- The word of the Lord also came unto me, saying, Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not; for they are a rebellious house.
- Therefore, you son of man, prepare stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and you shall remove from your place to another place in their sight. It may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house. Then shall you bring forth your stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing, and you shall go forth at evening in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity. Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby. In their sight shall you bear it upon your shoulders and carry it forth in the twilight. You shall cover your face that you see not the ground, for I have set you for a sign unto the house of Israel.
- And I did so as I was commanded. I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I brought it forth in the twilight and I bore it upon my shoulder in their sight.
- And in the morning came the word of the Lord unto me, saying, Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto you, What are you doing? Say unto them, Thus says the Lord God: This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them. Say, I am your sign. As I have done, so shall it be done unto them — they shall remove and go into captivity. And 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. 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. And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands, and I will draw out the sword after them. And they shall know that I am the Lord when I shall scatter them among the nations and disperse them in the countries. 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 where they come; and they shall know that I am the Lord.
- Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with anxiousness, and say unto the people of the land, Thus says the Lord God of the inhabitants of Jerusalem and of the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with anxiousness 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. And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate, and you shall know that I am the Lord.
Chapter 4