8. The next morning this message came to me from the lord:
9. “Son of man, these rebels, the people of Israel, have asked you what all this means.
10. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign lord says: These actions contain a message for King Zedekiah in Jerusalem and for all the people of Israel.’
11. Explain that your actions are a sign to show what will soon happen to them, for they will be driven into exile as captives.
12. “Even Zedekiah will leave Jerusalem at night through a hole in the wall, taking only what he can carry with him. He will cover his face, and his eyes will not see the land he is leaving.
13. Then I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Babylonians, though he will never see it, and he will die there.
14. I will scatter his servants and warriors to the four winds and send the sword after them.
15. And when I scatter them among the nations, they will know that I am the lord.
16. But I will spare a few of them from death by war, famine, or disease, so they can confess all their detestable sins to their captors. Then they will know that I am the lord.”
17. Then this message came to me from the lord: