4:1 「人子啊，你要拿一塊磚，擺在你面前，將一座耶路撒冷城畫在其上，
4:2 又圍困這城，造臺築壘，安營攻擊，在四圍安設撞錘攻城，
4:3 又要拿個鐵鏊，放在你和城的中間，作為鐵牆。你要對面攻擊這城，使城被困；這樣，好作以色列家的預兆。
4:4 你要向左側臥，承當以色列家的罪孽；要按你向左側臥的日數，擔當他們的罪孽。
4:5 因為我已將他們作孽的年數定為你向左側臥的日數，就是三百九十日，你要這樣擔當以色列家的罪孽。
4:6 再者，你滿了這些日子，還要向右側臥，擔當猶大家的罪孽。我給你定規側臥四十日，一日頂一年。
4:7 你要露出膀臂，面向被困的耶路撒冷，說預言攻擊這城。
4:8 我用繩索捆綁你，使你不能輾轉，直等你滿了困城的日子。
“And you, son of man, take a brick and
lay it before you, and engrave on it a city, even Jerusalem. And put siegeworks against it, and build a
siege wall against it, and cast up a mound against it. Set camps also against
it, and plant battering rams against it all around. And you, take an iron griddle, and place it
as an iron wall between you and the city; and set your face toward it, and let
it be in a state of siege, and press the siege against it. This is a sign for
the house of Israel.
“Then lie on your left side, and place the punishment of the house of
Israel upon it. For the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear
their punishment. For I assign to you a
number of days, 390 days, equal to the number of the years of their punishment.
So long shall you bear the punishment of the house of Israel. And when you have completed these, you shall
lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the punishment of the
house of Judah. Forty days I assign you, a day for each year. And you shall set your face toward the siege
of Jerusalem, with your arm bared, and you shall prophesy against the
city. And behold, I will place cords
upon you, so that you cannot turn from one side to the other, till you have
completed the days of your siege.
*******
這個景象其實不難理解，但是鐵製平底鍋與以西結的角色就讓人必須想一下才能體會了。以西結在此代表上帝，鐵鍋代表上帝與耶路撒冷的隔閡，以色列人的悖逆有如鐵牆擋住上帝與他們的關係，以致上帝主持整個圍城攻擊行動。
一般認為先知不是24小時就側臥在那裡完全不離開。可能是每天工作時間他就側臥在那裡，吃食物、喝水給大家看，晚上還是可以離開休息，也許也會補充營養。先知的行動等於是演一齣行動劇給被擄的群眾看。
我們不太知道「擔當他們的罪孽」是什麼意思，不過在這個「聲行動劇」中，以西結應該是扮演上帝的角色，所以比較可能是上帝「忍受」以色列與猶大人的頂撞。
先知的這一切讓我們知道：即使是上帝的選民都悖逆上帝，在上帝面前有罪，而非以色列人的各民族，更是不用說。怪不得上帝需要設立救恩，來救贖萬國萬民。
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