes, and you shall go into exile from your place to another place before their eyes; perhaps they will see, for a rebellious house are they.

4. And you shall bring out your implements as implements for exile day by day before their eyes, and you shall go out in the evening before their eyes like the departures of exile.

5. Before their eyes, dig for yourself in the wall, and bring out through it.

6. Before their eyes, on [your] shoulder you shall carry; in the dark you shall bring [them] out; you shall cover your face and not see the earth, for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel.

7. And I did so, as I was commanded; I brought out my implements as implements for exile, from day to day, and in the evening I dug for myself in the wall by hand. In the darkness, I brought [them] out; on [my] shoulder I carried [them] before their eyes.

8. Then the word of the Lord came to me in the morning, saying:

9. "Son of man, have not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, 'What are you doing?'

10. Say to them, So said the Lord God: [Concerning] the prince is this burden [of prophecy]-in Jerusalem, and [concerning] all the house of Israel who are in their midst.

11. Say; I am your sign-as I have done, so will be done to them; in exile, in captivity, they shall go.

12. And the prince, who is among them, will carry on [his] shoulder in the dark and go out; they will dig in the wall to bring out through it. He will cover his face in order not to see the earth with his eyes.

13. And I shall spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My trap, and I shall bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, but he will not see it, and there he will die.

14. And all those around him, his aides and all his officers, I will scatter to every direction, and I will draw a sword [chasing] after them.

15. And they will know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations, and I will scatter them among the lands.

16. And I shall spare from them a few men from the sword, from the famine, and from pestilence, so that they will tell of all their abominations, in the nations where they have come, and they will know that I am the Lord."

17. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

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

19. And you shall say to the people of the land: So said the Lord God about the dwellers of Jerusalem, on the land of Israel: Their bread they will eat with anxiety, and their water they will drink in desolation, so that their land will become desolate of its fullness because of the violence of all who dwell therein.

20. And the inhabited cities will be in ruin, and the land will be desolate, and you will know that I am the Lord."

21. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

22. "Son of man, what is this proverb of yours about the land of Israel, saying, 'The days will draw on, and all prophecy will be lost'?

23. Therefore say to them, So said the Lord God: I have abolished this proverb, and they shall no longer use it as a proverb in Israel, but speak to them, [saying,] 'The days have drawn near, and [so has] the word of every prophecy.'

24. For there will never again be any false prophecy or glib divination in the midst of the house of Israel.

25. For I, the Lord, shall speak: That [of] which I shall speak a word, will be performed; it will not be drawn out any longer, for in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak a word and I shall perform it," says the Lord God.

26. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

27. "Son of man, behold the house of Israel are saying, 'The prophecy that he is prophesying is for many days,and for far off times is he prophesying.'

28. Therefore say to them: So said the Lord God: None of My words will be drawn out any longer, for I shall speak a word, and it will be performed, says the Lord God."