Ezekiel 12

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,	1 Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
2 'Son of man, you are living among a tribe of rebels who have eyes and never see, they have ears andnever hear, because they are a tribe of rebels.	2 Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house; they have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house.
3 So, son of man, pack an exile's bundle and set off for exile by daylight while they watch. You will leaveyour home and go somewhere else while they watch. Then perhaps they will see that they are a tribe of rebels.	3 Now, son of man, during the day while they are looking on, prepare your baggage as though for exile, and again while they are looking on, migrate from where you live to another place; perhaps they will see that they are a rebellious house.
4 You will pack your baggage like an exile's bundle, by daylight, while they watch, and leave like an exilein the evening, while they watch.	4 You shall bring out your baggage like an exile in the daytime while they are looking on; in the evening, again while they are looking on, you shall go out like one of those driven into exile;
5 While they watch, make a hole in the wal , and go out through it.	5 while they look on, dig a hole in the wall and pass through it;
6 While they watch, you wil shoulder your pack and go out into the dark; you wil cover your face so thatyou cannot see the ground, since I have made you an omen for the House of Israel.'	6 while they look on, shoulder the burden and set out in the darkness; cover your face that you may not see the land, for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel.
7 I did as I had been told. I packed my baggage like an exile's bundle, by daylight; and in the evening Imade a hole through the wall with my hands; then I went out into the dark and shouldered my pack while theywatched.	7 I did as I was told. During the day I brought out my baggage as though it were that of an exile, and at evening I dug a hole through the wall with my hand and, while they looked on, set out in the darkness, shouldering my burden.
8 Next morning the word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,	8 Then, in the morning, the word of the LORD came to me:
9 'Son of man, did not the House of Israel, did not that tribe of rebels, ask you, "What are you doing?"	9 Son of man, did not the house of Israel, that rebellious house, ask you what you were doing?
10 Say, "The Lord Yahweh says this: This prophecy concerns Jerusalem and the whole House of Israelwho live there."	10 Tell them: Thus says the Lord GOD: This oracle concerns Jerusalem and the whole house of Israel within it.
11 Say, "I am an omen for you; as I have done, so wil be done to them; they will be deported into exile.	11 I am a sign for you: as I have done, so shall it be done to them; as captives they shall go into exile.
12 Their prince wil shoulder his pack in the dark and go out through the wal ; a hole will be made to lethim out; he wil cover his face, so that he cannot see the country.	12 The prince who is among them shall shoulder his burden and set out in darkness, going through a hole that he has dug in the wall, and covering his face lest he be seen by anyone.
13 I shal throw my net over him and catch him in my mesh; I shall take him to Babylon, to the land ofthe Chaldaeans, though he wil not see it; and there he wil die.	13 But I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, into the land of the Chaldeans--but he shall not see it--and there he shall die.
14 And al those in attendance on him, his army and al his troops, I shal scatter to al the winds andunsheathe the sword behind them.	14 All his retinue, his aides, and his troops I will scatter in every direction, and pursue them with the sword.
15 Then they wil know that I am Yahweh, when I scatter them throughout the nations and disperse themin foreign countries.	15 Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them over foreign lands.
16 But I shall let a few of them escape the sword, famine and plague, to describe al their loathsomepractices to the peoples among whom they wil go, so that these too may know that I am Yahweh." '	16 Yet I will leave a few of them to escape the sword, famine and pestilence, so that they may tell of all their abominations among the nations to which they will come; thus they shall know that I am the LORD.
17 The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as fol ows,	17 Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
18 'Son of man, you are to tremble as you eat your food and shudder apprehensively as you drink yourwater,	18 Son of man, eat your bread trembling, and drink your water shaking with anxiety.
19 and you are to say to the people of the country, "The Lord Yahweh says this to the inhabitants ofJerusalem. They wil shudder apprehensively as they eat their food, and drink their water in fear, so that thecountry and its population may be freed from the violence of its inhabitants.	19 Then say to the people of the land: Thus says the Lord GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem (to the land of Israel): They shall eat their bread in anxiety and drink their water in horror, that their land may be emptied of the violence of all its inhabitants that now fills it.
20 When the populous cities have been destroyed and the country has been reduced to desert, then youwil know that I am Yahweh." '	20 Inhabited cities shall be in ruins, and the land shall be a waste; thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
21 The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as fol ows,	21 Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
22 'Son of man, what do you understand by the saying pronounced over the land of Israel, "Days go byand visions fade"?	22 Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel: "The days drag on, and no vision ever comes to anything"?
23 'Very wel , tell them, "The Lord Yahweh says this: I shal put an end to this saying; it will never beused in Israel again." Instead, tel them: "The days are coming when every vision wil come true,	23 Say to them therefore: Thus says the Lord GOD: I will put an end to this proverb; they shall never quote it again in Israel. Rather, say to them: The days are at hand, and also the fulfillment of every vision.
24 for there will be no more futile visions or deceptive prophecy in the House of Israel,	24 There shall no longer be any false visions or deceitful divinations within the house of Israel, because it is I, the LORD, who will speak.
25 since I, Yahweh, shal speak. And what I shal say wil come true without delay; for what I shall say, Ishall perform in your own lifetime, you tribe of rebels -- declares the Lord Yahweh." '	25 Whatever I speak is final, and it shall be done without further delay. In your days, rebellious house, whatever I speak I will bring about, says the Lord GOD.
26 The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as fol ows,	26 Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
27 'Son of man, the House of Israel is now saying, "The vision that this man sees concerns the distantfuture; he is prophesying for times far ahead."	27 Son of man, listen to the house of Israel saying, "The vision he sees is a long way off; he prophesies of the distant future!"
28 Very wel , tell them, "The Lord Yahweh says this: There wil be no further delay in the fulfil ing of anyof my words. What I have said shal be done now -- declares the Lord Yahweh." '	28 Say to them therefore: Thus says the Lord GOD: None of my words shall be delayed any longer; whatever I speak is final, and it shall be done, says the Lord GOD.