The Announcement of the Imminent Coming of the Exile

1 And the word of Yahweh cameto me, saying,

2 “Son of man,you are dwelling in the midst of the house of rebellion who has eyes to see and they do not see;they have ears to hear,and they do not hear, for they are a house of rebellion.

3 And you, son of man,prepare for yourselfthe baggage of an exile, and go into exile by day before their eyes. And you must go intoexile from your place to another place before their eyes; perhaps they will see that they are a house of rebellion.

4 And you must bring out your baggage like the baggage of an exile by day before their eyes, and you must go out in the evening before their eyes like those who go into exile.

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

6 Before their eyes, on yourshoulder, you must lift up the baggage in the dusk, and your face you must cover, so that you may not see the land, for I make you as a sign to the house of Israel.”

7 And I did just asI was commanded; my baggage, like the baggage of an exile, I brought out by day, and in the evening I dug through for myselfintothe wall with my hand in the dusk; I brought the baggage on my shoulder; I carried it before their eyes.

8 And the word of Yahweh cameto me in the morning, saying,

9 “Son of man,did not they, the house of Israel, the house of rebellion, say to you, ‘What are you doing?’

10 Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “This oracle is about the prince in Jerusalem and the entirehouse of Israel who are among them.” ’

11 Say, ‘I am your sign, and just asI did, so will it be done to them in the exile; intocaptivity they will go.’

12 And the prince who is in the midst of them, on his shoulder he will carry the baggage in the dusk, andhe will go out; the wall will be dug throughto bring him through it; and he will cover his face so that he willnot see the land with hiseye.

13 And I will spread out my net on him, and he will be captured in my hunting snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, but he will not see it, and there he will die.

14 And all who are around him, his helpand all of his troops I will scatter in every direction,and I will drawthe sword behind them.

15 And they will know that I am Yahweh when I scatter themamong the nations and I scatter them in the countries.

16 ButI will spare from them a few menfrom the sword, from the famine and from the plague, so that they may tell of all their abominations among the nations to which they will go, and they will know that I am Yahweh.”

17 And the word of Yahweh cameto me, saying,

18 “Son of man,you must eat your food with trembling, and your water with shuddering, and with anxiety you must drink.

19 And you must say to the people of the land, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh to the inhabitants of Jerusalem about the land of Israel: “They will eat their food with anxiety and their water they will drink with horror, because their land will be desolate fromits fullness because of all the violence of those who are dwelling in it.

20 And the inhabited cites will be desolate,and the land will be a desolation, and you will know that I am Yahweh.” ’ ”

21 And the word of Yahweh cameto me, saying,

22 “Son of man,what is this proverb you people haveabout the land of Israel, saying,‘The days are prolonged,and every vision has come to nothing.’

23 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “I will put an end to this proverb, and they will not quote it as a proverb again in Israel.” ’ Butsay to them, ‘The days are near, and also the word of every vision.’

24 For there will not be any longer any false visionor flattering divination in the midst of the house of Israel.

25 For I, Yahweh, I will speak what I will speak as a word, and it will be done. It will not prolong itself any longer, for in your days, house of rebellion, I will speak a word and I will fulfill it!” declaresthe Lord Yahweh.

26 And the word of Yahweh cameto me, saying,

27 “Son of man,look! The house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he is seeing is for many days from now, and for distant times he is prophesying.’

28 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “None of my words will be prolonged any longer that I speak as a word, and it will be fulfilled!” ’ ” declaresthe Lord Yahweh.