Ezekiel 3

1 He said to me, “Son of man, what you have found, eat. Eat this scroll, then go speak to the house 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 So I opened my mouth, and he fed me that scroll.

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

3 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.

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

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 strange speech or difficult language, but to the house 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 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.

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 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.

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 Behold! I have made your face as stubborn as their faces and your brow as hard as their brows.

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

9 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.”

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 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!

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 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.”

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 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!”

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 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.

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 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!

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 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.

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 Then it happened after seven days that the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

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

17 “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.

“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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

“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 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.”

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 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!”

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 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.

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 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,

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 for now, son of man, they will place ropes upon you and tie you so you cannot go out among them.

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 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.

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 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!”

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.”