1And he said to me, ‘Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.’2So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.3Then he said to me, ‘Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.’ So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.4He then said to me: ‘Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them.5You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and strange language, but to the people of Israel –6not to many peoples of obscure speech and strange language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you.7But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate.8But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are.9I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.’10And he said to me, ‘Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you.11Go now to your people in exile and speak to them. Say to them, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says,” whether they listen or fail to listen.’12Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound as the glory of the Lord rose from the place where it was standing.[1]13It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound.14The Spirit then 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 on me.15I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Aviv near the River Kebar. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days – deeply distressed.
Ezekiel’s task as watchman
16At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me:17‘Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.18When I say to a wicked person, “You will surely die,” and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for[2] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.19But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.20‘Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling-block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.21But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.’22The hand of the Lord was on me there, and he said to me, ‘Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.’23So I got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory I had seen by the River Kebar, and I fell face down.24Then the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet. He spoke to me and said: ‘Go, shut yourself inside your house.25And you, son of man, they will tie with ropes; you will be bound so that you cannot go out among the people.26I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious people.27But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says.” Whoever will listen let them listen, and whoever will refuse let them refuse; for they are a rebellious people.
Ezekiel 3
English Standard Version
1And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” (Eze 2:1; Eze 2:8)2So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat.3And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey. (Ps 19:10; Ps 119:103; Jer 15:16; Re 10:9)4And he said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them. (Eze 2:1)5For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel—6not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. (Mt 11:21; Mt 11:23)7But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. (Eze 2:4; Joh 15:20)8Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. (Jer 1:18)9Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.” (Isa 50:7; Eze 2:6)10Moreover, he said to me, “Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. (Jer 26:2; Eze 3:3)11And go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear or refuse to hear.” (Eze 2:7; Eze 3:27; Eze 33:2; Eze 33:12; Eze 33:17; Eze 33:30)12Then the Spirit[1] lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice[2] of a great earthquake: “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from its place!” (Eze 1:24; Eze 8:3; Eze 11:1; Eze 11:24; Eze 37:1; Eze 43:5)13It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the sound of the wheels beside them, and the sound of a great earthquake. (Eze 1:5; Eze 1:15; Eze 1:24)14The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the hand of the Lord being strong upon me. (Eze 1:3; Eze 8:3; Eze 11:1; Eze 11:24; Eze 37:1; Eze 43:5)15And I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, who were dwelling by the Chebar canal, and I sat where they were dwelling.[3] And I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days. (Ge 50:10; 1Sa 31:13; Job 2:13; Ps 137:1; Isa 52:14; Jer 14:9; La 2:10; Eze 1:1; Eze 4:17)
A Watchman for Israel
16And at the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me: (Jer 42:7)17“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. (2Ki 6:10; 2Ch 19:10; Isa 52:8; Isa 56:10; Jer 6:17; Eze 2:1; Eze 3:18; Eze 33:4; Eze 33:7; Heb 13:17)18If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for[4] his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. (Ge 2:17; Jer 31:30; Eze 3:17; Eze 3:20; Eze 18:13; Eze 18:18; Eze 33:6; Eze 33:8; Eze 34:10; Joh 8:21; Joh 8:24; Ac 18:6; Ac 20:26)19But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. (Eze 14:14; Eze 14:20; Eze 33:9; 1Ti 4:16)20Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand. (Jer 6:21; Eze 3:17; Eze 3:18; Eze 18:24)21But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul.”22And the hand of the Lord was upon me there. And he said to me, “Arise, go out into the valley,[5] and there I will speak with you.” (Ge 11:2; Eze 1:3; Eze 8:4; Eze 37:1; Ac 9:6; Ac 22:10)23So I arose and went out into the valley, and behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory that I had seen by the Chebar canal, and I fell on my face. (Eze 1:1; Eze 1:28)24But the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and he spoke with me and said to me, “Go, shut yourself within your house. (Eze 2:2)25And you, O son of man, behold, cords will be placed upon you, and you shall be bound with them, so that you cannot go out among the people. (Eze 4:8)26And I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and unable to reprove them, for they are a rebellious house. (Isa 8:16; Eze 2:3)27But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ He who will hear, let him hear; and he who will refuse to hear, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house. (Eze 3:11; Eze 24:27; Eze 29:21; Re 22:11)