CHAPTER 3
“Son
of man,”
He said
to me,
“eat
what
you find here.
Eat
this
scroll,
then go
and speak
to
the house
of Israel.”
“Son
of man,”
He said
to me,
“eat
and fill
your stomach
with this
scroll
I
am giving you.”
So I ate,
and it was
as sweet
as honey
in my mouth.
For
you
are not
being sent
to
a people
of unfamiliar
speech
or difficult
language,
but to
the house
of Israel—
not
to
many
peoples
of unfamiliar
speech
or difficult
language,
whose
words
you cannot
understand.
Surely
if I had sent you
to them,
they
would have listened
to you.
But the house
of Israel
will be unwilling
to listen
to you,
since
they are unwilling
to listen
to Me.
For
the whole
house
of Israel
is stubborn
and obstinate.
Behold,
I will make
your face
as hard
as
their faces,
and your forehead
as hard
as
their foreheads.
I will make
your forehead
like a diamond,
harder
than flint.
Do not
be afraid
of them
or
dismayed
at their presence,
even though
they
are a rebellious
house.”
“Son
of man,”
He added,
“listen carefully
to all
the words
I speak
to you,
and take them
to heart.
Go
to
your people,
the exiles;
speak
to them
and tell
them,
‘This is what
the Lord
GOD
says,’
whether
they listen
or
refuse to listen.”
Then the Spirit
lifted me up,
and I heard
a great
rumbling
sound
behind me—
blessed be
the glory
of the LORD
in His dwelling place!—
the sound
of the wings
of the living creatures
brushing
against
one
another
and the sound
of the wheels
beside them,
a great
rumbling
sound.
So the Spirit
lifted me up
and took me away,
and I went
in bitterness
and in the anger
of my spirit,
with the strong
hand
of the LORD
upon me.
I came
to
the exiles
at Tel-abib
who dwelt
by
the River
Kebar.
And for seven
days
I sat
where
they sat
and remained
there
among them,
overwhelmed.
“Son
of man,
I have made
you a watchman
for the house
of Israel.
Whenever you hear
a word
from
My mouth,
give them a warning
from Me.
If I say
to the wicked man,
‘You will surely die,’
but you do not
warn him
or
speak out
to warn
him
from his wicked
way
to save his life,
that
wicked man
will die
in his iniquity,
and I will hold you
responsible for
his blood.
But if
you
warn
a wicked man
and he does not
turn
from his wickedness
and his wicked
way,
he
will die
in his iniquity,
but you
will have saved
yourself.
Now if a righteous man
turns
from his righteousness
and commits
iniquity,
and I put
a stumbling block
before him,
he
will die.
If
you did not
warn him,
he will die
in his sin,
and the righteous acts
he did
will not
be remembered.
And I will hold you
responsible for
his blood.
But if
you
warn
the righteous man
not
to sin,
and he
does not
sin,
he will indeed live
because
he heeded your warning,
and you
will have saved
yourself.”
And there
the hand
of the LORD
was
upon me,
and He said
to me,
“Get up,
go out
to
the plain,
and there
I will speak
with you.”
So I got up
and went out
to
the plain,
and behold,
the glory
of the LORD
was present
there,
like the glory
I had seen
by
the River
Kebar,
and I fell
facedown.
Then the Spirit
entered
me
and set
me on
my feet.
He spoke
with
me and said:
“Go,
shut yourself
inside
your house.
And you,
son
of man,
they will tie
with ropes,
and you will be bound
so that you cannot
go out
among the people.
I will make your tongue
stick
to
the roof of your mouth,
and you will be silent
and unable
to rebuke them,
though
they
are a rebellious
house.
But when I speak
with you,
I will open
your mouth,
and you are to tell
them,
‘This is what
the Lord
GOD
says.’
Whoever listens,
let him listen;
and whoever refuses,
let him refuse;
for
they
are a rebellious
house.