Ezekiel 3

1 He said to me: "Son of man, eat what you find [here]. Eat this scroll, then go and speak to the house of Israel." 2 So I opened my mouth, and He fed me the scroll.

3 "Son of man," he said to me, "eat and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you." So I ate [it], and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
4 Then 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 speech or difficult language but to the house of Israel. 6 [You are] not [being sent] to many peoples of unintelligible speech or difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. No doubt, if I sent you to them, they would listen to you. 7 But the house of Israel will not want to listen to you because they do not want to listen to Me. For the whole house of Israel is hardheaded and hardhearted. 8 Look, I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.

9 I have made your forehead like a diamond, harder than flint. Don't be afraid of them or discouraged by [the look on] their faces, even though they are a rebellious house."
10 Next He said to me: "Son of man, listen carefully to all My words that I speak to you and take [them] to heart.

11 Go to your people, the exiles, and speak to them. Tell them, 'This is what the Lord God says,' whether they listen or refuse [to listen]."
12 The Spirit then lifted me up, and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me-praise the glory of the Lord in His place!- 13 with the sound of the living creatures' wings brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a great rumbling sound. 14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away. I left in bitterness and in an angry spirit, and the Lord's hand was on me powerfully.

15 I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, who were living by the Chebar Canal, and I sat there among them stunned for seven days.

Ezekiel as a Watchman

16 Now at the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me: 17 "Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the house of Israel. When you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me. 18 If I say to the wicked person, 'You will surely die,' but you do not warn him-you don't speak out to warn him about his wicked way in order to save his life-that wicked person will die for his iniquity. Yet I will hold you responsible for his blood. 19 But if you warn a wicked person and he does not turn from his wickedness or his wicked way, he will die for his iniquity, but you will have saved your life. 20 Now if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity, and I put a stumbling block in front of him, he will die. If you did not warn him, he will die because of his sin and the righteous acts he did will not be remembered. Yet I will hold you responsible for his blood.

21 But if you warn the righteous person that he should not sin, and he does not sin, he will indeed live because he listened to [your] warning, and you will have saved your life."
22 Then the hand of the Lord was on me there, and He said to me, "Get up, go out to the plain, and I will speak with you there." 23 So I got up and went out to the plain. The Lord's glory was present there, like the glory I had seen by the Chebar Canal, and I fell facedown. 24 The Spirit entered me and set me on my feet. He spoke with me and said: "Go, shut yourself inside your house. 25 And you, son of man, they will put ropes on you and bind you with them so you cannot go out among them. 26 I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth, and you will be mute and unable to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious house.

27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you will say to them, 'This is what the Lord God says.' Let the one who listens, listen, and let the one who refuses, 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.