The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Ezekiel 03
1 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 caused
me to eat the scroll.
3 He said to me, “Son of man, eat this
scroll that I give you and fill your belly and
your bowels with it.” Then I ate it. It was
as sweet as honey in my mouth.
4 He said to me, “Son of man, go to the
house of Israel, and speak my words to
them.
5 For you are not sent to a people of a
strange speech and of a hard language, but
to the house of Israel—
6 notto many peoples of a strange speech
and of a hard language, whose words you
can’t understand. Surely, if I sent you to
them, they would listen to you.
7 But the house of Israel will not listen to
you, for they will not listen to me; for all
the house ofIsrael are obstinate† and hardhearted.
8 Behold, I have made your face hard
against their faces, and your forehead
hard against their foreheads.
9 I have made your forehead as a diamond,
harder than flint. Don’t be afraid of them,
neither be dismayed at their looks,
though they are a rebellious house.”
10 Moreover he said to me, “Son of man,
receive in your heart and hear with your
ears all my words that I speak to you.
11 Go to them of the captivity, to the
children of your people, and speak to
them, and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord
Yahweh says,’ whether they will hear, or
whether they will refuse.”
12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I
heard behind me the voice of a great rushing,
saying, “Blessed be Yahweh’s glory
from his place.”
13 Iheard thenoise ofthe wings ofthe living
creatures as they touched one another,
and the noise of the wheels beside them,
even the noise of a great rushing.
14 So the Spirit lifted me up, and took
me away; and I went in bitterness, in the
heat of my spirit; and Yahweh’s hand was
strong on me.
15 Then I came to them of the captivity
at Tel Aviv who lived by the river Chebar,
and to where they lived; and I sat there
overwhelmed among them seven days.
16 At the end of seven days, Yahweh’s
word came to me, saying,
17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman to
the house of Israel. Therefore hear
the word from my mouth, and warn them
from me.
18 When Itellthe wicked, ‘You will surely
die;’ and you give him no warning, nor
speak to warn the wicked from his wicked
way, to save his life, that wicked man will
die in his iniquity; but I will require his
blood at your hand.
19 Yet if you warn the wicked, and he
doesn’t turn from his wickedness, nor
from his wicked way, he will 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 will die. Because you have not
given him warning, he will die in his sin,
and his righteous deeds which he has done
will not be remembered; but I will require
his blood at your hand.
21 Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man,
that the righteous not sin, and
he does not sin, he will surely live, because
he took warning; and you have delivered
your soul.”
22 Yahweh’s hand was there on me; and
he said to me, “Arise, go out into the plain,
and I will talk with you there.”
23 Then I arose, and went out into the
plain, and behold, Yahweh’s glory stood
there, like the glory which I saw by the
river Chebar. Then I fell on my face.
24 Then the Spirit entered into me and
set me on my feet. He spoke with me, and
said to me, “Go, shut yourself inside your
house.
25 But you, son of man, behold, they will
put ropes on you, and will bind you with
them, and you will not go out among them.
26 I will make your tongue stick to the
roof of yourmouthso that you will bemute
and will not be able to correct them, for
they are a rebellious house.
27 But when I speak with you, I will open
your mouth, and you shall tell them, ‘This
is what the Lord Yahweh says.’ He who
hears, let him hear; and he who refuses,
let him refuse; for they are a rebellious
house.”