Signs of the Coming Captivity

1The worde of the Lorde came vnto me, saying: 2Thou sonne of man, thou dwellest in the middest of a rebellious house, which haue eyes to see and yet see not, eares haue they to heare, and yet heare they not: for they are a rebellious house. 3Therfore (O thou sonne of man) prepare thee instrumentes to flit with, & remoue on the day time that they may see, yea euen in their sight shalt thou go from thy place to another place, yf peraduenture they wyll consider that they be a rebellious house. 4Thou shalt bryng foorth thine instrumentes as stuffe to flit with by the day tyme in their sight, and thou thy selfe shalt go foorth also at euenyng before their eyes, as they that go foorth to flit. 5Digge through the wall in their sight, and cary out therby. 6In their sight shalt thou beare vpon thy shouldiers, and cary it foorth in the darke: hide thy face, that thou see not the earth, for I haue made thee a shewe token vnto the house of Israel.

7And I did so as I was commaunded, I brought foorth my stuffe by day as the stuffe of one that goeth into captiuitie: and in the euening I digged through the wall with my handes, and brought it foorth in the darke, and bare it vpon my shoulder in their sight.

8And in the mornyng came the worde of the Lorde vnto me, saying: 9Thou sonne of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, sayd vnto thee, What doest thou? 10Then tell them, thus saith the Lorde God, This burden toucheth the prince at Hierusalem, and all the house of Israel that dwell among them. 11Tell them, I am your shewe token, lyke as I haue done, so shall it be done vnto them, they shall go into bondage and captiuitie. 12The prince that is among them shall loade his shoulders in the darke and get hym away, they shall breake downe the wall to cary through by it: he shall couer his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes. 13My net will I spreade out vpon him, and he shalbe caught in my net, and I wyll bryng hym to Babylon in the lande of the Chaldees, which he shall not see, and yet shall he dye there. 14As for all his helpers & all his bandes that be about hym, I wyll scatter them towarde all the wyndes, and drawe out a sworde after them. 15So when I haue scattered them among the heathen and strowed them in the landes, they shall knowe that I am the Lorde. 16But I will leaue a litle number of the from the sworde, hunger, and pestilence, to tell all their abhominations among the heathen where they come, that they may knowe howe that I am the Lord.

17Moreouer, the worde of the Lorde came vnto me, saying: 18Thou sonne of man, with a fearfull tremblyng shalt thou eate thy bread, with vnquietnesse & sorowe shalt thou drynke thy water. 19And vnto the people of the lande speake thou: Thus saith the Lord God to them that dwell in Hierusalem, and to the lande of Israel: they shall eate their bread with sorowe, and drynke their water with desolation: yea the lande with the fulnesse therof shalbe layde waste for the wickednesse of all them that dwell therin. 20And the cities that nowe be well inhabited, shalbe voyde, & the lande desolate, that ye may knowe that I am the Lorde.

The Presumptuous Proverb

21Yet came the worde of the Lorde vnto me agayne, saying: 22Thou sonne of man, what maner of prouerbe is that which ye vse in the lande of Israel, saying: The dayes are slacke in comyng, & all visions fayle? 23Tell them therfore, thus saith the Lord God, I wyll make that prouerbe to ceasse, and they shall no more vse it as a prouerbe in Israel: but say vnto them, the dayes are at hande, and the effect of euery vision. 24There shall no vision be any more in vayne, neither any flattering diuination within the house of Israel: 25For I the Lorde speake it, and whatsoeuer I shall speake, it shalbe perfourmed, and not be slacke in commyng any more, yea euen in your dayes O rebellious house, wyll I speake the thyng & bryng it to passe, saith the Lorde God.

26And the worde of the Lorde came vnto me, saying: 27Beholde thou sonne of man, the house of Israel saith on this maner The vision that he seeth, it wyll be many a day or it come to passe: it is farre of yet the tyme that he prophecieth of. 28Therfore say thus vnto them, thus saith the Lorde God, All my wordes shall no more be delayed, loke what I speake, that same shall come to passe, saith the Lorde God.