Ezekiel Chapter 12 to 13 : Easy-to-Read Version  | SearchSearch | Next Version | Previous Page | Next Page |

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12 Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 2“Son of man,* you live among rebellious people—they always turn against me. They have eyes to see {the things I have done for them}. But they don’t see those things. They have ears to hear {the things I told them to do}. But they don’t hear my commands. Why? Because they are a rebellious people. 3So, Son of man,* pack your bags. Act like you are going to a faraway country. Do this so the people can see you. Maybe they will see you—but they are a very rebellious people. 4“During the day, take your bags outside so the people can see you. Then in the evening, act like you are going away like a prisoner to a faraway country. 5While the people are watching, make a hole in the wall and go out through that hole in the wall. 6At night, put your bag on your shoulder and leave. Cover your face so you can’t see where you are going. You must do these things so the people can see you. Why? Because I am using you as an example to the family of Israel.” 7So I (Ezekiel) did as I was commanded. During the day, I took my bags and acted like I was going to a faraway country. That evening I used my hands and made a hole in the wall. During the night I put my bag on my shoulder and left. I did this so all the people could see me. 8The next morning, the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 9“Son of man,* did those rebellious people of Israel ask you what you were doing? 10Tell them that the Lord their Master said these things. This sad message is about the leader of Jerusalem and all the people of Israel living there. 11Tell them, ‘I (Ezekiel) am an example for all you people. The things I have done will really happen to you.’ You really will be forced to go to a faraway country as prisoners. 12And your leader will make a hole in the wall and sneak out at night. He will cover his face {so people won’t recognize him}. His eyes won’t be able to see where he is going. 13{He will try to escape.} But I (God) will catch him! He will be caught in my trap. And I will bring him to Babylonia—the land of the Chaldean people. But he will not be able to see where he is going. {The enemy will poke out his eyes and make him blind.} 14I will force the king’s people to live in the foreign countries around Israel. And I will scatter his army to the winds. And the enemy soldiers will chase after them. 15Then those people will know that I am the Lord. They will know that I scattered them among the nations. They will know that I forced them to go to other countries. 16“But I will let a few of the people live. They won’t die from the disease, hunger, and war. I will let those people live so they can tell other people about the terrible things they did against me. And then they will know that I am the Lord.” 17Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 18“Son of man,* you must act like you are very scared. You must shake when you eat your food. You must act worried and afraid when you drink your water. 19You must tell these things to the common people. You must say, ‘The Lord our Master says these things to the people living in Jerusalem and in the other parts of Israel. You people will be very worried while you eat your food. You will be terrified while you drink your water. Why? Because all the things in your country will be destroyed! The enemy will be very cruel to all the people living there. 20Many people live in your cities now—but those cities will be ruined. Your whole country will be destroyed! Then you will know that I am the Lord.” 21Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 22“Son of man,* why do people say this poem about the land of Israel: Trouble won’t come soon, the visions won’t happen. 23“Tell those people that the Lord their Master will stop that poem. They won’t say those things about Israel any more. Now they will say this poem: Trouble will come soon, the visions will happen. 24“It is true, there won’t be any more false visions in Israel. There won’t be any more magicians telling things that don’t come true. 25Why? Because I am the Lord. And I will say what I want to say, and that thing will happen! And I won’t let the time stretch out. Those troubles are coming soon—in your own lifetime. You rebellious people, when I say something, I make it happen.” The Lord my Master said those things. 26Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 27“Son of man,* the people of Israel think that the visions I give you are for a time far in the future. They think you are talking about things that will happen many, many years from now. 28So you must tell them these things, ‘The Lord my Master says: I won’t delay any longer. If I say something will happen, then it will happen!’” The Lord my Master said those things.

Son of man This was usually just a way of saying “a person,” or “a human being.” But here this is a title for the man, Ezekiel.


13 Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 2“Son of man,* you must speak to the prophets of Israel for me. {Those prophets are not really speaking for me.} Those prophets are saying things they want to say. So you must speak to them. Tell them these things, ‘Listen to this message from the Lord! 3The Lord my Master says these things. Bad things will happen to you foolish prophets. You are following your own spirits. You are not telling people what you really see {in visions}. 4“‘Israel, your prophets will be like foxes running through empty, destroyed buildings. 5You have not put soldiers near the broken walls of the city. You have not built walls to protect the family of Israel. So when the day comes for the Lord to punish you, you will lose the war! 6“‘False prophets said they saw visions. They did their magic and said things would happen—but they lied. They said the Lord sent them—but they lied. They are still waiting for their lies to come true. 7“‘False prophets, the visions you saw were not true. You did your magic and said things would happen. But you lied! You said that the Lord said those things. But I did not speak to you!’” 8So now, the Lord my Master really will speak! He says, “You told lies. You saw visions that were not true. So now I (God) am against you!” The Lord my Master said these things. 9The Lord says, “I will punish the prophets that saw false visions and told lies. I will remove them from my people. Their names won’t be in the list of the family of Israel. They will never again come to the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord and Master! 10“Again and again those false prophets lied to my people. The prophets said there would be peace. And there is no peace. The people need to fix the walls and prepare for war. But they only slap a thin coat of plaster* over the broken walls. 11Tell those men that I will send hail and a strong rain (enemy army). The wind will blow hard and a tornado will come. Then the wall will fall down. 12The wall will fall down. And the people will ask the prophets, ‘What happened to the plaster you put on the wall?’” 13The Lord my Master says, “I am angry and I will send a storm against you. I am angry and I will send a strong rain. I am angry and I will make hail fall from the sky and completely destroy you! 14You put plaster* on the wall. But I will destroy the whole wall. I will pull it to the ground. The wall will fall on you. And then you will know that I am the Lord. 15I will finish showing my anger against the wall and the people that put plaster on it. Then I will say, ‘There is no wall. And there are no workers to put plaster on it.’ 16“All those things will happen to the false prophets of Israel. Those prophets speak to the people of Jerusalem. Those prophets say there will be peace, but there is no peace.” The Lord my Master said those things. 17{God said,} “Son of man,* look at the women prophets in Israel. Those women prophets {don’t speak for me}. They say the things they want to say. So you must speak against them for me. You must say these things to them. 18‘The Lord my Master says these things: Bad things will happen to you women. You sew cloth bracelets for people to wear on their arms. You make special scarves for people to wear on their heads. {You say those things have magic powers} to control people’s lives. You trap those people only to keep yourselves alive! 19You make the people think I am not important. You turn them against me for a few handfuls of barley and a few scraps of bread. You tell lies to my people. Those people love to listen to lies. You kill people that should live. And you let people live that should die. 20So the Lord and Master says these things to you: You make those cloth bracelets to trap people—but I will set those people free. I will tear those bracelets off your arms, and the people will be free from you. They will be like birds flying from a trap! 21And I will tear up those scarves, and save my people from your power. Those people will escape from your trap. And you will know that I am the Lord. 22“‘You prophets tell lies. Your lies hurt good people—I did not want to hurt those good people! You support bad people and encourage them. You don’t tell them to change their lives. You don’t try to save their lives! 23So you won’t see any more useless visions. You won’t do any more magic. I will save my people from your power. And you will know that I am the Lord.’”

Son of man This was usually just a way of saying “a person,” or “a human being.” But here this is a title for the man, Ezekiel. plaster A type of cement people put on stone walls to make them smooth and waterproof. This is also a word play. The Hebrew word is like the word meaning, “It will fall.”

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