Ezekiel 3

1 Then the Lord said to me, “Human, eat what you find; eat this scroll. Then go and speak to the people of Israel.”

2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.

3 He said to me, “Human, eat this scroll which I am giving you, and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
4 Then he said to me, “Human, go to the people of Israel, and speak my words to them.5 You are not being sent to people whose speech you can’t understand, whose language is difficult. You are being sent to Israel.6 You are not being sent to many nations whose speech you can’t understand, whose language is difficult, whose words you cannot understand. If I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you.7 But the people of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, because they are not willing to listen to me. Yes, all the people of Israel are stubborn and will not obey.8 See, I now make you as stubborn and as hard as they are.

9 I am making you as hard as a diamond, harder than stone. Don’t be afraid of them or be frightened by them, though they are a people who turn against me.”
10 Also, he said to me, “Human, believe all the words I will speak to you, and listen carefully to them.

11 Then go to the captives, your own people, and say to them, ‘The Lord God says this.’ Tell them this whether they listen or not.”
12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a loud rumbling sound behind me, saying, “Praise the glory of the Lord in heaven.”13 I heard the wings of the living creatures touching each other and the sound of the wheels by them. It was a loud rumbling sound.14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away. I was unhappy and angry, and I felt the great power of the Lord.

15 I came to the captives from Judah, who lived by the Kebar River at Tel Abib. I sat there seven days where these people lived, feeling shocked.

Israel’s Warning

16 After seven days the Lord spoke his word to me again. He said,17 “Human, I now make you a watchman for Israel. Any time you hear a word from my mouth, warn them for me.18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ you must warn them so they may live. If you don’t speak out to warn the wicked to stop their evil ways, they will die in their sin. But I will hold you responsible for their death.

19 If you warn the wicked and they do not turn from their wickedness or their evil ways, they will die because of their sin. But you will have saved your life.
20 “Again, those who do right may turn away from doing good and do evil. If I make something bad happen to them, they will die. Because you have not warned them, they will die because of their sin, and the good they did will not be remembered. But I will hold you responsible for their deaths.

21 But if you have warned those good people not to sin, and they do not sin, they will surely live, because they believed the warning. And you will have saved your life.”
22 Then I felt the power of the Lord there. He said to me, “Get up and go out to the plain. There I will speak to you.”

23 So I got up and went out to the plain. I saw the glory of the Lord standing there, like the glory I saw by the Kebar River, and I bowed facedown on the ground.
24 Then the Spirit entered me and made me stand on my feet. He spoke to me and said, “Go, shut yourself up in your house.25 As for you, human, the people will tie you up with ropes so that you will not be able to go out among them.26 Also, I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so you will be silent. You will not be able to argue with the people, even though they turn against me.27 But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth, and you will say to them, ‘The Lord God says this.’ Those who will listen, let them listen. Those who refuse, let them refuse, because they are a people who turn against me.

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.