Ezekiel 12:6

⁴ Bring out your baggage for exile by day, as they watch. Then in the evening, as they watch, go out like those who go into exile.

⁵ As they watch, dig through the wall and carry your belongings out through it.

And as they watch, lift your bags to your shoulder and take them out at dusk; cover your face so that you cannot see the land. For I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.”

⁷ So I did as I was commanded. I brought out my bags for exile by day, and in the evening I dug through the wall by hand. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulder as they watched.

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

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: And as they watch, lift your bags to your shoulder and take them out at dusk; cover your face so that you cannot see the land. For I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.”
KJV: 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.
WEB: In their sight you shall bear it on your shoulder, and carry it out in the dark. You shall cover your face, so that you don’t see the land, for I have set you for a sign to the house of Israel.”
ASV: In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulder, and carry it forth in the dark; thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the land: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.
DARBY: In their sight shalt thou bear [it] upon [thy] shoulder, and carry it forth in the dark; thou shalt cover thy face, and thou shalt not see the ground: for I have appointed thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.
BLB: Before their eyes, you shall bear [them] on [your] shoulders in the darkness [and] carry [them] out; you shall cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have given you as a sign for the house of Israel.”

ÅB: Midt for deres øyne skal du ta det på skulderen; i mørket skal du bære det ut; ditt ansikt skal du tildekke, så du ikke ser landet; for jeg har satt deg til et varselstegn for Israels hus.
OTB: Løft dine eiendeler på skulderen for deres øyne og bær dem ut i mørket. Dekk til ansiktet ditt så du ikke kan se landet, for jeg har gjort deg til et tegn for Israels hus.”
B1930: Midt for deres øine skal du ta det på skulderen; i mørket skal du bære det ut; ditt ansikt skal du tildekke, så du ikke ser landet; for jeg har satt dig til et varselstegn for Israels hus.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Ezekiel 4:3
Then take an iron plate and set it up as an iron wall between yourself and the city. Turn your face toward it so that it is under siege, and besiege it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel.
Read in context
Ezekiel 24:24
‘Thus Ezekiel will be a sign for you; you will do everything that he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’
Read in context
Isaiah 8:18
Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me as signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD of Hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.
Read in context
Ezekiel 12:11–12
You are to say, ‘I am a sign to you.’ Just as it happened here, so will it be done to them; they will go into exile as captives.
Read in context
1 Samuel 28:8
So Saul disguised himself by putting on different clothes, and he set out with two of his men. They came to the woman at night, and Saul said, “Consult a spirit for me. Bring up for me the one I name.”
Read in context
2 Samuel 15:30
But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.
Read in context
Job 24:17
For to them, deep darkness is their morning; surely they are friends with the terrors of darkness!
Read in context
Isaiah 20:2–4
the LORD had already spoken through Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, “Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and the sandals from your feet.” And Isaiah did so, walking around naked and barefoot.
Read in context