Ezekiel 3

1 And he said to me, "Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel."2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat.3 And he said to me, "Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it." Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.

4 And he said to me, "Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them.5 For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel—6 not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you.7 But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart.8 Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.9 Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house."10 Moreover, he said to me, "Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears.11 And go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God,' whether they hear or refuse to hear."

12 Then the Spiritt lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voicet of a great earthquake: "Blessed be the glory of the Lord from its place!"13 It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the sound of the wheels beside them, and the sound of a great earthquake.14 The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the hand of the Lord being strong upon me.15 And I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, who were dwelling by the Chebar canal, and I sat where they were dwelling.t And I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days.

A Watchman for Israel

16 And at the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me:17 "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.18 If I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die fort his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.19 But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.20 Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand.21 But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul."

22 And the hand of the Lord was upon me there. And he said to me, "Arise, go out into the valley,t and there I will speak with you."23 So I arose and went out into the valley, and behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory that I had seen by the Chebar canal, and I fell on my face.24 But the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and he spoke with me and said to me, "Go, shut yourself within your house.25 And you, O son of man, behold, cords will be placed upon you, and you shall be bound with them, so that you cannot go out among the people.26 And I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and unable to reprove them, for they are a rebellious house.27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God.' He who will hear, let him hear; and he who will refuse to hear, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house.

Ezekiel 3

1 He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you see in front of yout – eat this scroll – and then go and speak to the house of Israel.”

2 So I opened my mouth and he fed me the scroll.

3 He said to me, “Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your belly with this scroll I am giving to you.” So I ate it,ss and it was sweet like honey in my mouth.
4 He said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them.5 For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speecht and difficult language,t butt to the house of Israel –6 not to many peoples of unintelligible speech and difficult language, whose words you cannot understandt – surely ifs I had sent you to them, they would listen to you!

7 But the house of Israel is unwilling to listen to you,s because they are not willing to listen to me,s for the whole house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted.t
8 “I have made your face adamantt to match their faces, and your forehead hard to match their foreheads.

9 I have made your forehead harder than flint – like diamond!t Do not fear them or be terrified of the looks they give you,t for they are a rebellious house.”
10 And he said to me, “Son of man, take all my words that I speak to you to heart and listen carefully.

11 Go to the exiles, to your fellow countrymen,t and speak to them – say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says,’ whether they pay attention or not.”

Ezekiel Before the Exiles

12 Then a wind lifted me ups and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me as the glory of the Lord rose from its place,s13 and the sound of the living beings’ wings brushing against each other, and the sound of the wheels alongside them, a great rumbling sound.14 A wind lifted me up and carried me away. I went bitterly,t my spirit full of fury, and the hand of the Lord rested powerfullyts on me.

15 I came to the exiles at Tel Abib,s who lived by the Kebar River.t I sat dumbfounded among them there, where they were living, for seven days.s
16 At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me:s17 “Son of man, I have appointed you a watchmant for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you must give them a warning from me.18 When I say to the wicked, “You will certainly die,”s and you do not warn him – you do not speak out to warn the wicked to turn from his wicked deed and wicked lifestyle so that he may live – that wicked person will die for his iniquity,t but I will hold you accountable for his death.t

19 But as for you, if you warn the wicked and he does not turn from his wicked deed and from his wicked lifestyle, he will die for his iniquity but you will have saved your own life.t
20 “When a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I set an obstaclet before him, he will die. If you have not warned him, he will die for his sin. The righteous deeds he performed will not be considered, but I will hold you accountable for his death.

21 However, if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and het does not sin, he will certainly live because he was warned, and you will have saved your own life.”

Isolated and Silenced

22 The handts of the Lord rested on me there, and he said to me, “Get up, go out to the valley,s and I will speak with you there.”

23 So I got up and went out to the valley, and the glory of the Lord was standing there, just like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River,t and I threw myself face down.
24 Then a windt came into me and stood me on my feet. The Lordt spoke to me and said, “Go shut yourself in your house.25 As for you, son of man, they will put ropes on you and tie you up with them, so you cannot go out among them.26 I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be silent and unable to reprovet them, for they are a rebellious house.

27 But when I speak with you, I will loosen your tonguet and you must say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says.’ Those who listen will listen, but the indifferent will refuse,t for they are a rebellious house.