The Skeptics Annotated Bible (629 page)

23
And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain
which is on the east side of the city.

(11.23)
“And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain.”

24
Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity
. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.

(11.24)
“Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity.”

25 Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the LORD had shewed me.

12
The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.

(12.3-7) God tells Ezekiel to move his stuff. He tells him to move it in the daylight; to dig through a wall with his hand and carry his stuff out; and to move his stuff in the twilight, with his face covered so he can’t see the ground. So that’s what he did.

3 Therefore, thou
son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house.

(12.3)
“Son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house.”

4
Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing
: and thou shalt go forth at even in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity.

(12.4)
“Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing.”

5
Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby
.

(12.5)
“Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.”

6
In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel
.

(12.6)
“In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.”

7 And
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.

(12.7)
“I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day … 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.”

8 And in the morning came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,

(12.9-12) After Ezekiel moved his stuff, God asked if anyone asked him what he was doing? If they do ask, God told him to say that they will soon be moving their stuff, too, when God forces them into captivity.

9
Son of man, hath not the house of Israe
l, the rebellious house,
said unto thee, What doest thou?

(12.9)
“Son of man, hath not the house of Israel … said unto thee, What doest thou?”

10 Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel 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.

(12.11)
“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 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.

(12.12)
“The prince … shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and … 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; and I will draw out the sword after them.

(12.15-16) God will kill nearly everyone in one way or another (sword, famine, pestilence), but he’ll leave a few men standing “to declare their abominations among the heathen.”

15 And
they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries
.

(12.15)
“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.

(12.16)
“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 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

(12.18-20) God has Ezekiel do another clever demonstration: eat and drink carefully while shaking. That way, when the people see him doing that, they will know that God is going to starve them to death, which will teach them that God is the Lord.

18 Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness;

(12.18)
“Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness.”

19 And
say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord
GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel;
They 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.

(12.19)
“Say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord … They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein.”

20
And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

(12.20)
“And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.”

21 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,