12:1-28. SIGNS.
B  L  g  1-7. Signs. Removal.
       h  8-16. Signification.
      g  17,18. Sign. Eating and drinking.
       h  19,20. Signification.
   L  i  21,22. Proverb.
       k  23-25. Explanation.
      i  26,27. Saying.
       k  28. Explanation.

483 B.C.

Ezekiel 12)

1 The word of the LORD also came to me, saying,
2 "Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a perverse house. (See 2:3.)
3 Therefore, you son of man, prepare you baggage for removing (i.e. for captivity), and remove by day in their sight; and you shall remove from your place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they be a perverse house.
4 Then shall you bring forth your stuff by day in their sight, as baggage for removing: and you shall go forth at evening in their sight (the sign [v.11] that the prince [Zedekiah] would try to escape by night [2 Kings 25:4. Jer. 39:4]), as they that go forth into captivity.
5 Dig you through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby. (The sign [v.11] that Zedekiah would do this "between the walls" as verses quoted above.)
6 In their sight shall you bear it upon your shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: you shall cover your face (the sign [v.11] that Zedekiah would disguise himself), that you see not the land (i.e. the land Zedekiah was going forth from and would never see again): for I have set you for a sign (cp. Gen. 1:14. Divine portents as to things that were to come) to the house of Israel."
7 And I did so according as I was commanded: I brought forth my baggage by day, as baggage for captivity, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my hand; I brought it forth in the twilight, and I bare it upon my shoulder in their sight.

8 And in the morning came the word of the LORD to me, saying,
9 "Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the perverse house, said to you, 'What do you do?'
10 Say you to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD (Adonai Yahaveh); 'This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem (i.e. Zedekiah), and all the house of Israel that are among them.' '
11 Say, 'I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done to them: they shall remove and go into captivity.
12 And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.
13 My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in My snare (i.e. the Chaldean army which overtook Zedekiah): and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there. (As in Jer. 34:3. The explanation is given in 2 Kings 25:7, and Jer. 39:7; 52:11. Zedekiah was taken to Babylon, but he never saw it, though he died there.)
14 And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them. (See 5:2,17.)
15 And they shall know that I am the LORD (see 6:10), when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries. (Cp. Lev. 26:33. Deut. 4:27; 28:64.)
16 But I will leave a few men of them from the sword (cp. Deut. 4:7), 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 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 carefulness;

19 And say unto the people of the land, 'Thus says the Lord GOD to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and concerning the land of Israel; 'They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.
20 And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate (cp. Lev. 26:31); and you shall know that I am the LORD.' ' " (See 6:7.)

21 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
22 "Son of man, what is that proverb that you have in the land of Israel, saying, 'The days are prolonged (i.e. protracted, or postponed), and every vision fails?'

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 (the fulfillment took place 5 years later), and the word (i.e. the [fulfilled] word, meaning, or purpose) of every vision.'
24 For there shall be no more any vain vision (cp. Lam. 2:14) nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.
25 For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged (i.e delayed, or deferred): for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, says the Lord GOD."

26 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying.
27 "Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, 'The vision that he sees is for many days to come, and he prophesies of the times that are far off.'

28 Therefore say to them, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD; 'There shall none of My words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, says the Lord GOD.' ' "

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