Chapter 11
1Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the LORD that faces east. And there at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, who were leaders of the people. 2And the LORD said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who plot evil and give wicked counsel in this city. 3They are saying, ‘Is not the time near to build houses? The city is the cooking pot, and we are the meat.’ 4Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, O son of man!” 5And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me and told me to declare that this is what the LORD says: “That is what you are thinking, O house of Israel; and I know the thoughts that arise in your minds. 6You have multiplied those you killed in this city and filled its streets with the dead. 7Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: The slain you have laid within this city are the meat, and the city is the pot; but I will remove you from it. 8You fear the sword, so I will bring the sword against you, declares the Lord GOD. 9I will bring you out of the city and deliver you into the hands of foreigners, and I will execute judgments against you. 10You will fall by the sword, and I will judge you even to the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 11The city will not be a pot for you, nor will you be the meat within it. I will judge you even to the borders of Israel. 12Then you will know that I am the LORD. For you have neither followed My statutes nor practiced My ordinances, but you have conformed to the ordinances of the nations around you.” 13Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, “Oh, Lord GOD, will You bring the remnant of Israel to a complete end?” 14Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 15“Son of man, your brothers—your relatives, your fellow exiles, and the whole house of Israel—are those of whom the people of Jerusalem have said, ‘They are far away from the LORD; this land has been given to us as a possession.’ 16Therefore declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries to which they have gone.’ 17Therefore declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you from the countries to which you have been scattered, and I will give back to you the land of Israel.’ 18When they return to it, they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations. 19And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh, 20so that they may follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God. 21But as for those whose hearts pursue detestable things and abominations, I will bring their conduct down upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.” 22Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. 23And the glory of the LORD rose up from within the city and stood over the mountain east of the city. 24And the Spirit lifted me up and carried me back to Chaldea, to the exiles in the vision given by the Spirit of God. After the vision had gone up from me, 25I told the exiles everything the LORD had shown me.
Chapter 12
1Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2“Son of man, you are living in a rebellious house. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house. 3Therefore, son of man, pack your bags for exile. In broad daylight, set out from your place and go to another as they watch. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house. 4Bring out your baggage for exile by day, as they watch. Then in the evening, as they watch, go out like those who go into exile. 5As they watch, dig through the wall and carry your belongings out through it. 6And as they watch, lift your bags to your shoulder and take them out at dusk; cover your face so that you cannot see the land. For I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.” 7So I did as I was commanded. I brought out my bags for exile by day, and in the evening I dug through the wall by hand. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulder as they watched. 8And in the morning the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 9“Son of man, hasn’t the rebellious house of Israel asked you, ‘What are you doing?’ 10Tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are there.’ 11You are to say, ‘I am a sign to you.’ Just as it happened here, so will it be done to them; they will go into exile as captives. 12And at dusk the prince among them will lift his bags to his shoulder and go out. They will dig through the wall to bring him out. He will cover his face so he cannot see the land. 13But 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; yet he will not see it, and there he will die. 14And I will scatter to every wind all the attendants around him and all his troops, and I will draw a sword to chase after them. 15And they will know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them throughout the countries. 16But I will spare a few of them from sword and famine and plague, so that in the nations to which they go, they can recount all their abominations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.” 17Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 18“Son of man, eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with quivering and anxiety. 19Then tell the people of the land that this is what the Lord GOD says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: ‘They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water in dread, for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who dwell in it. 20The inhabited cities will be laid waste, and the land will become desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’ ” 21Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 22“Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by, and every vision fails’? 23Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will put an end to this proverb, and in Israel they will no longer recite it.’ But say to them: ‘The days are at hand when every vision will be fulfilled. 24For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations within the house of Israel, 25because I, the LORD, will speak whatever word I speak, and it will be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak a message and bring it to pass, declares the Lord GOD.’ ” 26Furthermore, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 27“Son of man, take note that the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for many years from now; he prophesies about the distant future.’ 28Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘None of My words will be delayed any longer. The message I speak will be fulfilled, declares the Lord GOD.’ ”