Ezekiel 3

1 “Son of man,” He said to me, “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, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.

4 Then He said to me, “Son of man, go now to the house of Israel and speak My words to them.

5 For you are not being sent to a people of unfamiliar speech or difficult language, but to the house of Israel—

6 not to the many peoples of unfamiliar speech and difficult language whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you.

7 But the house of Israel will be unwilling to listen to you, since they are unwilling to listen to Me. For the whole house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted.

8 Behold, I will make your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.

9 I will make your forehead like a diamond, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or dismayed at their presence, even though they are a rebellious house.”

10 “Son of man,” He added, “listen carefully to all the words I speak to you, and take them to heart.

11 Go to your people, the exiles; speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says,’ whether they listen or refuse to listen.”

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 dwelling place!”

13 It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against one another and the sound of the wheels beside them, a great rumbling sound.

14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me.

15 I came to the exiles at Tel-abib who dwelt by the River Kebar. And for seven days I sat where they sat and remained there among them, overwhelmed.

16 At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me.

18 If I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will hold you responsible for his blood.

19 But if you warn a wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness and his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved yourself.

20 Now if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. If you did not warn him, he will die in his sin, and the righteous acts he did will not be remembered. And I will hold you responsible for his blood.

21 But if you warn the righteous man not to sin, and he does not sin, he will indeed live because he heeded your warning, and you will have saved yourself.”

22 And there the hand of the LORD was upon me, and He said to me, “Get up, go out to the plain, and there I will speak with you.”

23 So I got up and went out to the plain, and behold, the glory of the LORD was present there, like the glory I had seen by the River Kebar, and I fell facedown.

24 Then 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 tie with ropes, and you will be bound so that you cannot go out among the people.

26 I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth, and you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, though they are a rebellious house.

27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you are to tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’ Whoever listens, let him listen; and whoever refuses, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house.

1 ¶ Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.

2 So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.

3 And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat [it]; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.

4 And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.

5 For thou [art] not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, [but] to the house of Israel;

6 Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.

7 But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel [are] impudent and hardhearted.

8 Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.

9 As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they [be] a rebellious house.

10 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears.

11 And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.

12 Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, [saying], Blessed [be] the glory of the LORD from his place.

13 [I heard] also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing.

14 So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.

15 Then I came to them of the captivity at Telabib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.

16 ¶ And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked [man] shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

20 Again, When a righteous [man] doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous [man], that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

22 ¶ And the hand of the LORD was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee.

23 Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.

24 Then the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thine house.

25 But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them:

26 And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they [are] a rebellious house.

27 But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they [are] a rebellious house.

10 And he said unto me, Son of man, all my words which I say unto thee, lay hold on them with thine heart, and receive them in thine ears.

11 And go unto the captives of thy people, and preach unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the LORD GOD; they will hear, or they will forbear.

12 And a wind lifted me up, and I heard behind me a sound as of a great earthquake: Blessed be the glory of the LORD in their place.

13 And there was a sound of the wings of the beasts kissing one another, and also the rattling of the wheels hard by them, and the sound of a great earthquake.

14 And the wind took me up, and led me away. And I went, and was sore afraid: but the hand of the LORD held me fast.

15 And I came to the captives that dwelt by the water of Chebar, where the almonds were in the month of Abib, and sat with them that sat there, and abode there among them seven days in sorrow.

16 And when the seven days were expired, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

17 Son of man, I have set thee a watchman over the house of Israel: thou shalt hear the word out of my mouth, and warn them from me.

18 If I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou warn him not, nor tell him, that the wicked may beware of his wickedness, that he may live: then the wicked shall die for his sin, but his blood will I require at thine hand.

19 But if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wicked ways, he shall die for his sin: but thou hast saved thy soul.

20 And if a righteous man turn from his righteousness, and do evil, then will I cause him to run, and he shall die. For because thou hast not warned him, he shall die for his sin; and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be regarded: but his blood will I require at thine hand.

21 But if thou warn the righteous, that he sin not, and he sin not, he shall live, because he hath been warned: and thou hast saved thy soul.

22 And there the hand of the LORD came upon me, and said unto me, Arise, and go forth into the field, and I will speak unto thee.

23 And I arose, and went out into the field; and, behold, the glory of the LORD was there, as I had seen it by the river Chebar. And I fell down on my face.

24 And I was refreshed, and stood upon my feet. And he spake unto me, and said unto me, Go, hide thyself in thine house.

25 And thou, son of man, behold, they shall put ropes upon thee, and bind thee therewith, that thou shalt not escape them.

26 And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, and thou shalt be ashamed, and shalt punish them no more: for it is a rebellious house.

27 And when I shall speak unto thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD GOD. He that heareth, let him hear; and he that letteth, let him alone: for it is a rebellious house.