祂对我说:“人子啊,你要把得到的吃下去,要吃下这书卷,然后去向以色列人传讲。” 我张开口,祂就给我吃那书卷, 对我说:“吃下我赐你的这书卷,让它充满你的肚腹。”我便吃了,书卷在我嘴里甘甜如蜜。

祂又对我说:“人子啊,现在你要到以色列人那里,把我的话传给他们。 你不是奉命去语言不通的民族那里,而是到以色列人当中。 我不是派你到那些语言陌生、难懂、你听不明白的民族中。我若果真派你到他们那里,他们一定会听你的话。 然而以色列人却不肯听从你,因为他们顽固不化,不肯听从我。 不过,我要使你的脸像他们的脸一样硬,使你的额像他们的额一样硬。 我要使你的额比火石更硬,如同金刚石。他们虽然是一群叛逆的人,你不要害怕,也不要因为他们的脸色而惊慌。” 10 祂又说:“人子啊,你要留心听我说的一切话,牢记在心。 11 你要到你那些被掳的同胞那里,不论他们听不听,你都要向他们宣告,‘主耶和华这样说。’”

12 那时,灵把我举起,我听见后面有隆隆的声音说:“耶和华的荣耀在祂的居所当受称颂!” 13 我听见活物的翅膀相碰的声音,以及他们旁边的轮子发出的隆隆声。 14 灵把我举起带走了。我心里苦闷,充满愤怒,耶和华大能的手在我身上。 15 我来到住在提勒·亚毕的被掳的人中,在迦巴鲁河边。我感到无比震惊,在他们中间坐了七天。

告诫以色列人

16 过了七天,耶和华对我说: 17 “人子啊,我立你做以色列人的守望者,你要把我告诫他们的话告诉他们。 18 当我说某个恶人必灭亡时,如果你不告诫他,劝告他痛改前非,挽救他的性命,他必死在自己的罪中,而我要追究你的责任。 19 如果你已经告诫他,他还是不肯离开自己的邪恶和罪行,他必死在罪恶之中,而你必免于罪责。 20 如果一个义人偏离正道、犯罪作恶,我会使他跌倒,他必死亡。如果你不告诫他,他必死在罪恶之中,他以前的义行也不会被记念,而我要追究你的责任。 21 如果你告诫他不要犯罪,他听了你的告诫不再犯罪,他必保住性命,你也必免于罪责。”

22 在那里,耶和华的手按在我身上,对我说:“你起来前往平原,我要在那里对你说话。” 23 我到了平原,看见耶和华的荣耀停在那里,那荣耀和我在迦巴鲁河边所见的一样,我就俯伏在地。 24 这时灵进入我里面,使我站立起来。耶和华对我说:“你要把自己关在房子里。 25 人子啊,他们必把你捆绑起来,使你不能到百姓当中。 26 同时,我要使你的舌头紧贴上膛,使你不能开口责备他们,因为他们是一群叛逆的人。 27 但当我对你说话的时候,我必开启你的口,你要向他们宣告,‘主耶和华这样说。’肯听的就让他听,不肯听的就由他不听,因为他们是一群叛逆的人。”

The Responsibility of the Prophet

Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; (A)eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll.

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

Then He said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. For you are not sent to a people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, but to the house of Israel, not to many people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, (D)had I sent you to them, they would have listened to you. But the house of Israel will not listen to you, (E)because they will not listen to Me; (F)for all the house of Israel are [a]impudent and hard-hearted. Behold, I have made your face strong against their faces, and your forehead strong against their foreheads. (G)Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; (H)do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.”

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

12 Then (J)the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a great thunderous voice: “Blessed is the (K)glory of the Lord from His place!” 13 I also heard the (L)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 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the [b]heat of my spirit; but (M)the hand of the Lord was strong upon me. 15 Then I came to the captives at Tel Abib, who dwelt by the River Chebar; and (N)I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.

Ezekiel Is a Watchman

16 Now it (O)came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 17 (P)“Son of man, I have made you (Q)a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them (R)warning from Me: 18 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 (S)shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 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; (T)but you have delivered your soul.

20 “Again, when a (U)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 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 (V)Then the hand of the Lord was upon me there, and He said to me, “Arise, go out (W)into the plain, and there I shall talk with you.”

23 So I arose and went out into the plain, and behold, (X)the glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory which I (Y)saw by the River Chebar; (Z)and I fell on my face. 24 Then (AA)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 And you, O son of man, surely (AB)they will put ropes on you and bind you with them, so that you cannot go out among them. 26 (AC)I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and (AD)not be [c]one to rebuke them, (AE)for they are a rebellious house. 27 (AF)But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, (AG)‘Thus says the Lord God.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 3:7 Lit. strong of forehead
  2. Ezekiel 3:14 Or anger
  3. Ezekiel 3:26 Lit. one who rebukes

Moreover He said unto me, Ben Adam, eat that thou findest; eat this megillah, and go speak unto Bais Yisroel.

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

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.

And He said unto me, Ben Adam, go, get thee unto the Bais Yisroel, and speak My words unto them.

For thou art not sent to an Am Imkei Safah (a people of indecipherable language) and of obscure lashon, but to Bais Yisroel;

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.

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).

Hinei, I have made thy face chazakim against their faces, and thy metzach chazak (forehead strong) against their metzach.

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.