Ezekiel 3
Complete Jewish Bible
3 He said to me, “Human being, eat what you see in front of you; eat this scroll. Then go and speak to the house of Isra’el.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat, 3 as he said, “Human being, eat this scroll I am giving you; fill your insides with it.” When I ate it, it tasted as sweet as honey.
4 “Human being,” he said to me, “go to the house of Isra’el, and speak my words to them. 5 For you are not being sent to a people with a difficult language and unintelligible speech, but to the house of Isra’el — 6 not to many peoples with difficult languages and unintelligible speech, whose words you can’t understand when you hear them. Without doubt, if I sent you to them, they would listen to you. 7 But the house of Isra’el will not be willing to listen to you, because they aren’t willing to listen to me; since all the house of Isra’el are obstinate and hardhearted. 8 However, I am making you as defiant and obstinate as they are. 9 Yes, I am making your resoluteness harder than flint, as hard as a diamond. So don’t be afraid of them or depressed by how they look at you, because they are a rebellious house.”
10 Then he said to me, “Human being, receive in your heart and hear with your ears all my words that I speak to you. 11 Then go to the exiles, to your countrymen; and speak to them. Tell them, ‘Here is what Adonai Elohim, says,’ whether they listen or not.”
12 A spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a very loud sound — blessed be the glory of Adonai from his place! 13 It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures as they beat against each other, and the sound of the wheels next to them, a very loud sound. 14 So a spirit lifted me up and took me away. I went in bitterness and the heat of my spirit, with the hand of Adonai strong on me.
15 I went to the exiles who were living in Tel-Aviv, by the K’var River and stayed with them there in a stupefied state for seven days. 16 After seven days the word of Adonai came to me: 17 “Human being, I have appointed you to be a watchman for the house of Isra’el. When you hear a word from my mouth, you are to warn them for me. 18 If I say to a wicked person, ‘You will certainly die’; and you fail to warn him, to speak and warn the wicked person to leave his wicked way and save his life; then that wicked person will die guilty; and I will hold you responsible for his death. 19 On the other hand, if you warn the wicked person, and he doesn’t turn from his wickedness or his wicked way, then he will still die guilty; but you will have saved your own life. 20 Similarly, when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits wickedness, I will place a stumblingblock before him — he will die; because you failed to warn him, he will die in his sin; his righteous acts which he did will not be remembered; and I will hold you responsible for his death. 21 But if you warn the righteous person that a righteous person should not sin, and he doesn’t sin; then he will certainly live, because he took the warning; and you too will have saved your life.”
22 The hand of Adonai came on me there, and he said to me, “Get up, go out to the valley, and I will speak with you there.” 23 So I got up and went out to the valley. The glory of Adonai was there, like the glory I had seen by the K’var River; and I fell on my face. 24 A spirit entered me and put me on my feet. Then he spoke with me and said to me, “Go, shut yourself inside your house. 25 Human being, you are going to be bound with ropes, unable to go out among the people. 26 I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth, so that you will be mute, unable to reprove them; for they are a rebellious house. 27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth; and you will say to them, ‘This is what Adonai Elohim says.’ Whoever is inclined to listen will listen, and whoever is inclined to refuse will refuse, because they are a rebellious house.
Yechezkel 3
Orthodox Jewish Bible
3 Moreover He said unto me, Ben Adam, eat that thou findest; eat this megillah, and go speak unto Bais Yisroel.
2 So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that megillah.
3 And He said unto me, Ben Adam, cause thy beten to eat, and fill thy bowels with this megillah that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as devash for sweetness.
4 And He said unto me, Ben Adam, go, get thee unto the Bais Yisroel, and speak My words unto them.
5 For thou art not sent to an Am Imkei Safah (a people of indecipherable language) and of obscure lashon, but to Bais Yisroel;
6 Not to amim rabbim of indecipherable language and obscure lashon whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have paid heed unto thee.
7 But Bais Yisroel will not pay heed unto thee; for they will not pay heed unto Me; for kol Bais Yisroel are khizkei metzach (hard-set of brow) and keshei-lev (hard-hearted).
8 Hinei, I have made thy face chazakim against their faces, and thy metzach chazak (forehead strong) against their metzach.
9 As a shamir (adamant, hardest stone) more chazak than flint have I made thy metzach (forehead); fear them not, neither be terrified at their looks, though they be a bais meri (house of rebellion).
10 Moreover He said unto me, Ben Adam, all My words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine lev, and hear with thine oznayim.
11 And go, get thee to them of the Golus, unto the Bnei Amecha, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem; whether they will hear, or whether they will refrain.
12 Then the Ruach [Hakodesh] lifted me and took me up, and I heard behind me a kol ra’ash gadol (a voice of a great rustling), saying, Baruch Kavod Hashem from His makom (place, home).
13 I heard also the noise of the wings of the Chayos that touched one another, and the noise of the Ofanim (wheels) opposite them, and a voice of ra’ash gadol.
14 So the Ruach [Hakodesh] lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in mar (bitterness), in the anger of my ruach; but the yad Hashem was chazah upon me.
15 Then I came to them of the Golus at Tel Aviv, that dwelt by the Nahar Kevar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there speechlessly astounded among them shivat yamim.
16 And it came to pass at the end of shivat yamim, that the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,
17 Ben Adam, I have made thee a tzofeh (watchman) unto the Bais Yisroel; therefore hear the word at My mouth, and give them warning from Me.
18 When I say unto the rasha, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the rasha from his derech harasha’ah, to save his life; the same rasha shall die in his avon; but I will hold accountable thine yad for his dahm.
19 Yet if thou warn the rasha, and he turn not from his resha, nor from his derech harasha’ah, he shall die in his avon; but thou hast saved thy nefesh.
20 Again, When a tzaddik doth turn from his tzedek, and commit evil, and I lay a michshol (stumbling block of temptation) before him, he shall die; because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his chattat, and his tzidkot which he hath worked shall not be remembered; but I will hold accountable thine yad for his dahm.
21 Nevertheless if thou warn the tzaddik, that the tzaddik sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast saved thy nefesh.
22 And the Yad Hashem (Hand, Power of Hashem) was there upon me; and He said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there speak with thee.
23 Then I arose, and went forth into the plain; and, hinei, the Kavod Hashem stood there, as the Kavod which I saw by the Nahar Kevar; I fell on my face.
24 Then the Ruach [Hakodesh] entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spoke with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself in the confines of thine bais.
25 But thou, O Ben Adam, hinei, they tied on thee ropes, and have bound thee with them, that thou canst not go out among them;
26 And I will make thy leshon cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be mute, and shalt not be to them an ish mokhi’ach (admonisher); for they are a bais meri.
27 But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that refuseth, let him refuse; for they are a bais meri.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
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