Signs of the Coming Captivity

1And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2“Son of man, you live in the midst of a provoking house. They have eyes to see, and they do not see; and ears to hear, and they do not hear. For they are a provoking house. 3As for you, then, son of man, prepare for yourself the supplies for traveling far away, and travel away in the daytime in their sight. And you shall travel from your place to another place in their sight, so that perhaps they may consider it. For they are a provoking house. 4And you shall carry your supplies outside, like the supplies of one who is traveling far away, in the daytime in their sight. Then you shall go forth in the evening in their presence, just as one goes forth who is moving far away. 5Dig for yourself through the wall, before their eyes. And you shall go out through it. 6In their sight, you shall be carried on shoulders, you shall be carried in the dark. You shall cover your face, and you shall not see the ground. For I have appointed you as a portent for the house of Israel.”

7Therefore, I did just as he had instructed me. I brought out my supplies in the daytime, like the supplies of one who is moving far away. And in the evening, I dug myself through the wall by hand. And I went out in the dark, and I was carried on shoulders, in their sight.

8And the word of the Lord came to me, in the morning, saying: 9“Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the provoking house, said to you: ‘What are you doing?’ 10Say to them: Thus says the Lord God: This is the burden concerning my leader who is in Jerusalem, and concerning the entire house of Israel, who are in their midst. 11Say: I am your portent. Just as I have done, so shall it be done to them. They will be taken captive and moved far away. 12And the leader who is in their midst will be carried on shoulders; he will go forth in darkness. They will dig through the wall, so that they may lead him away. His face will be covered, so that he may not see the land with his eye. 13And I will extend my net over him, and he will be captured in my dragnet. And I will lead him to Babylon, into the land of the Chaldeans, but he himself will not see it. And there he shall die. 14And all who are around him, his guards and his companies, I will scatter into every wind. And I will unsheathe the sword after them. 15And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I will have dispersed them among the Gentiles, and will have sowed them among the lands. 16And I will leave behind a few men of them, apart from the sword, and the famine, and the pestilence, so that they may declare all their wicked deeds among the Gentiles, to whom they will go. And they shall know that I am the Lord.”

17And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 18“Son of man, eat your bread in consternation. Moreover, drink your water hurriedly and in sorrow. 19And say to the people of the land: Thus says the Lord God, to those who are living in Jerusalem, in the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread in anxiety, and drink their water in desolation, so that the land may be desolate before its multitude, because of the iniquity of all who are living in it. 20And cities that are now inhabited will become desolate, and the land will be forsaken. And you shall know that I am the Lord.”

The Presumptuous Proverb

21And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 22“Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel? saying: ‘The days shall be extended in length, and every vision shall perish.’ 23Therefore, say to them: Thus says the Lord God: I will cause this proverb to cease, and it shall no longer be a common saying in Israel. And tell them that the days are approaching, and the word of every vision. 24For there shall be no longer be any empty visions, nor any ambiguous divination in the midst of the sons of Israel. 25For I, the Lord, will speak. And whatever word I will speak, it shall be done, and it shall not be delayed any more. Instead, in your days, O provoking house, I will speak a word and do it, says the Lord God.”

26And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 27“Son of man, behold the house of Israel, those who are saying: ‘The visions that this one sees is many days away,’ and, ‘This man prophesies about times that are far away.’ 28Because of this, say to them: Thus says the Lord God: No word of mine will be delayed any longer. The word that I will speak will be fulfilled, says the Lord God.”