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祂對我說：「人子啊，要把你得到的吃下去，要吃下這書卷，然後去向以色列人傳講。」 2我張開口，祂就給我吃那書卷， 3並對我說：「人子啊，吃下我賜你的這書卷，讓它充滿你的肚腹。」我便吃了，書卷在我嘴裡甘甜如蜜。
4祂又對我說：「人子啊，現在你要到以色列人那裡，把我的話傳給他們。 5你不是奉命去語言陌生、難懂的民族那裡，而是到以色列人當中。 6我不是派你到那些語言陌生、艱澀難懂的民族中。我若果真派你到他們那裡，他們一定會聽你的話。 7然而以色列人卻不肯聽從你，因為他們額頭剛硬，心裡頑固，不肯聽從我。 8不過，我要使你的臉像他們的臉一樣剛硬，使你的額頭像他們的額頭一樣剛硬。 9我要使你的額頭比火石更硬，如同金剛石。他們雖然是一群叛逆的人，你不要害怕，也不要因為他們的臉色而驚慌。」 10祂又說：「人子啊，你要留心聽我說的一切話，牢記在心。 11你要到你那些被擄的同胞那裡，不論他們聽不聽，你都要向他們宣告，『主耶和華這樣說。』」
12那時，耶和華的靈把我舉起，我聽見後面有隆隆的聲音說：「耶和華的榮耀在祂所在之地當受稱頌！」 13我聽見活物的翅膀相碰的聲音，以及他們旁邊的輪子發出的隆隆聲。 14耶和華的靈把我舉起帶走了。我心裡苦悶，充滿憤怒，耶和華大能的手按在我身上。 15我來到住在提勒·亞畢的被擄的人中，他們在迦巴魯河邊。我感到無比震驚，在他們中間坐了七天。
告誡以色列人
16過了七天，耶和華對我說： 17「人子啊，我立你為以色列人的守望者，你要聽我口中的話並替我告誡他們。 18如果我說惡人必定死，你卻不告誡他，勸誡他改邪歸正，好保全性命，他必因自己的罪而死，我卻要向你追討他的血債。 19如果你告誡惡人，他卻不肯改邪歸正、停止作惡，他必因自己的罪而死，而你必保全性命。 20如果一個義人偏離正道、犯罪作惡，我會使他絆倒，他必死亡。如果你不告誡他，他必死在罪惡之中，他以前的義行也不會被記念，而我要追究你的責任。 21如果你告誡他不要犯罪，他聽了你的告誡不再犯罪，他必存活，你也必保住性命。」
22在那裡，耶和華的手按在我身上，對我說：「你起來前往平原，我要在那裡對你說話。」 23我就起來，到了平原，看見耶和華的榮耀停在那裡，那榮耀和我在迦巴魯河邊所見的一樣，我就俯伏在地。 24這時耶和華的靈進入我裡面，使我站立起來。耶和華對我說：「你要把自己關在房子裡。 25人子啊，他們必把你捆綁起來，使你不能到百姓當中。 26同時，我要使你的舌頭緊貼上膛，使你不能開口責備他們，因為他們是一群叛逆的人。 27但當我對你說話的時候，我必開啟你的口，你要向他們宣告，『主耶和華這樣說。』肯聽的就讓他聽，不肯聽的就由他不聽，因為他們是一群叛逆的人。」
