Chapter 12

Acts Symbolic of the Exile.^{[a] 1} This word of the Lord came to me: ² Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes with which to see, but they do not see, and they have ears with which to hear, but they do not hear, for they are rebellious by their very nature.

³ Therefore, son of man, while they observe you, pack up your belongings and set off from your home into exile during the day. Perhaps this will cause them to understand that they are a rebellious people. ⁴ Bring out your belongings during the day as they are watching, and in the evening, again as they watch, go forth like one who has been driven into exile.

⁵ Then, as they continue to observe you, dig a hole in the wall and make your way through it. ⁶ In their presence, lift your pack onto your shoulder and set out into the darkness. Cover your face so that you may not see the land, for I have established you as a sign for the house of Israel.

⁷ I did exactly what I had been commanded. In the daytime I brought out my belongings that had been packed for exile, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my own hands. While they looked on, I set out in the darkness, shouldering my burden.

⁸ On the following morning, this word of the Lord was addressed to me: ⁹ Son of man, did the house of Israel, that rebellious people, not even ask you what you were doing? ¹⁰ Say to them: Thus says the Lord God: This oracle concerns the prince in Jerusalem and the entire house of Israel living within its territory. ¹¹ Tell them: I am a sign for you. As I have done, so will it be done to them. As captives they will go into exile. ¹² Their prince who is among them will shoulder his pack in the darkness and go out through a hole that he has dug in the wall. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land.

¹³ However, I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will take him to Babylon, into the land of the Chaldeans, where he will die without ever seeing it. ¹⁴ As for his retinue, his attendants, and all his troops, I will scatter them to the four winds and pursue them with the sword.

¹⁵ Then they will know that I am the Lord when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them throughout foreign countries. ¹⁶ However, I will allow a few of them to escape the sword, famine, and pestilence so that they may relate all of their abominable practices to the nations where they have been exiled. Thus they will know that I am the Lord.

¹⁷ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁸ Son of man, tremble as you eat your bread, and shake with anxiety as you drink your water, ¹⁹ and you are to say to the people of that land: Thus says the Lord about those who live in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: They will eat their bread in fearfulness and drink their water in despair, for their land will be stripped of everything within it because of the violence of all those who live there. ²⁰ The inhabited cities will lie in ruins, and the land will be a desolate waste. Thus you will know that I am the Lord.

²¹ Fulfillment of Visions. This word of the Lord then came to me: ²² Son of man, there is a saying that has become fashionable in regard to the land of Israel: “The days drag by, and no visions are ever fulfilled.” ²³ Therefore, tell the people: Thus says the Lord God: I will put an end to this proverb, and it will never again be spoken in the land of Israel.

Rather, say to them: The days are close at hand when every vision will be fulfilled. ²⁴ There will no longer be any false visions or deceptive divinations within the house of Israel. ²⁵ For I, the Lord, will speak, and what I say will come true without the slightest delay. In your lifetime, O rebellious house, whatever I speak will be fulfilled, says the Lord God.

²⁶ This word of the Lord then came to me: ²⁷ Son of man, the house of Israel is saying, “The vision that this man relates is meant to be fulfilled in the far distant future.” ²⁸ Therefore say to them, “Thus says the Lord God: The fulfillment of my words will not be delayed any longer. What I have said will be done now. This is the word of the Lord God.”