< Ezekiel 3 >
1 And he said unto me, Son of man, eat what thou findest: eat this roll, and go, speak unto the house of Israel.
He said to me, “Son of man, what you have found, eat. Eat this scroll, then go speak to the house of Israel.”
2 So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat this roll.
So I opened my mouth, and he fed me that scroll.
3 And he said unto me, Son of man, feed thy belly, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I am giving unto thee. And I ate it; and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness.
He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly and fill your stomach with this scroll that I have given to you!” So I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
4 And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.
Then he said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them.
5 For not to a people of an obscure speech and of a difficult tongue art thou sent, but to the house of Israel;
For you are not being sent to a people of strange speech or difficult language, but to the house of Israel—
6 Not to many people of an obscure speech and of a difficult tongue, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would truly have hearkened unto thee.
not to many peoples of strange speech or a difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I sent you to them, they would have listened to you.
7 But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me; for all the house of Israel have a bold forehead, and a hard heart.
But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me. So all the house of Israel is strong browed and hard hearted.
8 Behold, I have made thy face strong against their face, and thy forehead strong against their forehead.
Behold! I have made your face as stubborn as their faces and your brow as hard as their brows.
9 As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: thou shalt not fear them, nor shalt thou be dismayed at their presence, though they be a rebellious family.
I have made your brow like a diamond, harder than flint! Do not fear them or be discouraged by their faces, since they are a rebellious house.”
10 And he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I will speak unto thee receive in thy heart, and hear [them] with thy ears.
Then he said to me, “Son of man, all the words that I announce to you—take them into your heart and hear them with your ears!
11 And go, get thee to those in exile, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal: whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.
Then go to the captives, to your people, and speak to them. Say to them, 'This is what the Lord Yahweh says,' whether they will listen or not.”
12 Then a 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.
Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the sound of a great earthquake: “Blessed be the glory of Yahweh from his place!”
13 [I heard] also the sound of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the sound of the wheels at the same time with them, and the sound of a great rushing.
It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the sound of the wheels that were with them, and the sound of a great earthquake.
14 So a spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I walked in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit, and the inspiration of the Lord was strong upon me.
The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went with bitterness in my spirit's rage, for the hand of Yahweh was powerfully pressing on me!
15 Then came I to the exiles at Tel-abib, who dwelt by the river Kebar, and I remained where they dwelt, and I remained there in a state of confusion among them seven days.
So I went to the captives at Tel Aviv who lived along the Kebar Canal, and I stayed there among them for seven days, overwhelmed in amazement.
16 And it came to pass at the end of seven days, That the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Then it happened after seven days that the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: and thou shalt hear the word out of my mouth, and give them warning from me.
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel, so listen to the word from my mouth, and give them my warning.
18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou dost not give him warning, and speakest not to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life: the same wicked man shall die through his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand.
When I say to the wicked, 'You will surely die' and you do not warn him or speak a warning to the wicked about his evil deeds so he might live—the wicked one will die for his sin, but I will require his blood from your hand.
19 But thou, —if thou hast warned the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way: he shall indeed die in his iniquity; but thou hast surely delivered thy soul.
But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked deeds, then he will die for his sin, but you will have rescued your own life.
20 Again, When a righteous man do turn from his righteousness, and do what is wrong: then will I lay a stumbling-block before him, [so that] he shall die; yet if thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his acts of righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require from thy hand.
If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and acts unjustly, and I set a stumbling block before him, he will die. Because you did not warn him, he will die in his sin, and I will not call to mind the righteous deeds that he performed, but I will require his blood from your hand.
21 But if thou hast truly warned him, —the righteous, that the righteous should not sin, and he doth not sin: he shall surely live, because he attended to the warning, and thou hast surely delivered thy own soul.
But if you warn the righteous man to stop sinning so that he no longer sins, he will surely live since he was warned; and you will have rescued your own life.”
22 And the inspiration of the Lord came there over me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the valley, and there will I speak with thee.
So the hand of Yahweh was on me there, and he said to me, “Arise! Go out into the plain, and I will speak with you there!”
23 And I arose, and went forth into the valley; and, behold, there was the glory of the Lord standing, like that glory which I had seen by the river Kebar: and I fell down on my face.
I arose and went out into the plain, and there the glory of Yahweh was staying, like the glory that I had seen beside the Kebar Canal; so I fell on my face.
24 Then entered a spirit into me, and placed me upright on my feet, and spoke with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself up within thy house.
The Spirit came to me and stood me up on my feet; and he spoke with me, and said to me, “Go and shut yourself up within your house,
25 But thou, O son of man, behold, they put ropes upon thee, and bind thee with them, that thou canst not go out among them:
for now, son of man, they will place ropes upon you and tie you so you cannot go out among them.
26 And I will let thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not become to them a man who reproveth; for they are a rebellious family.
I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth, so you will be mute, and you will not be able to rebuke them, since they are a rebellious house.
27 But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forebear; for they are a rebellious family.
But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth so you will say to them, 'This is what the Lord Yahweh says.' The one who will hear will hear; the one who will not listen will not listen, for they are a rebellious house!”