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¹ THE word of the LORD came to me, saying,² Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see and see not; who have ears to hear and hear not; for they are a rebellious house.³ Therefore, Son of man, prepare for yourself the things which are necessary for captivity, and go into the captivity by day in their sight; go from your own place to another place, so that they may see, because they are a rebellious house.⁴ Then bring out your belongings by day in their sight, as though they were the necessary things for captivity; and you shall go forth in the evening like those who go forth into captivity.⁵ Make a breach through the wall in their sight and go forth through it.⁶ Take the luggage on your shoulder and go forth in the dark; you shall cover your face, that you may not see the ground; for I have set you as a sign to the house of Israel.⁷ And I did as he had commanded me: I brought forth my luggage by day as one who carries luggage into captivity, and in the evening I made a breach through the wall and went forth in the dark, carrying my luggage upon my shoulder in their sight.⁸ And the word of the LORD came upon me in the morning, saying,⁹ Son of man, if the children of the rebellious house of Israel should say to you, What are you doing?¹⁰ Say to them, Thus says the LORD God: Even so shall the prince carry such luggage in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel with him.¹¹ Say to them, I am a sign to you; just as I have done, so shall it be done to you; you shall go into captivity.¹² And the leader who is among you shall carry his luggage upon his shoulder, and shall go forth in the dark, and shall make a breach through the wall and go out through it; he shall cover his face, that he may not see the ground.¹³ And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be caught in it; and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he shall not see the land, and there shall he die.¹⁴ And I will scatter towards every wind all that are about him to help him and give him strength; and I will draw out the sword after them.¹⁵ And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations and disperse them in the countries.¹⁶ But I will spare a few men of them from the sword, from famine, and from pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the Gentiles whither they go; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

¹⁷ Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,¹⁸ Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with fear of scarcity;¹⁹ And say to the people of the land, Thus says the LORD God concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and concerning the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with fear of lack, and drink their water with terror, for the land shall be desolate from all that is therein, because of the iniquity of all those who dwell in it.²⁰ And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall become desolate; and you shall know that I am the LORD.

²¹ And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,²² Son of man, what is that proverb that you have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision shall fall?²³ Tell them therefore, Thus says the LORD God: I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say to them, The days are at hand when every vision shall come true.²⁴ For there shall be no more any false vision nor doubtful divination among the children of Israel.²⁵ For I am the LORD; I have spoken, and the word which I speak I shall perform it; and I shall no more delay it; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and will perform it, says the LORD God.²⁶ Again the word of the LORD came upon me, saying,²⁷ Son of man, behold, the children of the house of Israel say, The vision that he sees is for the distant future, and he prophesies of the times that are far off.²⁸ Therefore say unto them, Thus says the LORD God: There shall none of my words be delayed any more, but the word which I have spoken I shall soon fulfil, says the LORD God.