“Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by, and every vision fails’?
Parallel translations
- WEB “Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel, saying, ‘The days are prolonged, and every vision fails?’
- KJV Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?
- NKJV “Son of man, what is this proverb that you people have about the land of Israel, which says, ‘The days are prolonged, and every vision fails’?
- NASB “Son of man, what is this proverb you people have about the land of Israel, saying, ‘The days are long, and every vision fails’?
- NLT “Son of man, you’ve heard that proverb they quote in Israel: ‘Time passes, and prophecies come to nothing.’
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God challenges the cynical proverb, 'The days drag on and every vision fails.'
Overview
The people mocked prophecy by claiming that time passes and predicted judgments never come true. Their skepticism mistook God's patience for emptiness. Scripture warns elsewhere that scoffers misread divine delay as proof there will be no reckoning (2 Pet. 3:3-9).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Ezek 18:2–3“What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge’?
- Ezek 11:3They are saying, ‘Is not the time near to build houses? The city is the cooking pot, and we are the meat.’
- Ezek 12:27“Son of man, take note that the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for many years from now; he prophesies about the distant future.’
- Amos 6:3You dismiss the day of calamity and bring near a reign of violence.
- Jer 23:33–40“Now when this people or a prophet or priest asks you, ‘What is the burden of the LORD?’ you are to say to them, ‘What burden? I will forsake you, declares the LORD.’
- 2 Pet 3:3–4Most importantly, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.
- Jer 5:12–13They have lied about the LORD and said: “He will not do anything; harm will not come to us; we will not see sword or famine.
- Isa 5:19to those who say, “Let Him hurry and hasten His work so that we may see it! Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come so that we may know it!”
- Ezek 16:44Behold, all who speak in proverbs will quote this proverb about you: ‘Like mother, like daughter.’
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 12:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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