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Ezekiel Prepares for Exile

¹ Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,² "Son of man, you live in the ^(C1)midst of the ^(C2)rebellious house, who ^(C3)have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house.³ "So as for you, son of man, prepare for yourself baggage for exile and go into exile by day in their sight; that is, go into exile from your place to another place in their sight. ^(C1)Perhaps they will ^(F1)understand, though they are a rebellious house.⁴ "Bring your baggage out by day in their sight, as baggage for exile. Then you shall go out ^(C1)at evening in their sight, as those who are going into exile.⁵ "Dig a hole through the wall in their sight and ^(F1)go out through it.⁶ "Load the baggage on your shoulder in their sight and carry it out in the dark. You shall ^(C1)cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have set you as a ^(C2)sign to the house of Israel."

⁷ Then I ^(C1)did so, just as I had been commanded. By day I ^(C2)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 And in the morning the word of the LORD came to me, saying,⁹ "Son of man, has the house of Israel, the ^(C1)rebellious house, not said to you, '^(C2)What are you doing?'¹⁰ "Say to them, 'This is what the Lord ^(F1)GOD says: "This ^(C1)pronouncement concerns the prince in Jerusalem as well as all the house of Israel who are ^(F2)in it."'¹¹ "Say, 'I am ^(F1)a ^(C1)sign to you. Just as I have done, so it will be done to them; they will ^(C2)go into exile, into captivity.'¹² "The ^(C1)prince who is among them will load his baggage on his shoulder in the dark and go out. ^(F1)They will dig a hole through the wall to bring it out through it. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land with his eyes.¹³ "I will also spread My ^(C1)net over him, and he will be caught in My net. And I will bring him to Babylon in the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will ^(C2)not see it, though he will die there.¹⁴ "And I will ^(C1)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 ^(C1)know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries.¹⁶ "But I will ^(F1)spare a few of them from the ^(C1)sword, the famine, and plague so that they may tell of all their abominations among the nations where they go, and ^(F2)may ^(C2)know that I am the LORD."

¹⁷ Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,¹⁸ "Son of man, ^(C1)eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with quivering and anxiety.¹⁹ "Then say to the people of the land, 'This is what the Lord GOD says concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: "They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water with horror, because ^(F1)their land will be ^(F2)(C1)stripped of its fullness on account of the violence of all who live in it.²⁰ "The inhabited ^(C1)cities will be in ruins, and the ^(C2)land will be a desolation. So you will know that I am the LORD."'"

²¹ Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,²² "Son of man, what is this ^(C1)proverb you people have about the land of Israel, saying, 'The ^(C2)days are long, and every ^(C3)vision fails'?²³ "Therefore say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "I will put an end to this proverb so that they will no longer use it as a proverb in Israel." But tell them, "^(C1)The days are approaching as well as the ^(F1)fulfillment of every vision.²⁴ "For there will no longer be any ^(F1)(C1)false vision or deceptive divination within the house of Israel.²⁵ "For I the LORD will speak whatever ^(C1)word I speak, and it will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, for in ^(C2)your days, you ^(C3)rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it," declares the Lord GOD.'"

²⁶ Furthermore, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,²⁷ "Son of man, behold, the house of Israel is saying, 'The vision that he sees is for ^(C1)many ^(F1)years from now, and he prophesies of times far off.'²⁸ "Therefore say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "None of My words will be delayed any longer. Whatever word I speak will be performed,"'" declares the Lord GOD.