Signs of the Coming Captivity 1 WBS The word of the LORD also came to me, saying, BSB BSB: Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 WBS Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house. BSB BSB: “Son of man, you are living in a rebellious house. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house.
3 WBS Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight; it may be they will consider, though they are a rebellious house. BSB BSB: Therefore, son of man, pack your bags for exile. In broad daylight, set out from your place and go to another as they watch. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house.
4 WBS Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing: and thou shalt go forth at evening in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity. BSB BSB: Bring out your baggage for exile by day, as they watch. Then in the evening, as they watch, go out like those who go into exile.
5 WBS Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby. BSB BSB: As they watch, dig through the wall and carry your belongings out through it.
6 WBS In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou mayest not see the ground: for I have set thee for a sign to the house of Israel. BSB BSB: And as they watch, lift your bags to your shoulder and take them out at dusk; cover your face so that you cannot see the land. For I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.”
7 WBS And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the evening I digged through the wall with my hand; I brought it forth in the twilight, and I bore it upon my shoulder in their sight. BSB BSB: So I did as I was commanded. I brought out my bags for exile by day, and in the evening I dug through the wall by hand. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulder as they watched.
8 WBS And in the morning came the word of the LORD to me, saying, BSB BSB: And in the morning the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
9 WBS Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to thee, What doest thou? BSB BSB: “Son of man, hasn’t the rebellious house of Israel asked you, ‘What are you doing?’
10 WBS Say thou to them, Thus saith the Lord GOD, This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them. BSB BSB: Tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are there.’
11 WBS Say, I am your sign: as I have done, so shall it be done to them: they shall remove and go into captivity. BSB BSB: You are to say, ‘I am a sign to you.’ Just as it happened here, so will it be done to them; they will go into exile as captives.
12 WBS 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 may not see the ground with his eyes. BSB BSB: And at dusk the prince among them will lift his bags to his shoulder and go out. They will dig through the wall to bring him out. He will cover his face so he cannot see the land.
13 WBS My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans, yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there. BSB BSB: But I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will not see it, and there he will die.
14 WBS And I will scatter towards every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them. BSB BSB: And I will scatter to every wind all the attendants around him and all his troops, and I will draw a sword to chase after them.
15 WBS And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries. BSB BSB: And they will know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them throughout the countries.
16 WBS But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD. BSB BSB: But I will spare a few of them from sword and famine and plague, so that in the nations to which they go, they can recount all their abominations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”
17 WBS Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, BSB BSB: Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
18 WBS Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with solicitude. BSB BSB: “Son of man, eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with quivering and anxiety.
19 WBS And say to the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with solicitude, 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. BSB BSB: Then tell the people of the land that this is what the Lord GOD says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: ‘They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water in dread, for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who dwell in it.
20 WBS And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. BSB BSB: The inhabited cities will be laid waste, and the land will become desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
The Presumptuous Proverb 21 WBS And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, BSB BSB: Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
22 WBS Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? BSB BSB: “Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by, and every vision fails’?
23 WBS Tell them therefore, Thus saith 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, and the effect of every vision. BSB BSB: Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will put an end to this proverb, and in Israel they will no longer recite it.’ But say to them: ‘The days are at hand when every vision will be fulfilled.
24 WBS For there shall no more be any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel. BSB BSB: For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations within the house of Israel,
25 WBS For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall no more be prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD. BSB BSB: because I, the LORD, will speak whatever word I speak, and it will be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak a message and bring it to pass, declares the Lord GOD.’”
26 WBS Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, BSB BSB: Furthermore, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
27 WBS Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come , and he prophesieth of the times that are distant. BSB BSB: “Son of man, take note that the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for many years from now; he prophesies about the distant future.’
28 WBS Therefore say to them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; There shall none of my words be further deferred, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD. BSB BSB: Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘None of My words will be delayed any longer. The message I speak will be fulfilled, declares the Lord GOD.’”