Ezekiel 12:1-16

Ezekiel Prepares for Exile

¹Then 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. ³So 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. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house. ⁴Bring your baggage out by day in their sight, as baggage for exile. Then you shall go out at evening in their sight, as those who are going into exile. ⁵Dig a hole through the wall in their sight and go out through it. ⁶Load 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.”

⁷Then I did so, just 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.

⁸And in the morning the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ⁹“Son of man, has the house of Israel, the rebellious house, not said to you, ‘What are you doing?’ ¹⁰Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “This pronouncement concerns the prince in Jerusalem as well as all the house of Israel who are in it.” ’ ¹¹Say, ‘I am a sign to you. Just as I have done, so it will be done to them; they will go into exile, into captivity.’ ¹²The 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 through it. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land with his eyes. ¹³I will also spread My 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 not see it, though he will die there. ¹⁴And 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. ¹⁵So they will know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries. ¹⁶But I will spare a few of them from the sword, the famine, and plague so that they may tell of all their abominations among the nations where they go, and may know that I am the Lord.”