Ezekiel 12:1-16

Ezekiel Portrays the Removal into Captivity

12¹ And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, ² Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not, which have ears to hear, and hear not; for they are a rebellious house. ³ And thou, son of man, prepare thee a captive's baggage, and go captive by day in their sight; and thou shalt go captive from thy place to another place in their sight. It may be they will consider, though they are a rebellious house. ⁴ And bring forth thy baggage by day in their sight, as a captive's baggage, and thou thyself, go forth at even in their sight as they that go forth into captivity. ⁵ Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby. ⁶ In their sight shalt thou bear [it] upon [thy] shoulder, and carry it forth in the dark; thou shalt cover thy face, and thou shalt not see the ground: for I have appointed thee for a sign unto the house of Israel. ⁷ And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my baggage by day, as a captive's baggage, and in the even I digged through the wall with my hand; I brought it forth in the dark, [and] bore it upon [my] shoulder, in their sight. ⁸ And in the morning the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, ⁹ Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou? ¹⁰ Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: This burden [concerneth] the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them. ¹¹ Say, I am your sign: as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall go into exile, into captivity. ¹² 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, that he see not the land with [his] eyes. ¹³ And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare; and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; but he shall not see it, and there shall he die. ¹⁴ And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his troops; and I will draw out the sword after them. ¹⁵ And they shall know that I [am] Jehovah when I shall scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries. ¹⁶ 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 shall come; and they shall know that I [am] Jehovah.