The Prophet Ezekiel

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 12 -

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

“Son of man, you live in the midst of a provoking house. They have eyes to see, and they do not see; and ears to hear, and they do not hear. For they are a provoking house.

As for you, then, son of man, prepare for yourself the supplies for traveling far away, and travel away in the daytime in their sight. And you shall travel from your place to another place in their sight, so that perhaps they may consider it. For they are a provoking house.

And you shall carry your supplies outside, like the supplies of one who is traveling far away, in the daytime in their sight. Then you shall go forth in the evening in their presence, just as one goes forth who is moving far away.

Dig for yourself through the wall, before their eyes. And you shall go out through it.

In their sight, you shall be carried on shoulders, you shall be carried in the dark. You shall cover your face, and you shall not see the ground. For I have appointed you as a portent for the house of Israel.”(a)

Therefore, I did just as he had instructed me. I brought out my supplies in the daytime, like the supplies of one who is moving far away. And in the evening, I dug myself through the wall by hand. And I went out in the dark, and I was carried on shoulders, in their sight.

And the word of the Lord came to me, in the morning, saying:

“Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the provoking house, said to you: ‘What are you doing?’

Say to them: Thus says the Lord God: This is the burden concerning my leader who is in Jerusalem, and concerning the entire house of Israel, who are in their midst.

Say: I am your portent. Just as I have done, so shall it be done to them. They will be taken captive and moved far away.

And the leader who is in their midst will be carried on shoulders; he will go forth in darkness. They will dig through the wall, so that they may lead him away. His face will be covered, so that he may not see the land with his eye.

And I will extend my net over him, and he will be captured in my dragnet. And I will lead him to Babylon, into the land of the Chaldeans, but he himself will not see it. And there he shall die.(b)

And all who are around him, his guards and his companies, I will scatter into every wind. And I will unsheathe the sword after them.(c)

And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I will have dispersed them among the Gentiles, and will have sowed them among the lands.

And I will leave behind a few men of them, apart from the sword, and the famine, and the pestilence, so that they may declare all their wicked deeds among the Gentiles, to whom they will go. And they shall know that I am the Lord.”

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

“Son of man, eat your bread in consternation. Moreover, drink your water hurriedly and in sorrow.

And say to the people of the land: Thus says the Lord God, to those who are living in Jerusalem, in the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread in anxiety, and drink their water in desolation, so that the land may be desolate before its multitude, because of the iniquity of all who are living in it.

And cities that are now inhabited will become desolate, and the land will be forsaken. And you shall know that I am the Lord.”

The Presumptuous Proverb

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

“Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel? saying: ‘The days shall be extended in length, and every vision shall perish.’

Therefore, say to them: Thus says the Lord God: I will cause this proverb to cease, and it shall no longer be a common saying in Israel. And tell them that the days are approaching, and the word of every vision.

For there shall no longer be any empty visions, nor any ambiguous divination in the midst of the sons of Israel.

For I, the Lord, will speak. And whatever word I will speak, it shall be done, and it shall not be delayed any more. Instead, in your days, O provoking house, I will speak a word and do it, says the Lord God.”

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

“Son of man, behold the house of Israel, those who are saying: ‘The visions that this one sees is many days away,’ and, ‘This man prophesies about times that are far away.’

Because of this, say to them: Thus says the Lord God: No word of mine will be delayed any longer. The word that I will speak will be fulfilled, says the Lord God.”

Footnotes

(a)12:6 When the next Pope flees from Vatican City during the war, he will be carried out through an opening in the wall, on shoulders, in the darkness. Other translations have Ezekiel carrying his baggage, but the Latin clearly and repeatedly says ‘shall be carried’ and ‘being carried’ in the passive tense. Also, if Ezekiel is covering his face so that he cannot see the land, then he could not carry his own baggage, as he would trip and fall. But if he is being carried, then his face can be covered.(Conte)

(b)12:13 He shall not see it:Because his eyes shall be put out by Nabuchodonosor.(Challoner)

(c)12:14 The word agmina (agmen) can refer to a stream, or to a flock or herd, or to troops. What all these things have in common, at which the word is aiming, is that they all go forth in a procession or in an orderly column. The agmina of the Pope, then, would be his faithful flock, those who are following him, who are like his troops or his herd.(Conte)

The LORD’s word also came to me, saying,

“Son of man, you dwell in the middle of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see, and don’t see, who have ears to hear, and don’t hear; for they are a rebellious house.

“Therefore, you son of man, prepare your baggage for moving, and move by day in their sight. You shall move from your place to another place in their sight. It may be they will consider, though they are a rebellious house.

You shall bring out your baggage by day in their sight, as baggage for moving. You shall go out yourself at evening in their sight, as when men go out into exile.

Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry your baggage out that way.

In their sight you shall bear it on your shoulder, and carry it out in the dark. You shall cover your face, so that you don’t see the land, for I have set you for a sign to the house of Israel.”

I did so as I was commanded. I brought out my baggage by day, as baggage for moving, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I brought it out in the dark, and bore it on my shoulder in their sight.

In the morning, the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

“Son of man, hasn’t the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’

“Say to them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel among whom they are.”’

“Say, ‘I am your sign. As I have done, so will it be done to them. They will go into exile, into captivity.

“‘The prince who is among them will bear his baggage on his shoulder in the dark, and will go out. They will dig through the wall to carry things out that way. He will cover his face, because he will not see the land with his eyes.

I will also spread my net on him, and he will be taken in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will not see it, though he will die there.

I will scatter toward every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his bands. I will draw out the sword after them.

“‘They will know that I am the LORD when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries.

But 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 nations where they come. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”

Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

“Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with fearfulness.

Tell the people of the land, ‘The Lord GOD says concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the land of Israel: “They will eat their bread with fearfulness and drink their water in dismay, that her land may be desolate, and all that is therein, because of the violence of all those who dwell therein.

The cities that are inhabited will be laid waste, and the land will be a desolation. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”’”

The Presumptuous Proverb

The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

“Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel, saying, ‘The days are prolonged, and every vision fails’?

Tell them therefore, ‘The Lord GOD says: “I will make this proverb to cease, and they will no more use it as a proverb in Israel;”’ but tell them, ‘“The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision.

For there will be no more any false vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.

For I am the LORD. I will speak, and the word that I speak will be performed. It will be no more deferred; for in your days, rebellious house, I will speak the word and will perform it,” says the Lord GOD.’”

Again the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

“Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, ‘The vision that he sees is for many days to come, and he prophesies of times that are far off.’

“Therefore tell them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “None of my words will be deferred any more, but the word which I speak will be performed,” says the Lord GOD.’”