Then He said to me, "Son
of man
, eat
what
you find
; aeat
this
scroll
, and go
, speak
to the house
of Israel
."
So I aopened my mouth
, and He fed
me this
scroll
.
He said to me, "Son
of man
, feed
your stomach
and afill
your 1body
with this
scroll
which
I am giving
you." Then I bate
it, and it was sweet
as choney
in my mouth
.
Then He said to me, "Son
of man
, 1go
to the house
of Israel
and speak
with My words
to them.
"For ayou are not being sent to a people
of 1 bunintelligible
speech
or difficult
language
, but to the house
of Israel
,
nor to many
peoples
of 1unintelligible
speech
or difficult
language
, whose
words
you cannot
understand
. 2But I have sent
you to them 3who should listen
to you;
yet the house of Israel
will not be willing
to listen
to you, since
they are anot willing
to listen
to Me. Surely
the whole
house
of Israel
is 1stubborn
and obstinate
.
"Behold, I have made
your face
as hard
as their faces
and your forehead
as hard
as their foreheads
.
"Like 1emery harder
than
flint
I have made
your forehead
. Do not be afraid
of them or be dismayed
before
them, though
they are a rebellious
house
."
Moreover, He said to me, "Son
of man
, take
into your heart
all
My awords
which
I will speak
to you and listen
1closely
.
" 1Go to the exiles
, to the sons
of your people
, and speak
to them and tell
them, whether
they listen
or
2not, `Thus
says
the Lord
3GOD
.' "
Then the aSpirit lifted
me up, and I heard
a great
brumbling
sound
behind
me, "Blessed
be the glory
of the LORD
1in His place
."
And I heard the sound of the wings
of the living
beings
touching
one
another
and the sound
of the awheels
beside
them, even a great
rumbling
sound
.
So the Spirit lifted
me up and took
me away; and I went
embittered
in the rage
of my spirit
, and athe hand
of the LORD
was strong
on me.
Then I came to the exiles
who lived
beside
the river
Chebar
at Tel-abib
, and I sat
there
aseven
days
where
they were living
, causing
consternation
among
them.
aAt the end of seven
days
the word
of the LORD
came
to me, saying
,
"Son of man
, I have appointed
you a awatchman
to the house
of Israel
; whenever you hear
a word
from My mouth
, bwarn
them from Me.
"When I say to the wicked
, `You will surely
die
,' and you do not warn
him or speak
out to warn
the wicked
from his wicked
way
that he may live
, that wicked
man
shall die
in his iniquity
, but his ablood
I will require
at your hand
.
"Yet if you have awarned
the wicked
and he does not turn
from his wickedness
or from his wicked
way
, he shall die
in his iniquity
; but you have bdelivered
yourself
.
"Again, awhen a righteous man
turns
away
from his righteousness
and commits
iniquity
, and I place
an bobstacle
before
him, he will die
; since
you have not warned
him, he shall die
in his sin
, and his righteous
deeds
which
he has done
shall not be remembered
; but his blood
I will require
at your hand
.
"However, if you have awarned
1the righteous
man
that the righteous
should not sin
and he does not sin
, he shall surely
live
because
he took
warning
; and you have delivered
yourself
."
The hand of the LORD
was on me there
, and He said
to me, "Get
up, go
out to the plain
, and there
I will aspeak
to you."
So I got up and went
out to the plain
; and behold
, the aglory
of the LORD
was standing
there
, like the glory
which
bI saw
by the river
Chebar
, and I fell
on my face
.
The aSpirit then entered
me and made me stand
on my feet
, and He spoke
with me and said
to me, "Go
, shut
yourself up in your house
.
"As for you, son of man
, they will aput
ropes
on you and bind
you with them so that you cannot
go
out among
them.
"Moreover, aI will make your tongue stick
to 1the roof
of your mouth
so that you will be mute
and cannot
be a man
who rebukes
them, for they are a rebellious
house
.
"But awhen I speak to you, I will open
your mouth
and you will say
to them, `Thus
says
the Lord
1GOD
.' He who hears
, let him hear
; and he who refuses
, let him refuse
; bfor they are a rebellious
house
.