1 T hen He said to me, “Son of man, eat what is in front of you. Eat this book, then go and speak to the people of Israel.”

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

2 S o I opened my mouth, and He fed me this book.

So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll.

3 A nd He said to me, “Son of man, eat this book that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.

And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.” So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness.

4 T hen He said to me, “Son of man, go to the people of Israel, and speak My words to them.

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

5 F or you are not being sent to people of strange speech and a hard language, but to the people of Israel.

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

6 Y ou are not being sent to many people of strange speech and a hard language whom you cannot understand. If I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you.

not to many people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, had I sent you to them, they would have listened to you.

7 B ut the people of Israel will not listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to Me. All the people of Israel are strong-willed and show no respect.

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

8 S ee, I have made you as strong-willed and as hard as they are.

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

9 I have made your forehead harder than the hardest stone. Do not be afraid of them. Do not be afraid of how they look, even if they do not obey Me.”

Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.”

10 H e said to me, “Son of man, take all My words that I say to you into your heart, and hear with your ears.

Moreover He said to me: “Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears.

11 T hen go to the Jews who have been taken away from their land. Go to the sons of your people. And if they listen or not, tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says.’”

And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear, or whether they refuse.”

12 T hen the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a loud sounding voice behind me say, “Great is the shining-greatness of the Lord from His place.”

Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a great thunderous voice: “Blessed is the glory of the Lord from His place!”

13 I heard the sound of the wings of the living beings touching one another, and the sound of the wheels beside them. It was a loud rushing sound.

I also heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, and a great thunderous noise.

14 T he Spirit lifted me up and took me away. And I went with a bitter and angry spirit. The hand of the Lord was strong upon me.

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 T hen I came to the Jews who had been taken from their land and who lived by the Chebar River at Tel-abib. I sat among them seven days where they were living, and I was filled with fear. Ezekiel to Watch Over Israel

Then I came to the captives at Tel Abib, who dwelt by the River Chebar; and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days. Ezekiel Is a Watchman

16 A t the end of seven days the Word of the Lord came to me, saying,

Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

17 “ Son of man, I have chosen you to be a watchman over the people of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, tell them of the danger.

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me:

18 I f I say to the sinful man, ‘You will die for sure,’ and you do not tell him of the danger, and try to turn him from his sinful way so that he may live, that sinful man will die in his sin. But you will be guilty for his blood.

When 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, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.

19 B ut if you tell a sinful man of the danger he is in, and he does not turn from his sins or from his sinful way, then he will die in his sin. But you will have saved yourself.

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

20 A gain, if a right and good man turns away from his right and good way and sins, and I put a cause of falling in his way, he will die. Because you have not told him of the danger, he will die in his sin, and the right and good things he has done will not be remembered. But you will be guilty for his blood.

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

21 Y et if you have told the right and good man of the danger of his sinning, and he does not sin, he will live for sure because he listened to you. And you will have saved yourself.” Ezekiel Is Not Able to Speak

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

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

Then the hand of the Lord was upon me there, and He said to me, “Arise, go out into the plain, and there I shall talk with you.”

23 S o I got up and went out to the plain, and saw the shining-greatness of the Lord standing there. It was like the shining-greatness which I saw by the Chebar River, and I fell on my face.

So I arose and went out into the plain, and behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory which I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face.

24 T hen the Spirit came into me and made me stand on my feet. And He spoke and said to me, “Go, shut yourself up in your house.

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

25 A s for you, son of man, they will put ropes on you and tie you up with them, so that you cannot go out among the people.

And you, O son of man, surely they will put ropes on you and bind you with them, so that you cannot go out among them.

26 A nd I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you cannot speak. You will not be able to speak sharp words to them, for they will not obey Me.

I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and not be one to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious house.

27 B ut when I speak to you, I will open your mouth, and you will tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says.’ He who hears, let him hear. And he who is not willing to hear, let him not be willing. For they are a sinful people.

But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.