Eternal One: ¹⁸ Son of man, tremble as you eat your meals. Shake with anxiousness as you drink your water. ¹⁹ Tell the people of the land what the Eternal Lord says regarding the people living in Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They will eat their meals in fear and drink their water with anxiety, for their land will be pillaged of everything in it because of their own violent acts. ²⁰ Every inhabited town and city will be destroyed, and the land will be deserted. Then you will know I am the Eternal One.

Eternal One: ²² Son of man, what is this saying the people keep repeating in the land of Israel: “The days pass by, and the prophecies never come true”? ²³ Tell the people of Israel the Eternal Lord says that this saying will not be quoted for long. I am going to make sure it is never said again in Israel. The time is near when every prophecy will be fulfilled. ²⁴ There won’t be any more false visions or favorable predictions in Israel. ²⁵ I, the Eternal One, will speak, and what I speak will be fulfilled without delay. You rebellious crowd! I will fulfill whatever I say during your lifetime.

Eternal One: ²⁷ Son of man, the people of Israel are saying, “The visions of the prophet are for the distant future; He speaks of events a long way off.” ²⁸ Therefore, tell the people of Israel the Eternal Lord most certainly says that nothing I’ve predicted will wait any longer. Whatever I speak will be fulfilled without delay.