Ezekiel 3

1He said to me, Son of man, eat what you find, eat this scroll, and go speak to the house of Israel.

2I opened my mouth, and he fed me that scroll.

3He said to me, "Son of man, let your belly devour it and fill your bowels with this scroll that I am giving you." Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth like honey for sweetness.

4And he said to me, “Son of man, go, enter the house of Israel, and speak my words to them.”

5For you are not sent to a people of obscure speech and heavy tongue, but to the house of Israel.

6Not to many peoples of deep speech and heavy tongue, whose words you cannot understand—if I had sent you to them, they would listen to you.

7But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me; for all the house of Israel has stubborn foreheads and hard hearts—they.

8See, I have made your face impudent against their faces, and your forehead impudent against their foreheads.

9I have made your forehead like adamant, harder than flint—do not fear them, nor be terrified before their faces, though they are a rebellious house.

10He said to me, “Son of man, take all my words that I will speak to you into your heart, and hear with your ears.”

11Go to the exiles, to the children of your people, speak to them, and tell them, "Thus says the Lord Yahweh—whether they listen or refuse."

12The Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great tumult: "Blessed is the glory of Yahweh from his place."

13The sound of the wings of the living creatures as each touched its fellow, the sound of the wheels alongside them, and the sound of a great rumble.

14The Spirit lifted me and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the fury of my spirit, and the hand of Yahweh was strong upon me.

15I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, those dwelling by the Chebar River, and sat where they dwelt; I sat there among them seven days, appalled.

16After seven days, the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

17Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel, so hear the word from my mouth and warn them from me.

18When I tell the wicked, "You will surely die," and you do not warn him or speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way to keep him alive, then he, the wicked one, will die in his iniquity, and I will require his blood from your hand.

19But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness nor from his wicked way, he himself will die in his iniquity; you have delivered your soul.

20Again, when a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I place a stumbling block before him, he will die; because you did not warn him, he will die in his sin, his righteous deeds that he performed will not be remembered, and I will require his blood at your hand.

21But if you warn the righteous not to sin, and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning; and you have delivered your soul.

22The hand of Yahweh was there upon me, and he said to me, "Arise, go out to the plain, and there I will speak with you."

23I got up and went out to the plain, and there stood the glory of Yahweh, like the glory I had seen beside the Chebar River, and I fell on my face.

24The spirit entered me and made me stand on my feet, and he spoke to me and said to me, "Go, shut yourself up inside your house."

25You, son of man—see, they will put cords on you and bind you with them, and you will not go out among them.

26I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, and you will be silent and not a rebuker to them, for they are a house of rebellion.

27When I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you will say to them, Thus says Lord Yahweh: Whoever hears, let him hear, and whoever refrains, let him refrain, for they are a house of rebellion.