And the word of Yahweh carne to me:

2/ Son of man, you dwell in the midst

of a rebellious housa,s which has eyes
to see. but sees not, 'and" ears to hear,
but hears not, for they are a rebellious
house. 3/ Sut you, son of man, prepare
for yourself an exile's baggage [and go
awayp in the (Iight of) day before their
eyes and qo away from your piace to
another piace before their eves."
Perhaps they will see it, far they are a
rebellious house. 4/ And bring out your
baggage in the (Iight of) day before
their eyes asabaggage for exile, and you
yourself shall go out at evening before
thei r eves." (just) as exiles usuallv- go
away. 5/ Before their eyes, dig a hole
through the wall and bringa (your
baggage) through it. 6/ Before their
eyes you shall fifta (the baggage) upon

your snoutder. inU the dark you shall

carry (it) out;C your face you shall
cover, that you may not see the land.
Far I have made vou a sig n for the
house of Israel.
And I did as I was commanded. , brought
out my baggage,a as baggage for exile,
in the (I ight of) day. And in the evening
I dug a hole in the wall [with my
hands l" InC the darkness I brought out!
(my baggage). le carried (it) upon my
shoulder before their eyas.
And the word of Yahweh carne to me the
(following) morning: 9/ San of man,
has not the house of Israel, the
rebellious house, said to you: What are
you doing (there)? 10/ Say to them:
Thus has [the Lord]! Yahweh said : This
oracle concerns 'the prlnce" in
Jerusalem and ali the house of Israel
who are in 'its'C midst. 11/ Say: I am a
sign far vou.! As I have dane, so shall it
be dane to them. They must go into
exile [in the horde of orlsoners l.!
12/ And the prince, who is in their
midst, shall lifta (his baggage) upon"
his shoulders. In the dark 'he will bring
(it) out":" they will make" a hole in the
 wall, in order to bring (the baggage)
out through it.e Ha will covar his face,
'50" that he may not 'be seen' by any
eye' (9Jl beeause he does not see with
his eyes) [he-the land].' 13/ And I will
spread rny net over him, and he will be
taken in rny snare; and I will bring him
to Babylon in the land of the Chaldeans.
Yet he will not see it and will die there.
14/ And ali those who are round about
him 'as his hetpers;" and ali his troops
will I scatter to the winds, and I will
unsheath the sword after them. 15/ And
they shall know that I am Yahweh
when I scatter them among the
nations and disperse them throughout
the countries.
And I will let a few of them escape from
the sword, fr orn" famine, and trom
pestilence, that they may reeount
among the nations to which they carne
ali their abominations. so that they may
know that I am Yahweh.

24
Then the word of Yahweh came to me:
16/ Son of mano behold, , am taking
trom you the delight of your eyes by
sudden death. You shall neither lament
nor weep [, nor shall your tears ruri]."
17/ Groan in deathly stiffness.! make no
lamentation, binct your turban about
you, and put? your shoes on your feet.
Do not cover your upper lip and do not
eat the 'bread of lamerrtatlon"."
[And S spoke to the people in the
rnornlnq.P And my wlfe died in the
evening, but I did on ths next morning
as I had bean commanded, 19/ Then the
paople spoke to me: Wi" you not tell
US, what this that you are doing means
[for us] 7a
Then I spoke to them: The word of
Yahweh carne to me: 21/ Say to the
house of Israel: Thus has [the Lord]"
Yahweh spoken: Behold, I will
desecrate mv sanctuary, your proud
treasure, which your eyes delight in
and vour desire 'Iooks tor." And your
sons and your daughters whom you
have laft behind wil! fall by the sword.
22/ And you will do as I have done: you
shall not cover your upper lip, nor wil1
you eat the 'bread of tamentatlon.'
23/ Your turbans- you will (bind) on
your heads and your shoes on your feet.
You shall not wail nor weep, but you
will pine away in your wickedness and
groanb orre to another. 24/ And Ezekiel
will be a sign to you. Just as he has
done you will do. When it happens.!
you will know that I am [the Lor d]"
Yahweh.
And you, son of man, surelv! on the day
when I take away from them their
treasure, the eminent joy which their
eyes delighted in and their desire
looked for, their sons and their
daughters-26! on that day a survivor
will come to you, so that your ears may
hear it. a 27/ On that day your mouth
will be opened [towards the survivor]."
and you will speak and be no more
dumb, and you will be a sign to thern,
and they will know that I am Yahweh.