¹ Then came the word of Yahweh unto me saying:

² Son of man. In the midst of a perverse house, dost thou dwell,— Who have eyes to see—and have not seen. Ears have they to hear—and have no heard, For a perverse house, they are.

³ Thou, therefore Son of man, Prepare thee baggage for exile, and exile thyself, by day, before their eyes,—so shalt thou exile thyself out of thy place unto another place before their eyes, peradventure they will consider— though a perverse house, they are.

⁴ Therefore shalt thou take forth thy baggage as baggage for exile, by day before their eyes,—and thou thyself, shalt go forth in the evening, before their eyes, like them who go forth to exile.

⁵ Before their eyes, break thou forth by thyself through the wall,—and carry forth through it.

⁶ Before their eyes, Upon the shoulder, shalt thou lift it. In thick darkness, take it forth, Thy face, shalt thou cover so that thou see not the land; For a sign, have I appointed thee to the house of Israel.

⁷ And I did so, just as I was commanded, My baggage, took I forth as baggage for exile by day, and in the evening, I brake forth by myself through the wall, by force: in the twilight, I took it forth—on to my shoulder, I lifted it, before their eyes.

⁸ Then came the word of Yahweh unto me in the morning, saying:

⁹ Son of man, Have not the house of Israel the perverse house, said unto thee,— What art thou doing?

¹⁰ Say unto them, Thus, saith My Lord, Yahweh,— [For] the Bearer, is this burden, in Jerusalem, and [for] all the house of Israel such as are in their midst.

¹¹ Say, I, am your sign: As I have done, so. shall it be done to them, Into exile—into captivity, shall they go.

¹² Yea, the Bearer who is in their midst, Upon his shoulder, shall lift it. In thick darkness, shall he go forth, Through the wall, shall they break to bear forth through it,— His face, shall he cover, to the end that, his own eye, may not see the land.

¹³ Then will I spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare; And I will take him to Babylon. in the land of the Chaldeans, The which, indeed, he shall not see. And yet there, shall he die!

¹⁴ And all who are round about him to help him and all his troops, will I scatter to every wind,—and, a sword, will I make bare after them.

¹⁵ So shall they know that, I, am Yahweh,— By my dispersing them among the nations, And scattering them throughout the lands.

¹⁶ Yet will I leave remaining of them men easily counted, from the sword from the famine and from the pestilence,—that they may recount all their abominations among the nations whither they have come, So shall they know that, I, am Yahweh.

¹⁷ Then came the word of Yahweh unto me, saying:

¹⁸ Son of man, Thy bread with trembling, shalt thou eat,— And, thy water in agitation and in fear, shalt thou drink.

¹⁹ Then shalt thou say unto the people of the land, Thus saith My Lord Yahweh concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem upon the soil of Israel, Their bread with anxious care, shall they eat, And, their water in astonishment, shall they drink,— That her land, may be deserted, of her fulness, because of the violence of all them who dwell therein:

²⁰ Yea, the cities that are inhabited, shall be laid waste, And, the land, shall become, an astonishment,— So shall ye know that, I, am Yahweh.

²¹ And the word of Yahweh came unto me saying:

²² Son of man What is this proverb ye have, concerning the soil of Israel, saying,— The days, are prolonged, Therefore shall every vision come to nought?

²³ Therefore say unto them, Thus, saith My Lord Yahweh, I will cause this proverb to cease, And they shall use it as a proverb no more in Israel,— But speak unto them, The days, are drawn near, And the substance of every vision.

²⁴ For there shall no more be— Any vision of falsehood Or divination of deceit, In the midst of the house of Israel.

²⁵ For, I, Yahweh will speak whatsoever word I please to speak, And it shall be done, It shall not be delayed any more,— For in your own days, O perverse house, will I speak a word and perform it, Declareth My Lord. Yahweh.

²⁶ And the word of Yahweh came unto me, saying:

²⁷ Son of man. Lo! the house of Israel are saying, the vision which he seeth is for many days, Yea for times far away, hath he prophesied.

²⁸ Therefore say unto them. Thus saith My Lord Yahweh, None of my words shall be delayed any more,— Whatsoever word I speak, then shall it be performed, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.