Ezekiel 3:4-17

New King James Version

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, ^(A)had I sent you to them, they would have listened to you. ⁷ But the house of Israel will not listen to you, ^(B)because they will not listen to Me; ^(C)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 (D)Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; ^(E)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, ^(F)‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear, or whether they refuse.”

¹² Then ^(G)the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a great thunderous voice: “Blessed is the ^(H)glory of the Lord from His place!” ¹³ I also heard the ^(I)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 ^(J)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 ^(K)I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.

Ezekiel Is a Watchman

¹⁶ Now it ^(L)came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ^17 (M)“Son of man, I have made you ^(N)a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them ^(O)warning from Me: