Ezekiel

3 Then said he unto me, Son of man, What thou findest eat,—eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.

2 So I opened my mouth,—and he caused me to eat this roll.

3 Then said he unto me, Son of man, Thy belly cause thou to eat and thy bowels fill thou with this roll which I am giving unto thee. So I did eat, and it became in my mouth as honey for sweetness.

4 Then said he unto me,—Son of man, Go get thee unto the house of Israel, and thou shalt speak with my words unto them.

5 For not unto a people deep of lip and heavy of tongue art thou sent—[but] unto the house of Israel:

6 not unto many peoples deep of lip and heavy of tongue, whose words thou couldst not understand,—surely if unto them I had sent thee they would have hearkened unto thee.

7 But the house of Israel will not be willing to hearken unto thee, for they are not willing to hearken unto me,—for all the house of Israel are bold of forehead and hard of heart.

8 Lo! I have made thy face bold like as their faces,—and thy forehead bold like as their forehead.

9 As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead,—thou shalt not fear them neither shalt thou be dismayed at their faces, For a perverse house they are!

10 Then said he unto me,—Son of man, All my words which I shall speak unto thee receive thou into thy heart and in thine ears hear thou:

11 then go get thee unto them of the captivity unto the sons of thy people, and thou shalt speak unto them and say unto them, Thus saith My Lord Yahweh,—whether they will hear or whether they will forbear.

12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the sound of a great rushing,—Blessed be the glory of Yahweh From his place!

13 Yea the sound of the wings of the living ones gently touching each other, and the sound of the wheels along with them, even the sound of a great rushing.

14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away,—and I went bitterly in the rage of my spirit, but the hand of Yahweh upon me was strong.

15 Thus came I unto them of the captivity at Tel-abib who were dwelling towards the river Chebar and I dwelt where they were dwelling; yea I dwelt there seven days stunned in their midst.

16 And it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of Yahweh came unto me saying:

17 Son of man, A watchman have I appointed thee to the house of Israel,—and thou shalt hear at my mouth a message, and shalt warn them from me.

18 When I say to the lawless man—Thou shalt surely die, and thou hast not given him warning neither hast spoken to warn the lawless man from his lawless way to save himself alive the same lawless man in his iniquity shall die, but his blood at thy hand will I require.

19 Whereas when thou hast warned a lawless man, and he hath not turned from his lawlessness and from his lawless way he in his iniquity shall die, but thou hast delivered thine own soul.

20 And when a righteous man hath turned from his righteousness and committed perversity, and I have suffered a stumbling-block to be laid before him he shall die,—though thou hast not warned him in his sin shall he die, neither shall be remembered his righteous deeds which he hath done, but his blood at thy hand will I require;

21 whereas when thou hast warned a righteous man That a righteous man must not sin and he hath not sinned he shall surely live in that he took warning, and thou hast delivered thine own soul.

22 Then came upon me there the hand of Yahweh,—and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the valley, and there will I speak with thee.

23 So I arose and went forth into the valley, and lo! there the glory of Yahweh standing, like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar,—and I fell upon my face.

24 Then the Spirit entered into me, and caused me to stand upon my feet,—and he spake with me and said unto me, Go in, shut thyself up in the midst of thine own house.

25 And thou—O son of man lo! they have put upon thee bands, and they will bind thee therewith,—so that thou go not forth in their midst;

26 thy tongue also will I cause to cleave unto the roof of thy mouth, so shalt thou be dumb and not be to them a reprover,—For a perverse house they are!

27 But when I speak with thee I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith My Lord Yahweh,—He that is minded to hear let him hear, And he that is minded to forbear let him forbear! For a perverse house they are!