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EZEKIEL 1 2
page 736
all the people of Israel who are in exile. They
are saying, ‘Those people are far away from the
Lord, so now he has given their land to us!’
16 “Therefore, tell the exiles, ‘This is what
the Sovereign Lord says: Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will be
a sanctuary to you during your time in exile.
17 I, the Sovereign Lord, will gather you back
from the nations where you have been scattered,
and I will give you the land of Israel once again.’
18 “When the people return to their homeland, they will remove every trace of their vile
images and detestable idols. 19 And I will give
them singleness of heart and put a new spirit
within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive
heart,* 20 so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and
I will be their God. 21 But as for those who long
for vile images and detestable idols, I will repay
them fully for their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord,
have spoken!”
The LORD’s Glory Leaves Jerusalem
22 Then the cherubim lifted their wings and rose
into the air with their wheels beside them, and
the glory of the God of Israel hovered above
them. 23 Then the glory of the Lord went up
from the city and stopped above the mountain
to the east.
24 Afterward the Spirit of God carried me back
again to Babylonia,* to the people in exile there.
And so ended the vision of my visit to Jerusalem. 25 And I told the exiles everything the Lord
had shown me.
— promises —
from God
“I will take away their
stony, stubborn heart
and give them a tender,
responsive heart.”
E Z E K I E L 11:19
Signs of the Coming Exile
Again a message came to me from the
Lord: 2 “Son of man, you live among rebels who have eyes but refuse to see. They have
ears but refuse to hear. For they are a rebellious
people.
3 “So now, son of man, pretend you are being
sent into exile. Pack the few items an exile could
carry, and leave your home to go somewhere
else. Do this right in front of the people so they
can see you. For perhaps they will pay attention
to this, even though they are such rebels. 4 Bring
your baggage outside during the day so they
12
can watch you. Then in the evening, as they are
watching, leave your house as captives do when
they begin a long march to distant lands. 5 Dig
a hole through the wall while they are watching and go out through it. 6 As they watch, lift
your pack to your shoulders and walk away into
the night. Cover your face so you cannot see the
land you are leaving. For I have made you a sign
for the people of Israel.”
7 So I did as I was told. In broad daylight I
brought my pack outside, filled with the things
I might carry into exile. Then in the evening
while the people looked on, I dug through the
wall with my hands and went out into the night
with my pack on my shoulder.
8 The next morning this message came to
me from the Lord: 9 “Son of man, these rebels, the people of Israel, have asked you what
all this means. 10 Say to them, ‘This is what the
Sovereign Lord says: These actions contain a
message for King Zedekiah in Jerusalem* and
for all the people of Israel.’ 11 Explain that your
actions are a sign to show what will soon happen to them, for they will be driven into exile
as captives.
12 “Even Zedekiah will leave Jerusalem at
night through a hole in the wall, taking only
what he can carry with him. He will cover his
face, and his eyes will not see the land he is
leaving. 13 Then I will throw my net over him
and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to
Babylon, the land of the Babylonians,* though
he will never see it, and he will die there. 14 I will
scatter his servants and warriors to the four
winds and send the sword after them. 15 And
when I scatter them among the nations, they
will know that I am the Lord. 16 But I will spare
a few of them from death by war, famine, or
disease, so they can confess all their detestable
sins to their captors. Then they will know that
I am the Lord.”
17 Then this message came to me from the
Lord: 18 “Son of man, tremble as you eat your
food. Shake with fear as you drink your water.
19 Tell the people, ‘This is what the Sovereign
Lord says concerning those living in Israel
and Jerusalem: They will eat their food with
trembling and sip their water in despair, for
their land will be stripped bare because of their
violence. 20 The cities will be destroyed and the
farmland made desolate. Then you will know
that I am the Lord.’”
A New Proverb for Israel
21 Again a message came to me from the Lord:
22 “Son of man, you’ve heard that proverb they
quote in Israel: ‘Time passes, and prophecies
come to nothing.’ 23 Tell the people, ‘This is what
11:19 Hebrew a heart of flesh. 11:24 Or Chaldea.
12:10 Hebrew the prince in Jerusalem; similarly in 12:12.
12:13 Or Chaldeans.