Signs of the Coming Captivity

1The worde of the Lorde also came vnto me, saying, 2Sonne of man, thou dwellest in the middes of a rebellious house, which haue eyes to see, and see not: they haue eares to heare, and heare not: for they are a rebellious house. 3Therefore thou sonne of man, prepare thy stuffe to goe into captiuitie, and goe foorth by day in their sight: and thou shalt passe from thy place to another place in their sight, if it be possible that they may consider it: for they are a rebellious house. 4Then shalt thou bring foorth thy stuffe by day in their sight as the stuffe of him that goeth into captiuitie: and thou shalt go forth at euen in their sight, as they that go foorth into captiuitie. 5Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and cary out thereby. 6In their sight shalt thou beare it vpon thy shoulders, and carie it foorth in the darke: thou shalt couer thy face that thou see not the earth: for I haue set thee as a signe vnto the house of Israel.

7And as I was commaunded, so I brought forth my stuffe by day, as ye stuffe of one that goeth into captiuitie: and by night I digged through the wall with mine hand, & brought it forth in ye darke, & I bare it vpo my shoulder in their sight.

8And in the morning came the word of the Lord vnto me, saying, 9Sonne of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, sayde vnto thee, What doest thou? 10But say thou vnto them, Thus saith the Lorde God, This burden concerneth the chiefe in Ierusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them. 11Say, I am your signe: like as I haue done, so shall it be done vnto them: they shall goe into bondage and captiuitie. 12And the chiefest that is among them, shall beare vpon his shoulder in the darke, and shall goe forth: they shall digge through the wall, to cary out thereby: he shall couer his face, that he see not the ground with his eies. 13My net also will I spread vpon him, and he shall be taken in my net, and I will bring him to Babel to the lande of the Caldeans, yet shall he not see it, though he shall dye there. 14And I will scatter toward euerie winde all that are about him to helpe him, and all his garisons, and I will drawe out the sworde after them. 15And they shall knowe that I am the Lord, when I shall scatter them among the nations, & disperse them in the countreis. 16But I will leaue a litle nomber of them from the sworde, from the famine, and from the pestilence, that they may declare all these abominations among the heathen, where they come, and they shall knowe, that I am the Lorde.

17Moreouer, the worde of the Lorde came vnto me, saying, 18Sonne of man, eate thy bread with trembling and drinke thy water with trouble, & with carefulnesse, 19And say vnto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lorde God of the inhabitants of Ierusalem, and of the lande of Israel, They shall eate their bread with carefulnes, and drinke their water with desolation: for the lande shall bee desolate from her abundance because of the crueltie of them that dwell therein. 20And the cities that are inhabited, shal be left voyde, and the land shall be desolate, and yee shall knowe that I am the Lorde.

The Presumptuous Proverb

21And the worde of the Lorde came vnto me, saying, 22Sonne of man, what is that prouerbe that you haue in the land of Israel, saying, The dayes are prolonged and all visions faile? 23Tell them therefore, Thus sayeth the Lord God, I wil make this prouerbe to cease, and they shall no more vse it as a prouerbe in Israel: but say vnto them, The daies are at hand and the effect of euery vision. 24For no vision shall be any more in vaine, neither shall there bee any flattering diuination within the house of Israel. 25For I am the Lorde: I wil speake, and that thing that I shall speake, shall come to passe: it shall be no more prolonged: for in your dayes, O rebellious house, will I saye the thing, and will performe it, sayeth the Lord God.

26Againe the word of the Lorde came vnto me, saying, 27Sonne of man, beholde, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that hee seeth, is for many dayes to come, and he prophecieth of the times that are farre off. 28Therefore say vnto them, Thus sayth the Lorde God, All my wordes shall no longer be delayed, but that thing which I haue spoken, shall be done, saith the Lord God.