Signs of the Coming Captivity

1And the word of YHWH came to me, saying: 2“Son of man, you are dwelling in the midst of the house of rebellion, which has eyes unto them to see, and they do not see, and ears unto them to hear, and they do not hear; for they are a house of rebellion!

3And you, son of man, take up for yourself vessels for exile, and go into exile by day before their eyes; and you will go into exile from your place to another place before their eyes. Perhaps they will see, though they are a house of rebellion. 4And you shall bring out your vessels like vessels for exile by day before their eyes, and you shall go out in the evening before their eyes, like those going into captivity.

5Before their eyes you shall dig for yourself through the wall, and go out through it. 6Before their eyes, you shall bear them on your shoulders in the darkness and carry them out; you shall cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have given you as a sign for the house of Israel.”

7And I did just as I was commanded. My vessels I brought out as vessels for captivity by day, and in the evening I dug for myself through the wall with my hand; in the darkness I brought them out on my shoulder, I bore them before their eyes.

8And the word of YHWH came to me in the morning, saying: 9“Son of man, have they not said to you—the house of Israel, this house of rebellion, ‘What are you doing?’ 10Say to them, thus says the Lord YHWH: ‘This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel who are in their midst.’

11Say, ‘I am a sign to you⁺.’† As I have done, so will it be done to them—into exile, into captivity, they will go! 12And the prince who is in their midst, on his shoulder he will bear it in the darkness, and he will go out; they will dig through the wall to bring them out through it; he will cover his face so that he might not see with his eyes, he, the land. 13And I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare; and I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans; and he will not see it, and there he will die.

14And all who are around him as his help, and all his troops, I will scatter to every wind, and I will unsheath the sword after them. 15And they will know that I am YHWH, in My dispersing them among the nations and scattering them throughout the lands.

16I will spare from their people a few—from the sword, from famine, and from pestilence—so that they may recount all their abominations among the nations to which they go there. And they will know that I am YHWH.”

17And the word of YHWH came to me, saying: 18“Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with anxiety! 19And say to the people of the land, thus says the Lord YHWH to those dwelling in Jerusalem, and to the land of Israel: ‘They will eat their bread with anxiety, and they will drink their water with dread, so that her land may be emptied of all her fullness, because of the violence of all those dwelling in her. 20And the cities that were inhabited will be dried up, and the land will become a desolation; and you⁺ will know that I am YHWH!’”

The Presumptuous Proverb

21And the word of YHWH came to me, saying: 22“Son of man, what is this proverb for you⁺ over the land of Israel, saying,

‘The days are prolonged,

and every vision perishes’?

23Therefore say to them, thus says the Lord YHWH: ‘To this proverb I will put an end, and will they use it as a proverb no more in Israel.

But rather speak to them: ‘The days are near, and the word of every vision!’ 24For there will be no longer any vision of emptiness, or of smooth divination, in the midst of the house of Israel. 25For I am YHWH! I speak, and the word that I speak will come to pass; it will not drag out any longer, but in your⁺ days, O house of rebellion, I will speak the word and will do it! An utterance of the Lord YHWH.’”

26And the word came of YHWH to me, saying: 27“Son of man, behold, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for many days, and times far off he is prophesying.’

28Therefore say to them, thus says the Lord YHWH: ‘Not any of My words will be drawn out anymore; the word that I speak, it will be done! An utterance of the Lord YHWH.’”