Ezekiel 3

1 “Son of man,” he told me, “eat what you find placed before you. Eat this scroll, then go and speak to the people of Israel.”

He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.”

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

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

3 “Son of man,” he said to me, “eat and fill yourself up with this scroll I'm giving you.” So I ate the scroll, and it tasted as sweet as honey.

He said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your belly and your bowels with it.” Then I ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth.

4 Then he told me, “Son of man, now you are to go to the people of Israel and give my message to them.

He said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel, and speak my words to them.

5 I'm not sending you to those whose language is foreign to you, to people that you don't know—but to the people of Israel.

For you are not sent to a people of a strange speech and of a hard language, but to the house of Israel—

6 As I say, I'm not sending you to those whose language is foreign to you, to people that you don't know, whose words you don't understand. On the other hand, if I had sent you to foreigners, they would have listened to you.

not to many peoples of a strange speech and of a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to them, they would listen to you.

7 But the people of Israel won't want to listen to you, because they don't want to listen to me. All the Israelites are strong-minded and hard-hearted.

But the house of Israel will not listen to you, for they will not listen to me; for all the house of Israel are obstinate and hard-hearted.

8 Look! I'm going to make you as tough as them, and as strong-minded as them.

Behold, I have made your face hard against their faces, and your forehead hard against their foreheads.

9 I will make your mind like adamant, harder than flint. Don't be afraid of what they say or discouraged by the way they look at you, even though they are a rebellious people.”

I have made your forehead as a diamond, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.”

10 “Son of man,” he added, “pay close attention to everything I tell you, and think deeply about it yourself.

Moreover he said to me, “Son of man, receive in your heart and hear with your ears all my words that I speak to you.

11 Go to your people who are in exile. Tell them this is what the Lord God says, whether they listen or not.”

Go to them of the captivity, to the children of your people, and speak to them, and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says,’ whether they will hear, or whether they will refuse.”

12 The Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a really loud noise behind me that sounded like an earthquake. (Praise to the Lord's glory where he lives!)

Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing, saying, “Blessed be the LORD’s glory from his place.”

13 It was the sound made by the wings of the beings as they brushed against each other and the noise made by the wheels next to them, a really loud noise that sounded like an earthquake.

I heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, even the noise of a great rushing.

14 As I said, the Spirit lifted me up and carried me away. As I went I was feeling upset and angry; however the Lord's power had taken full control of me.

So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away; and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; and the LORD’s hand was strong on me.

15 I arrived at the place where the exiles lived, Tel-abib by the River Kebar. I just sat with them, staying with them there for seven days. I was completely overcome with emotion.

Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel Aviv who lived by the river Chebar, and to where they lived; and I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days.

16 After the seven days had passed, a message from the Lord came to me, saying,

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

17 “Son of man, I have chosen you as a watchman for the people of Israel. Whenever I give you a message, then you must warn them for me.

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore hear the word from my mouth, and warn them from me.

18 For example, if I give a warning to someone who's wicked, saying, ‘You are going to die for sure,’ but you don't warn them, if you don't speak out to warn them to stop their wicked ways so they can go on living, then that wicked person will die in their sins, and I will hold you responsible for their death.

When I tell the wicked, ‘You will surely die;’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity; but I will require his blood at your hand.

19 But if you warn them, and they don't stop their wicked ways, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself—you won't die.

Yet if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.”

20 Again, if someone who lives right stops doing so and sins and disregards my attempts to correct them, then they will die. If you didn't warn them, they will die in their sins, and the good things they did won't be remembered. In addition, I will hold you responsible for their death.

“Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he will die. Because you have not given him warning, he will die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered; but I will require his blood at your hand.

21 However, if you warn those who are living right not to sin, and they don't sin, they will live for sure, because they paid attention to your warning, and you will have saved yourself—you won't die.”

Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man, that the righteous not sin, and he does not sin, he will surely live, because he took warning; and you have delivered your soul.”

22 The Lord's power took control of me there, and he told me, “Get up! Go to the valley, and I will talk to you there.”

The LORD’s hand was there on me; and he said to me, “Arise, go out into the plain, and I will talk with you there.”

23 So I got up and went to the valley, and there I saw the Lord's glory. It was like the glory I had seen by the River Kebar. I fell facedown on the ground.

Then I arose, and went out into the plain, and behold, the LORD’s glory stood there, like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar. Then I fell on my face.

24 Then the Spirit came into me and made me stand upright. He told me, “Go into your house and shut the door.

Then the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet. He spoke with me, and said to me, “Go, shut yourself inside your house.

25 You will be tied up with ropes, son of man. You will be bound so that won't be able to go out among the people.

But you, son of man, behold, they will put ropes on you, and will bind you with them, and you will not go out among them.

26 I'll make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth. You won't be able to speak and complain to them, even though they are a rebellious people.

I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be mute and will not be able to correct them, for they are a rebellious house.

27 However, when I talk with you, I will open your mouth so you can tell them that this is what the Lord God says. Those who want to listen will listen, and those who want to refuse will refuse, for they are a rebellious people.”

But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.”