Signs of the Coming Captivity

1The word of the LORD also came to me, saying, 2Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house. 3Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight; it may be they will consider, though they are a rebellious house. 4Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing: and thou shalt go forth at evening in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity. 5Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby. 6In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou mayest not see the ground: for I have set thee for a sign to the house of Israel.

7And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the evening I digged through the wall with my hand; I brought it forth in the twilight, and I bore it upon my shoulder in their sight.

8And in the morning came the word of the LORD to me, saying, 9Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to thee, What doest thou? 10Say thou to them, Thus saith the Lord GOD, This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them. 11Say, I am your sign: as I have done, so shall it be done to them: they shall remove and go into captivity. 12And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he may not see the ground with his eyes. 13My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans, yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there. 14And I will scatter towards every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them. 15And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries. 16But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

17Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 18Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with solicitude. 19And say to the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with solicitude, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein. 20And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

The Presumptuous Proverb

21And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 22Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? 23Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord GOD: I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say to them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision. 24For there shall no more be any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel. 25For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall no more be prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD.

26Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 27Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are distant. 28Therefore say to them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; There shall none of my words be further deferred, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.