Ezekiel 3

Ezekiel's Commission

1 Then He said to me, "Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel."2 So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll.3 He said to me, "Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you." Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth.

4 Then 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 being sent to a people of unintelligible speech or difficult language, but to the house of Israel,6 nor to many peoples of unintelligible speech or difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. But I have sent you to them who should listen to you;7 yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, since they are not willing to listen to Me. Surely the whole house of Israel is stubborn and obstinate.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 I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, though they are a rebellious house."10 Moreover, He said to me, "Son of man, take into your heart all My words which I will speak to you and listen closely.11 Go to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.'"

12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me, "Blessed be the glory of the LORD in His place."13 And I heard the sound of the wings of the living beings touching one another and the sound of the wheels beside them, even a great rumbling sound.14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away; and I went embittered in the rage of my spirit, and the hand of the LORD was strong on me.15 Then I came to the exiles who lived beside the river Chebar at Tel-abib, and I sat there seven days where they were living, causing consternation among them.

16 At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me, saying,17 "Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me.18 When I say to the wicked, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.19 Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself.20 Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I place an obstacle before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand.21 However, if you have warned the righteous man that the righteous should not sin and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; and you have delivered yourself."

22 The hand of the LORD was on me there, and He said to me, "Get up, go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you."23 So I got up and went out to the plain; and behold, the glory of the LORD was standing there, like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar, and I fell on my face.24 The Spirit then entered me and made me stand on my feet, and He spoke with me and said to me, "Go, shut yourself up in your house.25 As for you, son of man, they will put ropes on you and bind you with them so that you cannot go out among them.26 Moreover, I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be mute and cannot be a man who rebukes them, for they are a rebellious house.27 But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you will say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.' He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, 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.