Ezekiel 12:1-16

1Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2“Son of man, you live in the 1midst of the 2rebellious house, who 3have 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. 4Perhaps they will 5understand, though they are a rebellious house. 4Bring your baggage out by day in their sight, as baggage for exile. Then you shall go out 6at evening in their sight, as those who are going into exile. 5Dig a hole through the wall in their sight and 7go out through it. 6Load the baggage on your shoulder in their sight and carry it out in the dark. You shall 8cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have set you as a 9sign to the house of Israel.”

7Then I 10did so, just as I had been commanded. By day I 11brought 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 12rebellious house, not said to you, ‘13What are you doing?’ 10Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord 14God says: “This 15pronouncement concerns the prince in Jerusalem as well as all the house of Israel who are 16in it.”’ 11Say, ‘I am 17a 18sign to you. Just as I have done, so it will be done to them; they will 19go into exile, into captivity.’ 12The 20prince who is among them will load his baggage on his shoulder in the dark and go out. 21They 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 22net 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 23not see it, though he will die there. 14And I will 24scatter 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 25know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries. 16But I will 26spare a few of them from the 27sword, the famine, and plague so that they may tell of all their abominations among the nations where they go, and 28may 29know that I am the Lord.”