Signs of the Coming Captivity

1And the word of Jehovah will be to me, saying, 2Son of man, thou art dwelling in the midst of a house of contradiction, which to them eyes to see, and they saw not: ears to them to hear, and they heard not: for they are a house of contradiction. 3And thou Son of man, make to thee vessels of captivity and emigrate by day before their eyes; and emigrating from thy place to another place before their eyes; perhaps they will see if they are a house of contradiction. 4And bring forth thy vessels as vessels of captivity by day, before their eyes: and thou shalt go forth in the evening before their eyes, as the goings forth of captivity. 5Before their eyes break through to thee in the wall, and bring forth by it. 6Before their eyes upon the shoulder thou shalt lift up, in thick darkness thou shalt bring forth: thou shalt cover thy face, and thou shalt not see the earth: for I gave thee a wonder to the house of Israel.

7And I shall do thus as I was commanded: I brought forth the vessels as vessels of captivity by day, and in the evening I broke through for me in the wall with the hand; in the thick darkness I brought forth, upon the shoulder I lifted up before their eyes.

8And the word of Jehovah will be to me in the morning, saying, 9Son of man, did not the house of Israel, the house of contradiction, say to thee, What doest thou? 10Say to them, thus said the Lord Jehovah: The ruler of this burden in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel which they are in the midst of them. 11Say, I am your wonder: as I did, so it shall be done to them: by emigrating, they shall go into captivity. 12And the prince which is in the midst of them shall lift up upon the shoulder in thick darkness, and go forth: they shall break through into the wall to bring forth by it: he shall cover his face so that be shall not see the earth with the eye. 13And I spread my net upon him, and he was taken in my net: and I brought him to Babel the land of the Chaldeans, and he shall not see it, and there he shall die. 14And all which are round about him to help, and all his hosts, I will scatter to every wind; and I will draw out a sword after them. 15And they shall know that I am Jehovah, in my scattering them in the nations; and I scattered them in the lands. 16And I left of them men of number, from the sword and from famine, and from death, so that they shall recount all their abominations among the nations where they went there; and they shall know that I am Jehovah.

17And the word of Jehovah will be to me, saying, 18Son of man, thou shalt eat thy bread with trembling, and thou shalt drink thy water with disquiet and with dread; 19And say to the people of the land, Thus said the Lord Jehovah to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to the land of Israel: they shall eat their bread with dread, and they shall drink their waters with astonishment, that her land shall be laid waste from her fulness from the violence of all dwelling in her. 20And the cities being inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be a desolation; and they knew that I am Jehovah.

The Presumptuous Proverb

21And the word of Jehovah was to me, saying, 22Son of man, what this parable to you upon the land of Israel, saying, The days will be prolonged and every vision perished? 23For this, say to them, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: I caused this parable to cease, and they shall no more use it for a parable in Israel; but speak to them: The days drew near, and the word of every vision. 24For no more shall there be any vain vision and smooth divination in the midst of the house of Israel. 25For I am Jehovah: I will speak, what word I will speak and it shall be done; it shall no more be protracted: for in your days, O house of contradiction, I will speak the word, and I did it, says the Lord Jehovah.

26And the word of Jehovah will be to me, saying, 27Son of man, behold the house of Israel saying, The vision which he saw is for many days, and for the times afar off he prophesied. 28For this, say to them, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: No more shall my words be protracted, for I will speak the word and it shall be done, says the Lord Jehovah.