Ezekiel 12:1-16

Ezekiel Portrays the Removal into Captivity

12¹ Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying , ² "Son of man , you live in the midst of the rebellious house , who have eyes to see but do not see , ears to hear but do not hear ; for they are a rebellious house . ³ "Therefore, son of man , prepare for yourself baggage for exile and go into exile by day in their sight ; even go into exile from your place to another place in their sight . Perhaps they will understand though they are a rebellious house . ⁴ "Bring your baggage out by day in their sight , as baggage for exile . Then you will go out at evening in their sight , as those going into exile . ⁵ "Dig a hole through the wall in their sight and go out through it. ⁶ "Load the baggage on your shoulder in their sight and carry it out in the dark . You shall cover your face so that you cannot see the land , for I have set you as a sign to the house of Israel ." ⁷ I did so , as I had been commanded . By day I brought out my baggage like the baggage of an exile . Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands ; I went out in the dark and carried the baggage on my shoulder in their sight . ⁸ In the morning the word of the Lord came to me, saying , ⁹ "Son of man , has not the house of Israel , the rebellious house , said to you, ' What are you doing ?' ¹⁰ "Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD , "This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem as well as all the house of Israel who are in it."' ¹¹ "Say , 'I am a sign to you. As I have done , so it will be done to them; they will go into exile , into captivity .' ¹² "The prince who is among them will load his baggage on his shoulder in the dark and go out. They will dig a hole through the wall to bring it out. He will cover his face so e that he can not see the land with his eyes . ¹³ "I will also spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare . And I will bring him to Babylon in the land of the Chaldeans ; yet he will not see it, though he will die there . ¹⁴ "I will scatter to every wind all who are around him, his helpers and all his troops ; and I will draw out a sword after them. ¹⁵ "So they will know that I am the Lord when I scatter them among the nations and spread them among the countries . ¹⁶ "But I will spare a few of them from the sword , the famine and the pestilence that they may tell all their abominations among the nations where e they go , and may know that I am the Lord ."