The Babylonian Exile

You have killed many in this city, you have filled its streets with the dead."

Therefore Adonai ELOHIM says this: "Those you have killed and strewn all over it, they are the meat; and this city is indeed the cooking pot; but you will be removed from it.

You are afraid of the sword, but I will bring the sword upon you," says Adonai ELOHIM.

"I will bring you out of it, hand you over to foreigners and execute judgments among you.

You will die by the sword; I will judge you at the border of Isra'el; and you will know that I am ADONAI.

This city will not be your cooking pot, but you will be the meat in it - I will judge you at Isra'el's frontier;

and you will know that I am ADONAI. For you have not lived by my laws or obeyed my rulings but have acted according to the rules of the nations surrounding you."'"

As I was prophesying, P'latyahu the son of B'nayah died. I fell down on my face and cried out, "Oh, Adonai ELOHIM! Are you going to destroy completely those of Isra'el who are left?"

Then the word of ADONAI came to me:

"Human being, it is to your kinsmen - your brothers, your relatives and the whole house of Isra'el - that the people living in Yerushalayim have said, 'Get away from ADONAI! This land has been given to us to possess!'

Therefore, say that Adonai ELOHIM says this: 'True, I removed them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries; nevertheless, I have been a little sanctuary for them in the countries to which they have gone.'

Therefore, say that Adonai ELOHIM says this: '"I will gather you from the peoples and collect you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give the land of Isra'el to you."

Then they will go there and remove all its loathsome things and disgusting practices,

and I will give them unity of heart. "I will put a new spirit among you." I will remove from their bodies the hearts of stone and give them hearts of flesh;

so that they will live by my regulations, obey my rulings and act by them. Then they will be my people, and I will be their God.

But as for those whose hearts go after the heart of their loathsome things and disgusting practices, I will bring [the consequences of] their ways on their own heads,' says Adonai ELOHIM."

The k'ruvim lifted their wings, and the wheels were next to them, with the glory of the God of Isra'el over them, above.

Next, the glory of ADONAI rose from within the city and stood over the mountain which is on the east side of the city.

Then a spirit lifted me up and brought me, in the vision, by the Spirit of God, to the exiles in the land of the Kasdim; after which the vision I had seen left me.

So I told the exiles everything ADONAI had shown me.

The word of ADONAI came to me:

"Human being, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes that can see, but they don't take notice; and they have ears that can hear, but they don't pay attention; because they are a rebellious people.

So you, human being, prepare supplies for exile; and during the daytime, as they watch, go away as if you were going into exile - leave your place, and go somewhere else as they watch. Perhaps they will take notice, even though they are a rebellious house.

Bring out your belongings during the day while they watch, as supplies for exile; and you yourself, while they watch, are to leave as people do who are going into exile.

Dig a hole through the wall while they watch, and carry [your belongings] out through it.