| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Again a message came to me from the LORD: | 1Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, |
| 2“Son of man, you live among rebels who have eyes but refuse to see. They have ears but refuse to hear. For they are a rebellious people. | 2“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“So now, son of man, pretend you are being sent into exile. Pack the few items an exile could carry, and leave your home to go somewhere else. Do this right in front of the people so they can see you. For perhaps they will pay attention to this, even though they are such rebels. | 3Therefore, 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. |
| 4Bring your baggage outside during the day so they can watch you. Then in the evening, as they are watching, leave your house as captives do when they begin a long march to distant lands. | 4Bring 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. |
| 5Dig a hole through the wall while they are watching and go out through it. | 5As they watch, dig through the wall and carry your belongings out through it. |
| 6As they watch, lift your pack to your shoulders and walk away into the night. Cover your face so you cannot see the land you are leaving. For I have made you a sign for the people of Israel.” | 6And 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.” |
| 7So I did as I was told. In broad daylight I brought my pack outside, filled with the things I might carry into exile. Then in the evening while the people looked on, I dug through the wall with my hands and went out into the night with my pack on my shoulder. | 7So 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. |
| 8The next morning this message came to me from the LORD: | 8And in the morning the word of the LORD came to me, saying, |
| 9“Son of man, these rebels, the people of Israel, have asked you what all this means. | 9“Son of man, hasn’t the rebellious house of Israel asked you, ‘What are you doing?’ |
| 10Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: These actions contain a message for King Zedekiah in Jerusalem and for all the people of Israel.’ | 10Tell 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.’ |
| 11Explain that your actions are a sign to show what will soon happen to them, for they will be driven into exile as captives. | 11You 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“Even Zedekiah will leave Jerusalem at night through a hole in the wall, taking only what he can carry with him. He will cover his face, and his eyes will not see the land he is leaving. | 12And 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. |
| 13Then I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Babylonians, though he will never see it, and he will die there. | 13But 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. |
| 14I will scatter his servants and warriors to the four winds and send the sword after them. | 14And 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. |
| 15And when I scatter them among the nations, they will know that I am the LORD. | 15And they will know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them throughout the countries. |
| 16But I will spare a few of them from death by war, famine, or disease, so they can confess all their detestable sins to their captors. Then they will know that I am the LORD.” | 16But 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.” |
| 17Then this message came to me from the LORD: | 17Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, |
| 18“Son of man, tremble as you eat your food. Shake with fear as you drink your water. | 18“Son of man, eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with quivering and anxiety. |
| 19Tell the people, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says concerning those living in Israel and Jerusalem: They will eat their food with trembling and sip their water in despair, for their land will be stripped bare because of their violence. | 19Then 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. |
| 20The cities will be destroyed and the farmland made desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’” A New Proverb for Israel | 20The inhabited cities will be laid waste, and the land will become desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’ ” |
| 21Again a message came to me from the LORD: | 21Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, |
| 22“Son of man, you’ve heard that proverb they quote in Israel: ‘Time passes, and prophecies come to nothing.’ | 22“Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by, and every vision fails’? |
| 23Tell the people, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will put an end to this proverb, and you will soon stop quoting it.’ Now give them this new proverb to replace the old one: ‘The time has come for every prophecy to be fulfilled!’ | 23Therefore 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“There will be no more false visions and flattering predictions in Israel. | 24For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations within the house of Israel, |
| 25For I am the LORD! If I say it, it will happen. There will be no more delays, you rebels of Israel. I will fulfill my threat of destruction in your own lifetime. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!” | 25because 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.’ ” |
| 26Then this message came to me from the LORD: | 26Furthermore, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, |
| 27“Son of man, the people of Israel are saying, ‘He’s talking about the distant future. His visions won’t come true for a long, long time.’ | 27“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.’ |
| 28Therefore, tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: No more delay! I will now do everything I have threatened. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!’” | 28Therefore 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.’ ” |
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