Eat Your Bread!

^1-2 [To Ezekiel] Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, but see not.

They have ears to hear, but hear not for they are a rebellious house.

3 Therefore, prepare you stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight.

You shalt remove from your place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they [be] a rebellious house.

4 Then shalt you bring forth your stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing.

You shalt go forth at even in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity. 5} Dig you through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.

6 In their sight shalt you bear [it] upon [your] shoulders, [and] carry [it] forth in the twilight.

You shalt cover your face, that you see not the ground: for I have set you [for] a sign unto the Israelites.

7 I did so as I was commanded:

I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the even I digged through the wall with mine hand; I brought [it] forth in the twilight, [and] I bare [it] upon [my] shoulder in their sight.

9 Son of man, the rebellious Israelites have said to you: What doest thou? 10} Say: Thus said Enki; This burden [concerneth] the prince in Jerusalem, and all the Israelites that [are] among them.

11 Say, I [am] your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove [and] go into captivity.

12 The prince that [is] among them shall bear upon [his] shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with [his] eyes.

13 My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon [to] the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there. 14} And I will scatter toward every wind all that [are] about him to help him, and all his bands.

I will draw out the sword after them.

15 They shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries.

16 But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the Lord.

17-18 eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with carefulness;

19 Say to the people: the Lord of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, [and] of the land of Israel shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.

20 The cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and you shall know that I am the Lord.

21 Son of man, what [is] that proverb [that] ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?

23} Tell them I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.

24} For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the Israelites.

25 I am the Lord: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it.

26-27 on of man, behold, [they of] the Israelites say, The vision that he seeth [is] for many days [to come,] and he prophesieth of the times [that are] far off.

28 So say to them: Enki said: There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done.