12:1
The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,
12:2
'Son of man, you are living among a tribe of rebels who have eyes and never see, they have ears and never hear, because they are a tribe of rebels.
12:3
So, son of man, pack an exile's bundle and set off for exile by daylight while they watch. You will leave your home and go somewhere else while they watch. Then perhaps they will see that they are a tribe of rebels.
12:4
You will pack your baggage like an exile's bundle, by daylight, while they watch, and leave like an exile in the evening, while they watch.
12:5
While they watch, make a hole in the wall, and go out through it.
12:6
While they watch, you will shoulder your pack and go out into the dark; you will cover your face so that you cannot see the ground, since I have made you an omen for the House of Israel.'
12:7
I did as I had been told. I packed my baggage like an exile's bundle, by daylight; and in the evening I made a hole through the wall with my hands; then I went out into the dark and shouldered my pack while they watched.
12:8
Next morning the word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,
12:9
'Son of man, did not the House of Israel, did not that tribe of rebels, ask you, "What are you doing?"
12:10
Say, "The Lord Yahweh says this: This prophecy concerns Jerusalem and the whole House of Israel who live there."
12:11
Say, "I am an omen for you; as I have done, so will be done to them; they will be deported into exile.
12:12
Their prince will shoulder his pack in the dark and go out through the wall; a hole will be made to let him out; he will cover his face, so that he cannot see the country.
12:13
I shall throw my net over him and catch him in my mesh; I shall take him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldaeans, though he will not see it; and there he will die.
12:14
And all those in attendance on him, his army and all his troops, I shall scatter to all the winds and unsheathe the sword behind them.
12:15
Then they will know that I am Yahweh, when I scatter them throughout the nations and disperse them in foreign countries.
12:16
But I shall let a few of them escape the sword, famine and plague, to describe all their loathsome practices to the peoples among whom they will go, so that these too may know that I am Yahweh." '
12:17
The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,
12:18
'Son of man, you are to tremble as you eat your food and shudder apprehensively as you drink your water,
12:19
and you are to say to the people of the country, "The Lord Yahweh says this to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They will shudder apprehensively as they eat their food, and drink their water in fear, so that the country and its population may be freed from the violence of its inhabitants.
12:20
When the populous cities have been destroyed and the country has been reduced to desert, then you will know that I am Yahweh." '
12:21
The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,
12:22
'Son of man, what do you understand by the saying pronounced over the land of Israel, "Days go by and visions fade"?
12:23
'Very well, tell them, "The Lord Yahweh says this: I shall put an end to this saying; it will never be used in Israel again." Instead, tell them: "The days are coming when every vision will come true,
12:24
for there will be no more futile visions or deceptive prophecy in the House of Israel,
12:25
since I, Yahweh, shall speak. And what I shall say will come true without delay; for what I shall say, I shall perform in your own lifetime, you tribe of rebels -- declares the Lord Yahweh." '
12:26
The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,
12:27
'Son of man, the House of Israel is now saying, "The vision that this man sees concerns the distant future; he is prophesying for times far ahead."
12:28
Very well, tell them, "The Lord Yahweh says this: There will be no further delay in the fulfilling of any of my words. What I have said shall be done now -- declares the Lord Yahweh." '
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