1 T he Word of the Lord came to me, saying,

The word of Jehovah also came unto me, saying,

2 “ Son of man, you live among sinful people. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear. For they are sinful people.

Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of the rebellious house, that have eyes to see, and see not, that have ears to hear, and hear not; for they are a rebellious house.

3 S o, son of man, get your things ready to take with you to another land, and let them see you leave during the day. Let them see you leave to go to another place. It may be that they will understand even if they are sinful people.

Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they are a rebellious house.

4 T ake your things with you during the day, with them watching you. Take the things you will need for going to another land. Then let them see you go out at evening, like those who go to another land.

And thou shalt bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing; and thou shalt go forth thyself at even in their sight, as when men go forth into exile.

5 W hile they watch, dig a hole through the wall and go out through it.

Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.

6 L oad your things on your shoulder while they watch, and carry the load out in the dark. Cover your face so that you cannot see the land. For I have made you as something special for the people of Israel to see.”

In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulder, and carry it forth in the dark; thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the land: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.

7 I did as I was told. During the day I brought out my things that I would need to go to another land. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands. I went out in the dark and carried the load on my shoulder while they watched.

And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for removing, and in the even I digged through the wall with my hand; I brought it forth in the dark, and bare it upon my shoulder in their sight.

8 I n the morning the Word of the Lord came to me, saying,

And in the morning came the word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

9 “ Son of man, have not the sinful people of Israel said to you, ‘What are you doing?’

Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou?

10 T ell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “This word is about the leader in Jerusalem, as well as all the people of Israel who are in it.”’

Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel among whom they are.

11 T ell them, ‘I am something special for you to see. As I have done, so it will be done to them. They will be taken to another land and held there.’

Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them; they shall go into exile, into captivity.

12 T he leader among them will load his things on his shoulder in the dark and go out. A hole will be dug through the wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land with his eyes.

And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the dark, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, because he shall not see the land with his eyes.

13 I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My trap. I will bring him to Babylon in the land of the Babylonians, yet he will not see it. And he will die there.

My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare; and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.

14 I will divide all his helpers and all his army who are around him to the four winds and have the sword follow them.

And I will scatter toward every wind all that are round about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them.

15 T hen they will know that I am the Lord when I divide them among the nations, and spread them among the countries.

And they shall know that I am Jehovah, when I shall disperse them among the nations, and scatter them through the countries.

16 B ut I will let a few of them get away from the sword, hunger and disease. They will tell about all their sinful ways to the nations where they go. And they will know that I am the Lord.”

But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the nations whither they come; and they shall know that I am Jehovah.

17 T he Word of the Lord came to me, saying,

Moreover the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,

18 “ Son of man, shake in fear as you eat your bread and drink your water.

Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with fearfulness;

19 T hen tell the people of the land, ‘This is what the Lord God says about the people of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: “They will be afraid as they eat their bread, and drink their water in fear. For their land will lay waste because of the fighting of all who live in it.

and say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with fearfulness, and drink their water in dismay, that her land may be desolate, and despoiled of all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.

20 T he cities where people live will be laid waste, and the land will be destroyed. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”’”

And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be a desolation; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.

21 T he Word of the Lord came to me, saying,

And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

22 “ Son of man, what is this saying you people have about the land of Israel, which says, ‘The days are long and every special dream comes to nothing’?

Son of man, what is this proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?

23 T ell them, ‘The Lord God says, “I will make this saying come to an end, so that they will no longer use it as a saying in Israel.’” But tell them, ‘The days are near when all the special dreams from God will come true.

Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the fulfilment of every vision.

24 F or there will be no more false dreams or good sounding words that do not come true.

For there shall be no more any false vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.

25 F or I the Lord will speak, and whatever I say will be done. It will no longer be held back. For in your days, O sinful people, I will speak the word and do it,’ says the Lord God.”

For I am Jehovah; I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall be performed; it shall be no more deferred: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I speak the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord Jehovah.

26 A gain the Word of the Lord came to me, saying,

Again the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,

27 “ Son of man, the people of Israel are saying, ‘The special dream he sees will not come to pass for many years. He is speaking of times far in the future.’

Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many day to come, and he prophesieth of times that are far off.

28 S o tell them, ‘The Lord God says, “None of My words will be held back any longer. Whatever I say will be done,’” says the Lord God.”

Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: There shall none of my words be deferred any more, but the word which I shall speak shall be performed, saith the Lord Jehovah.