12 The Lord gave this message to me: ² ‘Son of man, you are living among a people who refuse to obey me. They have eyes, but they do not see anything. They have ears, but they do not hear anything. They refuse to listen to me.

³ Because of that, son of man, pretend that you are going away as a prisoner. During the day, prepare your things for the journey. While people are watching, prepare to leave your home and go to another place. The people refuse to obey me, but perhaps they will understand what you are doing. ⁴ Bring out the things that you have prepared for your journey. Do that during the day while the people are watching you. Then leave your home in the evening while they are watching you. Go away like someone who is travelling to a far country as a prisoner. ⁵ While the people are watching, dig a hole in the wall of your house. Go out through the hole and carry your things with you. ⁶ Put your bag of things on your shoulder while the people watch you. Carry it out when it starts to become dark. Cover your face so that you cannot see the ground. I want you to do this so that it warns Israel's people about danger.’

⁷ So I did what the Lord had told me to do. I carried out a bag of my things to show that I was going on a journey. I prepared these things during the day. Then in the evening I used my hands to dig a hole in the wall of my house. When it became dark, I went out. I carried my bag of things on my shoulder. The people watched me do all this.

⁸ In the morning, the Lord gave this message to me: ⁹ ‘Son of man, listen to Israel's people who refuse to obey me. They have asked you, “What are you doing?” ¹⁰ Say to them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: This is a message about the prince who rules in Jerusalem and all the Israelites who are there.”

¹¹ Tell them, “I am teaching you a lesson to warn you about what will happen to you.” As you have done, the people will have to go as prisoners to another country.

¹² Their king will leave Jerusalem when it starts to become dark. He will carry his things on his shoulder as he goes out. They will dig a hole in the wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land. ¹³ I will throw my net over him and I will catch him in my trap. I will take him to Babylon city, in the land of the Chaldeans. But he will not see that land. He will die there.^{[a] 14} I will cause all his officers and soldiers to run away in different directions. Then their enemies will chase after them, to kill them with their swords.

¹⁵ I will send the people away from their homes to other countries. They will have to live among foreign people. Then they will know that I am the Lord. ¹⁶ But I will save a few of them. War, famine and disease will not kill all of them. When they live among those other nations, they will realize that they have done many disgusting things. And they will know that I am the Lord.’

¹⁷ The Lord gave this message to me: ¹⁸ ‘Son of man, shake with fear while you eat your food or you drink your water. ¹⁹ Then say to the people of Israel, “This is what the Almighty Lord says about the people who live in Jerusalem and in all the land of Israel: They will be afraid while they eat their food. They will shake with fear when they drink their water. An enemy will destroy their land so that nothing remains in it. This will happen because all the people who live there have done violent things. ²⁰ The towns where people live will become heaps of stones. An enemy will destroy the whole land. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” ’

²¹ The Lord gave this message to me: ²² ‘Son of man, you have this proverb in the land of Israel: “A long time passes and visions never truly happen.” ²³ But you must say to them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: I will soon stop you from saying the words of that proverb.” Instead, say to them “The time will soon be here when every vision will truly happen. ²⁴ Israel's people will no longer have visions that are false. Nobody will prophesy things that deceive people. ²⁵ But I, the Lord, will speak. Whatever I say will certainly happen. It will happen very soon. Understand this, you people who refuse to obey me. I will do this while you are still alive. I will do all the things that I have said. That is what the Almighty Lord says.” ’

²⁶ The Lord gave this message to me: ²⁷ ‘Son of man, listen to what Israel's people are saying about you! They say, “The things that you see in your vision will not happen for many years. It will be a long time before his messages become true.” ²⁸ So say to them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: I will not wait any longer to do what I have said. I will do everything that I have told you. That is what the Almighty Lord says.” ’