The prophet forsheweth, by signs, the captivity of Sedecias, and the
desolation of the people: all which shall quickly come to pass.
12:1. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
12:2. Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a provoking house: who
have eyes to see, and see not: and ears to hear, and hear not: for they
are a provoking house.
12:3. Thou, therefore, O son of man, prepare thee all necessaries for
removing, and remove by day into their sight: and thou shalt remove out
of thy place to another place in their sight, if so be they will regard
it: for they are a provoking house.
12:4. And thou shalt bring forth thy furniture as the furniture of one
that is removing by day in their sight: and thou shalt go forth in the
evening in their presence, as one goeth forth that removeth his
dwelling.
12:5. Dig thee a way through the wall before their eyes: and thou shalt
go forth through it.
12:6. In their sight thou shalt be carried out upon men's shoulders,
thou shalt be carried out in the dark: thou shalt cover thy face, and
shalt not see the ground: for I have set thee for a sign of things to
come to the house of Israel.
12:7. I did therefore as he had commanded me: I brought forth my goods
by day, as the goods of one that removeth: and in the evening I digged
through the wall with my hand, and I went forth in the dark, and was
carried on men's shoulders in their sight.
12:8. And the word of the Lord came to me in the morning, saying:
12:9. Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the provoking house,
said to thee: What art thou doing?
12:10. Say to them: Thus saith the Lord God: This burden concerneth my
prince that is in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel, that are
among them.
12:11. Say: I am a sign of things to come to you: as I have done, so
shall it be done to them: they shall be removed from their dwellings,
and go into captivity.
12:12. And the prince that is in the midst of them, shall be carried on
shoulders, he shall go forth in the dark: they shall dig through the
wall to bring him out: his face shall be covered, that he may not see
the ground with his eyes.
12:13. And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my
net: and I will bring him into Babylon, into the land of the Chaldeans,
and he shall not see it, and there he shall die.
He shall not see it. . .Because his eyes shall be put out by
Nabuchodonosor.
12:14. And all that are about him, his guards, and his troops I will
scatter into every wind: and I will draw out the sword after them.
12:15. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have
dispersed them among the nations, and scattered them in the countries.
12:16. And I will leave a few men of them from the sword, and from the
famine, and from the pestilence: that they may declare all their wicked
deeds among the nations whither they shall go: and they shall know that
I am the Lord.
12:17. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
12:18. Son of man, eat thy bread in trouble and drink thy water in
hurry and sorrow.
12:19. And say to the people of the land: Thus saith the Lord God to
them that dwell in Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They shall eat
their bread in care, and drink their water in desolation: that the land
may become desolate from the multitude that is therein, for the
iniquity of all that dwell therein.
12:20. And the cities that are now inhabited shall be laid waste, and
the land shall be desolate: and you shall know that I am the Lord.
12:21. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
12:22. Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of
Israel? saying: The days shall be prolonged, and every vision shall
fail.
12:23. Say to them therefore: Thus saith the Lord God: I will make this
proverb to cease, neither shall it be any more a common saying in
Israel: and tell them that the days are at hand, and the effect of
every vision.
12:24. For there shall be no more any vain visions, nor doubtful
divination in the midst of the children of Israel.
12:25. For I the Lord will speak: and what word soever I shall speak,
it shall come to pass, and shall not be prolonged any more: but in your
days, ye provoking house, I will speak the word, and will do it, saith
the Lord God.
12:26. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
12:27. Son of man, behold the house of Israel, they that say: The
visions that this man seeth, is for many days to come: and this man
prophesieth of times afar off.
12:28. Therefore say to them: Thus saith the Lord God: not one word of
mine shall be prolonged any more: the word that I shall speak shall be
accomplished, saith the Lord God.