8. Then in the morning the Lord spoke his word to me. He said:
9. “Human being, Israel refuses to obey. Didn’t those people ask you, ‘What are you doing?’
10. “Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: This message is about the king in Jerusalem. And it is about all the people of Israel who live there.’
11. Say, ‘I am a sign to you.’“The same things I have done will be done to the people in Jerusalem. They will be taken away from their country as captives.
12. The king among them will put his things on his shoulder in the dark. And he will leave. The people will dig a hole through the wall to bring him out. He will cover his face so he cannot see the ground.
13. But I will spread my net over him. He will be caught in my trap. Then I will bring him to Babylon in the land of the Babylonians. He will not see that land, but he will die there.
14. All who are around the king I will scatter in every direction. I will scatter his helpers and all his army. I will chase them with a sword.
15. “Then they will know that I am the Lord. I will scatter them among the nations. And I will spread them among the countries.
16. But I will save a few of them from the sword. I will save a few from hunger and disease. Then they can tell about their hated actions among the nations where they go. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
17. The Lord spoke his word to me. He said:
18. “Human being, shake as you eat your food. Shake with fear as you drink your water.
19. Then say to the people of the land: ‘This is what the Lord God says about the people who live in Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They will eat their food with fear. And they will drink their water in shock. This is because their land will be made empty. This is because of the violence of the people who live in it.