Ezekiel 12

The Sign of the Exile and the Prophet's Symbolic Actions

4 min read

1 The word of the LORD also came to me, saying,
2 Son of man, you dwell in the middle of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.
3 Therefore, you son of man, prepare you stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and you shall remove from your place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house.
4 Then shall you bring forth your stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing: and you shall go forth at even in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity.
5 Dig you through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.
6 In their sight shall you bear it on your shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: you shall cover your face, that you see not the ground: for I have set you for a sign to the house of Israel.
7 And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the even I dig through the wall with my hand; I brought it forth in the twilight, and I bore it on my shoulder in their sight. ¶
8 And in the morning came the word of the LORD to me, saying,
9 Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, What do you?
10 Say you to them, Thus says the Lord GOD; This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them.
11 Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done to them: they shall remove and go into captivity.
12 And the prince that is among them shall bear on his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.
13 My net also will I spread on him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.
14 And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them.
15 And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries.
16 But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen where they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD. ¶
17 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
18 Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with carefulness;
19 And say to the people of the land, Thus says the Lord GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.
20 And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and you shall know that I am the LORD. ¶
21 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
22 Son of man, what is that proverb that you have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision fails?
23 Tell them therefore, Thus says the Lord GOD; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say to them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.
24 For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.
25 For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, says the Lord GOD. ¶
26 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying.
27 Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he sees is for many days to come, and he prophesies of the times that are far off.
28 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, says the Lord GOD.
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