以西結書 3
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
3 祂對我說：「人子啊，你要把得到的吃下去，要吃下這書卷，然後去向以色列人傳講。」 2 我張開口，祂就給我吃那書卷， 3 對我說：「吃下我賜你的這書卷，讓它充滿你的肚腹。」我便吃了，書卷在我嘴裡甘甜如蜜。
4 祂又對我說：「人子啊，現在你要到以色列人那裡，把我的話傳給他們。 5 你不是奉命去語言不通的民族那裡，而是到以色列人當中。 6 我不是派你到那些語言陌生、難懂、你聽不明白的民族中。我若果真派你到他們那裡，他們一定會聽你的話。 7 然而以色列人卻不肯聽從你，因為他們頑固不化，不肯聽從我。 8 不過，我要使你的臉像他們的臉一樣硬，使你的額像他們的額一樣硬。 9 我要使你的額比火石更硬，如同金剛石。他們雖然是一群叛逆的人，你不要害怕，也不要因為他們的臉色而驚慌。」 10 祂又說：「人子啊，你要留心聽我說的一切話，牢記在心。 11 你要到你那些被擄的同胞那裡，不論他們聽不聽，你都要向他們宣告，『主耶和華這樣說。』」
12 那時，靈把我舉起，我聽見後面有隆隆的聲音說：「耶和華的榮耀在祂的居所當受稱頌！」 13 我聽見活物的翅膀相碰的聲音，以及他們旁邊的輪子發出的隆隆聲。 14 靈把我舉起帶走了。我心裡苦悶，充滿憤怒，耶和華大能的手在我身上。 15 我來到住在提勒·亞畢的被擄的人中，在迦巴魯河邊。我感到無比震驚，在他們中間坐了七天。
告誡以色列人
16 過了七天，耶和華對我說： 17 「人子啊，我立你做以色列人的守望者，你要把我告誡他們的話告訴他們。 18 當我說某個惡人必滅亡時，如果你不告誡他，勸告他痛改前非，挽救他的性命，他必死在自己的罪中，而我要追究你的責任。 19 如果你已經告誡他，他還是不肯離開自己的邪惡和罪行，他必死在罪惡之中，而你必免於罪責。 20 如果一個義人偏離正道、犯罪作惡，我會使他跌倒，他必死亡。如果你不告誡他，他必死在罪惡之中，他以前的義行也不會被記念，而我要追究你的責任。 21 如果你告誡他不要犯罪，他聽了你的告誡不再犯罪，他必保住性命，你也必免於罪責。」
22 在那裡，耶和華的手按在我身上，對我說：「你起來前往平原，我要在那裡對你說話。」 23 我到了平原，看見耶和華的榮耀停在那裡，那榮耀和我在迦巴魯河邊所見的一樣，我就俯伏在地。 24 這時靈進入我裡面，使我站立起來。耶和華對我說：「你要把自己關在房子裡。 25 人子啊，他們必把你捆綁起來，使你不能到百姓當中。 26 同時，我要使你的舌頭緊貼上膛，使你不能開口責備他們，因為他們是一群叛逆的人。 27 但當我對你說話的時候，我必開啟你的口，你要向他們宣告，『主耶和華這樣說。』肯聽的就讓他聽，不肯聽的就由他不聽，因為他們是一群叛逆的人。」
Ezekiel 3
EasyEnglish Bible
3 He said to me, ‘Son of man, eat what you can see in front of you. Eat this scroll with words on it. Then go and speak to the Israelites.’ 2 So I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat.
3 He said, ‘Son of man, I am giving you this scroll. Eat it all and fill your stomach with it.’ So I ate it. It had a sweet taste like honey in my mouth.[a]
4 Then he said to me, ‘Son of man, now go to Israel's people and speak my words to them. 5 I am not sending you to a people whose words you cannot understand. They do not speak a difficult language. No, I am sending you to Israel's people. 6 I am not sending you to people who speak many different languages that you cannot understand. If I did send you to people like that, I am sure that they would listen to you. 7 But Israel's people will not agree to listen to you. That is because they refuse to listen to me. All the Israelites have decided not to obey me, and they will not change. 8 But I will make you as strong in your mind as they are. You will not change what you think. 9 You will be as strong as the strongest stone that nobody can break. Do not be afraid of them. Do not be afraid of how they look at you. Remember that they are people who refuse to obey me.’
10 Then he said to me, ‘Son of man, listen carefully to all the words that I say to you. Remember them. 11 Now you must go to the Israelites who are prisoners in Babylon. They are your own people. Give my message to them and say, “This is what the Almighty Lord says.” They may listen to you or they may refuse to listen. But you must still give them my message.’
12 Then a spirit lifted me up.[b] I heard a loud noise like thunder behind me. It was the sound of the Lord's great glory as it rose up from its place! 13 I heard the sound of the living things' wings as they touched each other. I also heard the loud noise of the wheels that were at the side of the living things. It was like the noise of thunder. 14 Then a spirit lifted me up and he took me away. I was angry and upset in my mind. But the Lord gave me great power and strength. 15 I came to Tel Abib near the Kedar river, where the Israelite prisoners lived. I stayed with them for seven days. I was very upset as I sat among them.
Ezekiel must warn the Lord's people
16 When the seven days were finished, the Lord gave this message to me:
17 ‘Son of man, I have made you a guard to warn Israel's people about danger. You must listen to the messages that I will give to you. Then you must use my messages to warn the Israelites. 18 I may say to a wicked person, “Your punishment will be death.” Then you must warn that person. You must tell him to stop doing wicked things so that he may save his life. If you do not tell the wicked person this, he will die because of his sins. But I will say that you are guilty, as if you had killed him yourself. 19 So you must warn the wicked person. If you warn him, he still may not stop doing wicked things. Then that wicked person will die because of his sins. But you will have saved your own life.
20 A righteous person may stop doing things that are right. He may start to do bad things. Then I will put him in danger. He will die as punishment for his sins. I will not remember the good things that he did. But if you have not warned him of the danger, I will say that you are guilty. It is as if you killed him yourself. 21 But if you do warn that righteous person to stop doing bad things, he may agree. Then he will continue to live, because you warned him. You also will have saved your own life.’
22 The Lord continued to give me strength. He said to me, ‘Stand up now! Go out into the valley and I will speak to you there.’ 23 So I got up and I went out to the valley. I saw the glory of the Lord in that place. It was like the glory that I had seen beside the Kebar river. I bent down low, with my face to the ground.
24 Then a spirit came into me. He lifted me up and he made me stand on my feet. The Lord said to me, ‘Go into your house and shut the door. 25 Son of man, people will tie you with ropes so that you cannot move. You will not be able to go out among the people. 26 I will also stop your tongue from moving so that you cannot speak. You will not be able to warn the Israelites. They are people who refuse to obey me. 27 But sometimes I will speak to you. Then you will be able to open your mouth and give them my message. You must tell them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says.” Some of them will listen to my message. But other people will refuse to listen. They are a nation of people who refuse to obey me.’[c]
Footnotes
- 3:3 See Revelation 10:10-11.
- 3:12 ‘a spirit’ or ‘a wind’. Also in verse 14.
- 3:27 God made Ezekiel dumb for 7 years. That time continued until the people of Babylon destroyed Jerusalem. But during that time, Ezekiel had to speak many messages from God.
Ezekiel 3
New King James Version
The Responsibility of the Prophet
3 Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; (A)eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll.
3 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.
4 Then He said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. 5 For you are not sent to a people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, but to the house of Israel, 6 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. 7 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. 8 Behold, I have made your face strong against their faces, and your forehead strong against their foreheads. 9 (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
- Ezekiel 3:7 Lit. strong of forehead
- Ezekiel 3:14 Or anger
- Ezekiel 3:26 Lit. one who rebukes
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
