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Ezekiel 3:4-17
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Ezekiel 3:4-17
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
4 He said to me, “Mortal, go to the house of Israel and speak my very words to them. 5 For you are not sent to a people of obscure speech and difficult language but to the house of Israel, 6 not to many peoples of obscure speech and difficult language whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to them, they would listen to you.(A) 7 But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me, because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart.(B) 8 See, I have made your face hard against their faces and your forehead hard against their foreheads. 9 Like the hardest stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not fear them or be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.”(C) 10 He said to me, “Mortal, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart and hear with your ears; 11 then go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them. Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear or refuse to hear.”(D)
Ezekiel at the River Chebar
12 Then the spirit lifted me up, and as the glory of the Lord rose[a] from its place, I heard behind me the sound of loud rumbling;(E) 13 it was the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against one another and the sound of the wheels beside them that sounded like a loud rumbling. 14 The spirit lifted me up and bore me away; I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the hand of the Lord being strong upon me.(F) 15 I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, who lived by the River Chebar.[b] And I sat there among them, stunned, for seven days.(G)
16 At the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me: 17 Mortal, I have made you a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.(H)
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Ezekiel 3:4-17
New International Version
Ezekiel 3:4-17
New International Version
4 He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them.(A) 5 You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and strange language,(B) but to the people of Israel— 6 not to many peoples of obscure speech and strange language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you.(C) 7 But the people of Israel are not willing to listen(D) to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate.(E) 8 But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are.(F) 9 I will make your forehead(G) like the hardest stone, harder than flint.(H) Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.(I)”
10 And he said to me, “Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart(J) all the words I speak to you. 11 Go(K) now to your people in exile and speak to them. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says,’(L) whether they listen or fail to listen.(M)”
12 Then the Spirit lifted me up,(N) and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound as the glory of the Lord rose from the place where it was standing.[a] 13 It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures(O) brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound.(P) 14 The Spirit(Q) then lifted me up(R) and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord(S) on me. 15 I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Aviv near the Kebar River.(T) And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days(U)—deeply distressed.
Ezekiel’s Task as Watchman
16 At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me:(V) 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman(W) for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.(X)
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 3:12 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text sound—may the glory of the Lord be praised from his place
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
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