1 The word of the LORD came to me:
2 "Son of man, you live in the middle of a house of rebellion; they have eyes for seeing but do not see, and ears for hearing but do not hear, because they are a house of rebellion.
3 So you, Son of man, pack your gear for exile and go off into exile by daylight while they watch. Go as an exile from your place to another place while they watch; perhaps they will see it, though they are a house of rebellion.
4 Bring your gear out by daylight while they watch, like gear for exile, and in the evening go out yourself while they watch, the way people go out into exile.
5 While they watch, dig through the wall and take your gear out through it.
6 While they watch, lift it onto your shoulder and take it out in the darkness. Cover your face so that you do not see the ground, for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel."
7 I did just as I had been commanded. By daylight I brought out my gear like gear for exile, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my hand. In the darkness I took it out, lifting it onto my shoulder while they watched.
8 In the morning the word of the LORD came to me:
9 "Son of man, did not the house of Israel, that house of rebellion, ask you, 'What are you doing?'
10 Tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: This oracle concerns the prince in Jerusalem and the whole house of Israel who are among them.'
11 Say, 'I am a sign for you: what I have done will be done to them; into exile, into captivity they will go.'
12 The prince who is among them will lift his gear onto his shoulder in the darkness and go out; they will dig through the wall to take it out through it. He will cover his face so that he does not see the ground with his own eyes.
13 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, but he will not see it, and there he will die.
14 All those around him, his aides and all his troops, I will scatter to every wind, and I will unsheathe a sword after them.
15 Then they shall know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the lands.
16 But I will leave a few of them, spared from sword, famine and pestilence, so that they may tell of all their abominations among the nations they come to; and they shall know that I am the LORD."
17 The word of the LORD came to me:
18 "Son of man, eat your bread trembling, and drink your water shaking and anxious.
19 Then say to the people of the land, 'Thus says the Lord GOD about those who live in Jerusalem, on the soil of Israel: They will eat their bread in anxiety and drink their water in horror, so that her land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who live there.
20 The cities that are lived in will be ruined and the land become a desolation, and you shall know that I am the LORD.'"
21 The word of the LORD came to me:
22 "Son of man, what is this saying you people have about the land of Israel: 'The days go by, and every vision fails'?
23 So tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: I will put a stop to this saying; they will not quote it in Israel again.' Tell them instead, 'The days are near, and the word of every vision.
24 For no longer will there be any empty vision or smooth divination inside the house of Israel.
25 For I am the LORD; I will speak, and whatever word I speak will be done, without further delay. In your own days, house of rebellion, I will speak a word and do it, declares the Lord GOD.'"
26 The word of the LORD came to me:
27 "Son of man, look, the house of Israel says, 'The vision he is seeing is for many days ahead; he is prophesying about distant times.'
28 So tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: No word of mine will be delayed any longer; whatever word I speak will be done, declares the Lord GOD.'"