3
1 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 caused me
to eat the
scroll.
3 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 He
said to me, “Son
of man, go
to the house
of Israel, and
speak my words
to them.
5 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 a strange
speech and of
a hard language,
whose words you
can’t understand.
Surely, if I sent
you to them,
they would listen
to you.
7 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 hard
against their
faces, and your
forehead hard
against their
foreheads.
9 I
have made your
forehead as a
diamond, harder
than flint. Don’t
be afraid of
them, neither be
dismayed at their
looks, though they
are a rebellious
house.”
10 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 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 voice of
a great rushing,
saying, “Blessed
be the LORD’s
glory from his
place.”
13 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 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 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 At
the end of
seven days, the
LORD’s word came
to me, saying,
17 “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 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 Yet
if you warn
the wicked, and
he doesn’t turn
from his
wickedness, nor
from his wicked
way, he will
die in his
iniquity; but you
have delivered
your soul.”
20 “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 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 hand was
there on me;
and he said
to me, “Arise,
go out into
the plain, and
I will talk
with you there.”
23 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 entered
into me and
set me on
my feet. He
spoke with me,
and said to
me, “Go, shut
yourself inside
your house.
25 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
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, 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.”