Ezekiel Dramatizes the Exile
1The word of the Lord came to me:
3“Now you, son of man, get your bags ready for exile and go into exile in their sight during the day. You will go into exile from your place to another place while they watch; perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house.
4During the day, bring out your bags like an exile’s bags while they look on. Then in the evening go out in their sight like those going into exile.
5As they watch, dig through the wall and take the bags out through it.
7So I did just as I was commanded. In the daytime I brought out my bags like an exile’s bags. In the evening I dug through the wall by hand; I took them out in the dark, carrying them on my shoulder in their sight.
8In the morning the word of the Lord came to me:
9“Son of man, hasn’t the house of Israel, that rebellious house,12:9 Ezk 2:5–8 asked you, ‘What are you doing? ’ 12:9 Ezk 17:12; 20:49; 24:19
10Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: This pronouncement concerns the prince12:10 = King Zedekiah in Jerusalem and the whole house of Israel living there.’12:10 Lit Israel among them
11You are to say, ‘I am a sign for you. Just as I have done, it will be done to them; they will go into exile,12:11 Jr 15:2; 52:15,28–30 into captivity.’
12The prince who is among12:12 2Kg 25:1–7; Jr 39:4; 52:7 them will lift his bags to his shoulder in the dark and go out. They12:12 LXX, Syr read He will dig through the wall to bring him out through it. He will cover his face so he cannot see the land with his eyes.
13But I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, yet he will not see it,12:13 Jr 39:7; 52:11 and he will die there.
14I will also scatter all the attendants who surround him and all his troops to every direction of the wind,12:14 Ezk 5:2; 17:21 and I will draw a sword to chase after them.
Ezekiel Dramatizes Israel’s Anxiety
17The word of the Lord came to me:
18“Son of man, eat your bread with12:18 Ezk 4:16 trembling and drink your water with anxious shaking.
19Then say to the people of the land, ‘This is what the Lord God says about the residents of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water in dread, for their12:19 Lit its12:19 = Jerusalem’s land will be stripped of everything12:19 Zch 7:14 in it because of the violence of all who live there.
20The inhabited cities will be destroyed, and the land will become dreadful. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
A Deceptive Proverb Stopped
21Again the word of the Lord came to me:
22“Son of man, what is this proverb you people have about the land of Israel,12:22 Ezk 16:44; 18:2–3 which goes, ‘The days keep passing by,12:22 Jr 5:12; Ezk 11:3; 12:27; 2Pt 3:4,9 and every vision fails’?
23Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: I will put a stop to this proverb, and they will not use it again in Israel.’12:23 Ezk 18:3 But say to them, ‘The days have arrived,12:23 Zph 1:14 as well as the fulfillment of every vision.
26The word of the Lord came to me:
27“Son of man, notice that the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees concerns many years from now;12:27 Ezk 12:22; Dn 10:14 he prophesies about distant times.’
28Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: None of my words will be delayed any longer. The message I speak will be fulfilled. This is the declaration of the Lord God.’”
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