Ezekiel Acts Out Israel's Captivity
1 The Lord said:
2 Ezekiel, son of man, you are living among rebellious people. They have eyes, but refuse to see; they have ears, but refuse to listen. 3 So before it gets dark, here is what I want you to do. Pack a few things as though you were going to be taken away as a prisoner. Then go outside where everyone can see you and walk around from place to place. Maybe as they watch, they will realize what rebels they are. 4 After you have done this, return to your house.
Later that evening leave your house as if you were going into exile. 5 Dig through the wall of your house and crawl out, carrying the bag with you. Make sure everyone is watching. 6 Lift the bag to your shoulders, and with your face covered, take it into the darkness, so that you cannot see the land you are leaving. All this will be a warning for the people of Israel.
7 I did everything the Lord had said. I packed a few things. Then as the sun was going down, and while everyone was watching, I dug a hole through one of the walls of my house. I pulled out my bag, then lifted it to my shoulders and left in the darkness.
8 The next morning, the Lord 9 reminded me that those rebellious people didn't even ask what I was doing. 10 So he sent me back to tell them:
The Lord God has a message for the leader of Jerusalem and everyone living there!
11 I have done these things to show them what will happen when they are taken away as prisoners.
12 The leader of Jerusalem will lift his own bag to his shoulders at sunset and leave through a hole that the others have dug in the wall of his house. He will cover his face, so he can't see the land he is leaving. 13 The Lord will spread out a net and trap him as he leaves Jerusalem. He will then be led away to the city of Babylon, but will never see that place, even though he will die there. 14 His own officials and troops will scatter in every direction, and the Lord will track them down and put them to death.
15 The Lord will force the rest of the people in Jerusalem to live in foreign nations, where they will realize that he has done all these things. 16 Some of them will survive the war, the starvation, and the deadly diseases. That way, they will be able to tell foreigners how disgusting their sins were, and that it was the Lord who punished them in this way.
A Sign of Fear
17 The Lord said:
18 Ezekiel, son of man, shake with fear when you eat, and tremble when you drink. 19 Tell the people of Israel that I, the Lord, say that someday everyone in Jerusalem will shake when they eat and tremble when they drink. Their country will be destroyed and left empty, because they have been cruel and violent. 20 Every town will lie in ruins, and the land will be a barren desert. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
The Words of the Lord Will Come True
21 The Lord said:
22 Ezekiel, son of man, you've heard people in Israel use the saying, “Time passes, and prophets are proved wrong.” 23 Now tell the people that I, the Lord, am going to prove that saying wrong. No one will ever be able to use it again in Israel, because very soon everything I have said will come true! 24 The people will hear no more useless warnings and false messages. 25 I will give them my message, and what I say will certainly happen. Warn those rebels that the time has come for them to be punished. I, the Lord, make this promise.
26-27 Ezekiel, the people of Israel are also saying that your visions and messages are only about things in the future. 28 So tell them that my words will soon come true, just as I have warned. I, the Lord, have spoken.
Ecehiēls par zīmi Israēla aizvešanai trimdā
1 Kunga vārds nāca pār mani: 2 “Cilvēka dēls, tu dzīvo dumpīgā saimē. Tiem acis redzēt, bet tie neredz, tiem ausis dzirdēt, bet tie nedzird, jo tie ir dumpīga saime, 3 tādēļ tu, cilvēka dēls, sataisi sev trimdinieka paunu un dodies trimdā. Dari to dienā, lai tie redz, ka tu dodies prom, – kad tie redzēs, varbūt sapratīs, ka ir dumpīga saime. 4 Pa dienu iznes ārā savu trimdinieka paunu, lai tie redz, bet vakarā dodies prom, kā trimdā aiziedams. 5 Tiem redzot, izlauz caurumu mūrī un nes savu paunu ārā. 6 Vakara krēslā, tiem redzot, cel to plecos un dodies prom. Aizsedz seju, lai tu neredzi zemi, jo es tevi darīšu par zīmi Israēla namam!”
7 Es darīju, kā man pavēlēja, – dienā iznesu ārā savu trimdinieka paunu, bet vakarā ar rokām izlauzu caurumu mūrī. Vakara krēslā es gāju prom ar paunu uz pleciem, un viņi to redzēja.
8 No rīta pār mani nāca Kunga vārds: 9 “Cilvēka dēls, vai Israēla nams, dumpīgā saime, tev nejautāja: kādēļ tu tā dari? – 10 Saki tiem: tā saka Kungs Dievs: šis ir vēstījums Jeruzālemes valdniekam un visam Israēla namam, kas tur mīt. 11 Saki: es esmu jums zīme – kā es darīju, tā viņš tiem darīs – sagūstīti tie aizies trimdā! 12 Viņu pārvaldnieks cels plecā paunu un vakara krēslā aizies caur mūri, kuru izlauzuši, – aizejot viņa seja būs aizklāta, ka viņš neredzēs zemi. 13 Es viņam uzmetīšu tīklu, viņš tiks notverts cilpā! Es viņu aizvedīšu uz Bābeli kaldiešu zemē – to viņš neredzēs, tur viņš mirs! 14 Ikvienu palīgu, kas pie viņa, un ikvienu viņa pulku es izkaisīšu visos vējos – es viņiem zobenu uzsūtīšu! 15 Tad viņi zinās, ka es esmu Kungs, es viņus izklīdināšu pa tautām, es viņus izkaisīšu pa valstīm! 16 Bet dažiem no tiem es ļaušu paglābties no zobena, bada un mēra, lai tie pastāsta tautām par savām preteklībām, kuru dēļ tur nonākuši, tad viņi zinās, ka es esmu Kungs!”
Vēstījums netiks atlikts vai atcelts
17 Kunga vārds nāca pār mani: 18 “Cilvēka dēls, drebi, kad ēd maizi, trīci un baidies, kad dzer ūdeni! 19 Saki visiem ļaudīm: tā saka Kungs Dievs tiem, kas Jeruzālemē un Israēla zemē: maizi tie ēdīs bailēs, ūdeni tie dzers postā, jo zeme būs iztukšota tās iemītnieku varmācības dēļ. 20 Apdzīvotās pilsētas nopostīs, un zeme tiks izdeldēta – tad jūs zināsiet, ka es esmu Kungs!”
21 Un Kunga vārds nāca pār mani: 22 “Cilvēka dēls, kādēļ jums Israēlā ir šāda paruna – dienas rit, bet redzējumi nepiepildās! – 23 Saki tiem: tā saka Kungs Dievs: es atcelšu šo parunu, viņi to Israēlā vairs neteiks. Saki tiem: tuvojas dienas, kad piepildīsies ik redzējums! 24 Jo Israēla namā vairs nebūs melīgu redzējumu un glaimīgu pareģojumu. 25 Es, Kungs, runāšu – ko es teikšu, tas piepildīsies nekavējoties. Jūsu dienās, dumpīgā saime, es izpildīšu to, ko runāšu!” saka Kungs Dievs.
26 Kunga vārds nāca pār mani: 27 “Cilvēka dēls, redzi, Israēla nams saka: viņa redzējums ir daudzām dienām, un viņa pravietojumi ir tālai nākotnei. 28 Tādēļ saki tiem: tā saka Kungs Dievs: neviens mans vārds netiks novilcināts, tas, ko es sacīju, piepildīsies!” saka Kungs Dievs.
