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Ezekiel

Contains visions and prophecies of judgment and restoration for Israel and the nations. ... click to read full summary of this book.

Chapter 3

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Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.

He also told me, "Son of man, eat whatever you find; eat this scroll and then go talk to the people of Israel."

So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.

So, I spoke, and he made me eat the bread.

And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.

He told me, "Eat this scroll, son of man." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.

He told me, "Go to the people of Israel, and using my words, talk to them."

For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel;

You are not sent to a foreign people with a difficult language, but to the house of Israel.

Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.

Not many people who speak differently and use difficult words could understand you. If I had sent you to them, they would have listened.

But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.

But Israel won't listen to you, because they won't listen to me. They're all stubborn and unresponsive.

Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.

Look, I have made your strong face compared to their faces, and your strong forehead compared to their foreheads.

As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

I've made your forehead strong like a hard stone. Don't be scared of them or feel afraid by how they look, even if they are a stubborn group of people.

Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears.

He also told me, "Son of man, pay attention to everything I say. Keep it in your heart and listen carefully with your ears."

And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.

"Go to the captured people, the children of your community, and tell them, 'The Lord God says this.' Whether they listen or not is up to them."

Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place.

Then a spirit lifted me up, and I heard a loud noise behind me, saying, "Praise the glory of God from where he is."

I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing.

I heard the sound of the living creatures' wings touching each other, the sound of the wheels near them, and a loud rushing noise.

So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.

The spirit carried me away, feeling very upset and angry. However, the LORD's power was still strongly with me.

Then I came to them of the captivity at Telabib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.

Then I went to the people held captive in Telabib, near the Chebar River. I sat with them and was amazed for seven days.

And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

After seven days passed, the Lord's message came to me, saying,

Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

Son, I've made you a guard for Israel's home. So listen to my words and warn the people for me.

When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

When I tell the bad person they will surely die and you don't warn them or try to make them change their ways, their bad life will lead to their death. Then I will hold you responsible for their death.

Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

If you warn a bad person, and they don't change or stop being bad, they will face punishment. But you will have done your part to try and help.

Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

If a good person stops being good and does something wrong, and I don't warn them, they will die because of their mistake. Their good actions won't be remembered, but I will hold you responsible for their death.

Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

But if you tell a good person to not do wrong, and they listen, they'll live because they were warned. You'll also save your own life.

And the hand of the LORD was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee.

And God's hand was with me, and he told me to get up and go out to the open area, so we could talk there.

Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.

Then I got up and went outside to an open area. There, I saw the Lord's glory, just like I did by the Chebar River. This made me fall down on my face in amazement.

Then the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thine house.

Then, the spirit gave me power, stood me up, talked to me, and said, "Stay in your home."

But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them:

But you, my son, they will tie you up and bind you with ropes, and you won't be able to be with them.

And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they are a rebellious house.

I will cause your tongue to stick to the top of your mouth, making you unable to speak and not able to criticize them; for they are a disobedient group of people.

But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.

But when I talk to you, I will help you speak, and you will tell them, This is what the Lord God says. Those who listen should keep listening, and those who wait should wait too. They are a disobedient group of people.

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