Ezekiel 3
Modern English Version
3 Moreover He said to me, Son of man, eat what you find. Eat this scroll and go speak to the house of Israel. 2 So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll.
3 He said to me, Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your inward parts with this scroll that I give you. Then I ate it, and it was as honey for sweetness in my mouth.
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 being sent to a people of foreign speech and hard language, but to the house of Israel, 6 nor to many peoples of foreign speech and hard language, whose words you cannot understand. But I have sent you to them who should listen to you. 7 But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me. For all the house of Israel is impudent and obstinate. 8 But I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. 9 As emery harder than flint, I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.
10 Moreover He said to me: Son of man, all My words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart and hear with your ears. 11 Go to the captives, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not, “Thus says the Lord God.”
12 Then the Spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a great thundering voice: “Blessed be the glory of the Lord in His place.” 13 I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another and the noise of the wheels beside them, even a great rushing sound. 14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit, and the hand of the Lord was strong upon me. 15 Then I came to the captives at Tel Aviv, who lived by the River Kebar, and I sat there where they sat seven days, causing consternation among them.
Ezekiel, a Watchman for Israel
16 At the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 17 Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel. Whenever you hear the word from My mouth, then warn them from Me. 18 When I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,” and you do not warn him, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, the same wicked man 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 or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity. But you have delivered your soul.
20 Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not given 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. And you have delivered your soul.
22 The hand of the Lord was upon me there, and He said to me, Rise, go out into the plain, and I will talk with you there. 23 Then I arose, and went out into the plain. And the glory of the Lord stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Kebar, and I fell on my face.
24 Then the Spirit entered me, and set me on my feet, and spoke with me and said to me: Go, shut yourself up within your house. 25 As for you, son of man, they shall put bands on you and shall bind you with them, so that you cannot go out among them. 26 And I will make your tongue cleave to the roof of your mouth so that you shall be mute and cannot be one to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious house. 27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, “Thus says the Lord God.” He who hears, let him hear. And he who refuses, let him refuse. For they are a rebellious house.
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
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
