Ezekiel 12:1-16

Ezekiel Portrays the Removal into Captivity

12¹ The word of Yahweh also came to me, saying, ² Son of man, you dwell in the midst of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see, and don’t see, who have ears to hear, and don’t hear; for they are a rebellious house. ³ Therefore, you son of man, prepare your stuff for moving, and move by day in their sight; and you shall move from your place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they are a rebellious house. ⁴ You shall bring forth your stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for moving; and you shall go forth yourself at even in their sight, as when men go forth into exile. ⁵ Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry your stuff out that way. ⁶ In their sight you shall bear it on your shoulder, and carry it forth in the dark; you shall cover your face, so that you don’t see the land: for I have set you for a sign to the house of Israel. ⁷ I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for removing, and in the even I dug through the wall with my hand; I brought it forth in the dark, and bore it on my shoulder in their sight. ⁸ In the morning came the word of Yahweh 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 Yahweh: This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel among whom they are. ¹¹ Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done to them; they shall go into exile, into captivity. ¹² The prince who is among them shall bear on his shoulder in the dark, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, because he shall not see the land with his eyes. ¹³ My net also will I spread on him, and he shall be taken in my snare; and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there. ¹⁴ I will scatter toward every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them. ¹⁵ They shall know that I am Yahweh, when I shall disperse them among the nations, and scatter 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 where they come; and they shall know that I am Yahweh.