Baggage for Exile

12 The word of Adonai came to me saying: ² “Son of man, you live in the midst of the rebellious house. They have eyes to see, but do not see, ears to hear, but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house. ³ You, son of man, prepare supplies for exile. Go into exile by day in their sight, go away as if into exile from your home to another place in their sight—perhaps they will recognize that they are a rebellious house. ⁴ You will bring out your baggage by day in their sight, as baggage for exile. You will go out at evening in their sight, like those going into exile. ⁵ As they watch, dig through the wall and go out through it. ⁶ Bear the burden on your shoulder in their sight. Carry it out in the darkness; cover your face so that you cannot see the ground. For I have made you a sign for the house of Israel.” ⁷ I did just as I was commanded: I brought out my baggage by day, as baggage for exile. In the evening, I dug through the wall with my hand. I carried it out in the darkness and bore it on my shoulder, as they watched.

⁸ In the morning, the word of Adonai came to me saying, ⁹ “Son of man, has the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’ ¹⁰ Say to them, ‘Thus says Adonai Elohim: this burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel there.’ ¹¹ Say, ‘I am a sign for you. Just as I have done, so it will be done to them—they will go into exile, into captivity. ¹² The prince who is among them will bear a burden on his shoulder, and go out in the darkness. They will dig through the wall to get out; he will cover his face so that he cannot see the land with his eyes. ¹³ I will spread out My net upon him, so he will be caught in My net. I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans. He will not see it, though he will die there. ¹⁴ I will disperse toward every wind all that surround him to help him and all his troops. I will draw out the sword after them. ¹⁵ So they will know that I am Adonai when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the countries. ¹⁶ But I will let a few of them escape the sword, the famine and the pestilence, so they may tell about all their detestable practices among the nations where they go. And they will know that I am Adonai.”

¹⁷ The word of Adonai came to me saying: ¹⁸ “Son of man, eat your bread with quaking and drink your water with trembling and anxiety. ¹⁹ Say to the people of the land, this is what Adonai says concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water with horror, because her land will be stripped of all that is in it, because of the violence of all who live there. ²⁰ The inhabited cities will be deserted and the land will become desolate. And you will know that I am Adonai.”

²¹ The word of Adonai came to me saying: ²² “Son of man, what is that proverb you people have in the land of Israel saying, ‘The days are prolonged and every vision fails?’ ²³ Tell them therefore, thus says Adonai Elohim, ‘I will put an end to this proverb. They will not use it anymore as a proverb in Israel.’ Say to them, ‘The days are at hand as well as the fulfillment of every vision. ²⁴ For no longer will every vision be deceitful and every oracle false in the house of Israel. ²⁵ For I am Adonai. I will speak whatever word I will speak and it will happen. It will not be delayed anymore; for in your days, rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it.’” It is a declaration of Adonai.

²⁶ The word of Adonai came to me saying: ²⁷ “Son of man, behold, the house of Israel says, ‘The vision that he sees is for many days from now. He prophesies about times that are far off.’ ²⁸ Therefore say to them, thus says Adonai Elohim, ‘None of My words will be delayed anymore, but the word that I speak will be fulfilled.’” It is a declaration of Adonai.