Ezekiel 12
12Again a message came to me from the Lord:H1697H3068H5592“Son of man, you live among rebels who have eyes but refuse to see. They have ears but refuse to hear. For they are a rebellious people.H1121H120H3427H8432H4805H1004H5869H7200H7200H241H8085H8085H4805H10043“So now, son of man, pretend you are being sent into exile. Pack the few items an exile could carry, and leave your home to go somewhere else. Do this right in front of the people so they can see you. For perhaps they will pay attention to this, even though they are such rebels.H1121H120H6213H3627H1473H1540H3119H5869H1540H4725H312H4725H5869H7200H4805H10044Bring your baggage outside during the day so they can watch you. Then in the evening, as they are watching, leave your house as captives do when they begin a long march to distant lands.H3318H3627H3119H5869H3627H1473H3318H6153H5869H4161H14735Dig a hole through the wall while they are watching and go out through it.H2864H7023H5869H33186As they watch, lift your pack to your shoulders and walk away into the night. Cover your face so you cannot see the land you are leaving. For I have made you a sign for the people of Israel.”H5869H5375H3802H3318H5939H3680H6440H7200H776H5414H4159H1004H34787So I did as I was told. In broad daylight I brought my pack outside, filled with the things I might carry into exile. Then in the evening while the people looked on, I dug through the wall with my hands and went out into the night with my pack on my shoulder.H6213H6680H3318H3627H3119H3627H1473H6153H2864H7023H3027H3318H5939H5375H3802H58698The next morning this message came to me from the Lord:H1242H1697H3068H5599“Son of man, these rebels, the people of Israel, have asked you what all this means.H1121H120H1004H3478H4805H1004H559H621310Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: These actions contain a message for King Zedekiah in Jerusalem and for all the people of Israel.’H559H559H136H3069H4853H5387H3389H1004H3478H843211Explain that your actions are a sign to show what will soon happen to them, for they will be driven into exile as captives.H559H4159H6213H6213H1473H3212H762812“Even Zedekiah will leave Jerusalem at night through a hole in the wall, taking only what he can carry with him. He will cover his face, and his eyes will not see the land he is leaving.H5387H8432H5375H3802H5939H3318H2864H7023H3318H3680H6440H3282H7200H776H586913Then I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Babylonians, though he will never see it, and he will die there.H7568H6566H8610H4686H935H894H776H3778H7200H419114I will scatter his servants and warriors to the four winds and send the sword after them.H2219H7307H5439H5828H102H7324H2719H31015And when I scatter them among the nations, they will know that I am the Lord.H3045H3068H6327H1471H2219H77616But I will spare a few of them from death by war, famine, or disease, so they can confess all their detestable sins to their captors. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”H3498H4557H582H2719H7458H1698H5608H8441H1471H935H3045H306817Then this message came to me from the Lord:H1697H3068H55918“Son of man, tremble as you eat your food. Shake with fear as you drink your water.H1121H120H398H3899H7494H8354H4325H7269H167419Tell the people, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says concerning those living in Israel and Jerusalem: They will eat their food with trembling and sip their water in despair, for their land will be stripped bare because of their violence.H559H5971H127H559H136H3069H3427H3389H776H3478H398H3899H1674H8354H4325H8078H776H3456H4393H2555H342720The cities will be destroyed and the farmland made desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”H5892H3427H2717H776H8077H3045H306821Again a message came to me from the Lord:H1697H3068H55922“Son of man, you’ve heard that proverb they quote in Israel: ‘Time passes, and prophecies come to nothing.’H1121H120H4912H127H3478H559H3117H748H2377H623Tell the people, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will put an end to this proverb, and you will soon stop quoting it.’ Now give them this new proverb to replace the old one: ‘The time has come for every prophecy to be fulfilled!’H559H559H136H3069H4912H7673H4911H3478H1696H3117H7126H1697H237724“There will be no more false visions and flattering predictions in Israel.H7723H2377H2509H4738H8432H1004H347825For I am the Lord! If I say it, it will happen. There will be no more delays, you rebels of Israel. I will fulfill my threat of destruction in your own lifetime. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”H3068H1696H1697H1696H6213H4900H3117H4805H1004H1696H1697H6213H5002H136H306926Then this message came to me from the Lord:H1697H3068H55927“Son of man, the people of Israel are saying, ‘He’s talking about the distant future. His visions won’t come true for a long, long time.’H1121H120H1004H3478H559H2377H2372H7227H3117H5012H6256H735028Therefore, tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: No more delay! I will now do everything I have threatened. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!’”H559H559H136H3069H1697H4900H1697H1696H6213H5002H136H3069
New Living Translation (NLT). Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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