Ezekiel 3

¹ He then said, 'Son of man, eat what you see; eat this scroll, then go and speak to the House of Israel.'

² I opened my mouth; he gave me the scrol to eat

³ and then said, 'Son of man, feed on this scrol which I am giving you and eat your fil .' So I ate it, and ittasted sweet as honey.

⁴ He then said, 'Son of man, go to the House of Israel and tel them what I have said.

⁵ You are not being sent to a nation that speaks a difficult foreign language; you are being sent to theHouse of Israel.

⁶ Not to big nations that speak difficult foreign languages, and whose words you would not understand --if I sent you to them, they would listen to you;

⁷ but the House of Israel wil not listen to you because it wil not listen to me. The whole House of Israel isdefiant and obstinate.

⁸ But now, I am making you as defiant as they are, and as obstinate as they are;

⁹ I am making your resolution as hard as a diamond, harder than flint. So do not be afraid of them, do notbe overawed by them, for they are a tribe of rebels.'

¹⁰ Then he said, 'Son of man, take to heart everything I say to you, listen carefully,

¹¹ then go to your exiled countrymen and talk to them. Say to them, "Lord Yahweh says this," whetherthey listen or not.'

¹² The spirit lifted me up, and behind me I heard a great vibrating sound, 'Blessed be the glory ofYahweh in his dwel ing-place!'

¹³ This was the sound of the living creatures' wings beating against each other, and the sound of thewheels beside them: a great vibrating sound.

¹⁴ The spirit lifted me up and took me, and I went, bitter and angry, and the hand of Yahweh lay heavy onme.

¹⁵ I came to Tel Abib, to the exiles beside the River Chebar where they were living, and there I stayedwith them in a stupor for seven days.

¹⁶ After seven days the word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,

¹⁷ 'Son of man, I have appointed you as watchman for the House of Israel. When you hear a word frommy mouth, warn them from me.

¹⁸ If I say to someone wicked, "You wil die," and you do not warn this person; if you do not speak towarn someone wicked to renounce evil and so save his life, it is the wicked person who will die for the guilt, but Ishall hold you responsible for that death.

¹⁹ If, however, you do warn someone wicked who then fails to renounce wickedness and evil ways, thewicked person wil die for the guilt, but you yourself wil have saved your life.

²⁰ When someone upright renounces uprightness to do evil and I set a trap for him, it is he who will die;since you failed to warn him, he wil die for his guilt, and the uprightness he practised wil no longer beremembered; but I shal hold you responsible for his death.

²¹ If, however, you warn someone upright not to sin and this person does not sin, such a one wil live,thanks to your warning, and you too wil have saved your life.'

²² While I was there the hand of Yahweh came on me; he said, 'Get up, go out into the valley, and there Ishall speak to you.'

²³ I got up and went out into the val ey; the glory of Yahweh was resting there, like the glory I had seenby the River Chebar, and I fel to the ground.

²⁴ The spirit of Yahweh then entered me and put me on my feet and spoke to me. He said, 'Go and shutyourself in your house.

²⁵ Son of man, you are about to be tied and bound, and unable to mix with other people.

²⁶ I am going to make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth; you will be dumb, and no longer ableto reprove them, for they are a tribe of rebels.

²⁷ When I speak to you, however, I shal open your mouth and then you will say to them, "Lord Yahwehsays this: Let anyone prepared to listen, listen; let anyone who refuses, refuse!"-for they are a tribe of rebels.'