1And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” 2So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.
3Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.
4He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them. 5You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and strange language, but to the people of Israel— 6not to many peoples of obscure speech and strange language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you. 7But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate. 8But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. 9I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.”
10And he said to me, “Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you. 11Go now to your people in exile and speak to them. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says,’ whether they listen or fail to listen.”
12Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound as the glory of the Lord rose from the place where it was standing.3:12 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text sound—may the glory of the Lord be praised from his place 13It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound. 14The Spirit then 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 on me. 15I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Aviv near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days—deeply distressed.
Ezekiel’s Task as Watchman
16At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me: 17“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 18When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for3:18 Or in; also in verses 19 and 20 their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 19But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.
20“Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 21But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”
22The hand of the Lord was on me there, and he said to me, “Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.” 23So I got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown.
24Then the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet. He spoke to me and said: “Go, shut yourself inside your house. 25And you, son of man, they will tie with ropes; you will be bound so that you cannot go out among the people. 26I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious people. 27But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ Whoever will listen let them listen, and whoever will refuse let them refuse; for they are a rebellious people.
1祂对我说：“人子啊，要把你得到的吃下去，要吃下这书卷，然后去向以色列人传讲。” 2我张开口，祂就给我吃那书卷， 3并对我说：“人子啊，吃下我赐你的这书卷，让它充满你的肚腹。”我便吃了，书卷在我嘴里甘甜如蜜。
4祂又对我说：“人子啊，现在你要到以色列人那里，把我的话传给他们。 5你不是奉命去语言陌生、难懂的民族那里，而是到以色列人当中。 6我不是派你到那些语言陌生、艰涩难懂的民族中。我若果真派你到他们那里，他们一定会听你的话。 7然而以色列人却不肯听从你，因为他们额头刚硬，心里顽固，不肯听从我。 8不过，我要使你的脸像他们的脸一样刚硬，使你的额头像他们的额头一样刚硬。 9我要使你的额头比火石更硬，如同金刚石。他们虽然是一群叛逆的人，你不要害怕，也不要因为他们的脸色而惊慌。” 10祂又说：“人子啊，你要留心听我说的一切话，牢记在心。 11你要到你那些被掳的同胞那里，不论他们听不听，你都要向他们宣告，‘主耶和华这样说。’”
12那时，耶和华的灵把我举起，我听见后面有隆隆的声音说：“耶和华的荣耀在祂所在之地当受称颂！” 13我听见活物的翅膀相碰的声音，以及他们旁边的轮子发出的隆隆声。 14耶和华的灵把我举起带走了。我心里苦闷，充满愤怒，耶和华大能的手按在我身上。 15我来到住在提勒·亚毕的被掳的人中，他们在迦巴鲁河边。我感到无比震惊，在他们中间坐了七天。
告诫以色列人
16过了七天，耶和华对我说： 17“人子啊，我立你为以色列人的守望者，你要听我口中的话并替我告诫他们。 18如果我说恶人必定死，你却不告诫他，劝诫他改邪归正，好保全性命，他必因自己的罪而死，我却要向你追讨他的血债。 19如果你告诫恶人，他却不肯改邪归正、停止作恶，他必因自己的罪而死，而你必保全性命。 20如果一个义人偏离正道、犯罪作恶，我会使他绊倒，他必死亡。如果你不告诫他，他必死在罪恶之中，他以前的义行也不会被记念，而我要追究你的责任。 21如果你告诫他不要犯罪，他听了你的告诫不再犯罪，他必存活，你也必保住性命。”
22在那里，耶和华的手按在我身上，对我说：“你起来前往平原，我要在那里对你说话。” 23我就起来，到了平原，看见耶和华的荣耀停在那里，那荣耀和我在迦巴鲁河边所见的一样，我就俯伏在地。 24这时耶和华的灵进入我里面，使我站立起来。耶和华对我说：“你要把自己关在房子里。 25人子啊，他们必把你捆绑起来，使你不能到百姓当中。 26同时，我要使你的舌头紧贴上膛，使你不能开口责备他们，因为他们是一群叛逆的人。 27但当我对你说话的时候，我必开启你的口，你要向他们宣告，‘主耶和华这样说。’肯听的就让他听，不肯听的就由他不听，因为他们是一群叛逆的人。”
