| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Then he told me, "Son of Man, eat! Eat what you see —this scroll—and then go talk to the house of Israel." | 1He said to me, "Son of man, eat what you see in front of you--eat this scroll--and then go and speak to the house of Israel." |
| 2So I opened my mouth and he fed me the scroll. | 2So I opened my mouth and he fed me the scroll. |
| 3Then he told me, "Son of Man, fill your stomach and digest this scroll that I'm giving you." So I ate it, and it was like sweet honey in my mouth. | 3He said to me, "Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your belly with this scroll I am giving to you." So I ate it, and it was sweet like honey in my mouth. |
| 4Then he told me, "Son of Man, go to the house of Israel and tell them what I have to say to them, | 4He said to me, "Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them. |
| 5because you're not going to a people whose speech you cannot understand or whose language is difficult to speak. Instead, you're going to the house of Israel. | 5For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech and difficult language, but to the house of Israel-- |
| 6This isn't a large group of people whose speech is unintelligible to you or whose language is difficult for you to comprehend. Frankly, if I had sent you to that kind of people, they would certainly have listened to you! | 6not to many peoples of unintelligible speech and difficult language, whose words you cannot understand--surely if I had sent you to them, they would listen to you! |
| 7But the house of Israel won't listen to you, since they weren't willing to listen to me. That's because the entire house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted. | 7But the house of Israel is unwilling to listen to you, because they are not willing to listen to me, for the whole house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted. |
| 8So pay attention! I'm going to make you just as obstinate and unyielding as they are. | 8"I have made your face adamant to match their faces, and your forehead hard to match their foreheads. |
| 9I'm making you harder than flint—like diamond! So you are not to fear them or be intimidated by how they look at you, since they're a rebellious group." | 9I have made your forehead harder than flint--like diamond! Do not fear them or be terrified of the looks they give you, for they are a rebellious house." |
| 10Next, he told me, "Son of Man, take to heart every word that I'm telling you. Listen carefully, | 10And he said to me, "Son of man, take all my words that I speak to you to heart and listen carefully. |
| 11then go immediately to the exiles; that is, to your people's descendants, and tell them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says…' whether they listen or not." | 11Go to the exiles, to your fellow countrymen, and speak to them--say to them, 'This is what the sovereign LORD says,' whether they pay attention or not." |
| 12Then the Spirit lifted me up and I heard a great earthquake behind me and the glory of the LORD arose from his place, | 12Then a wind lifted me up and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me as the glory of the LORD rose from its place, |
| 13accompanied by the sound of the wings of the living creatures gently touching each other and with the sound of the wheels emanating from the front, accompanied by a great earthquake. | 13and the sound of the living beings' wings brushing against each other, and the sound of the wheels alongside them, a great rumbling sound. |
| 14Then the Spirit lifted me up and carried me away. I went bitterly with an angry attitude as the hand of the LORD rested on me. | 14A wind lifted me up and carried me away. I went bitterly, my spirit full of fury, and the hand of the LORD rested powerfully on me. |
| 15I came to the exiles at Tel-abib by the Chebar River and sat down among them for seven days, appalled. | 15I came to the exiles at Tel Abib, who lived by the Kebar River. I sat dumbfounded among them there, where they were living, for seven days. |
| 16At the end of the seven days, this message from the LORD came to me: | 16At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me: |
| 17"Son of Man," he said, "I've appointed you to be a watchman over the house of Israel. Therefore when you hear a message that comes from me, you are to warn them for me. | 17"Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you must give them a warning from me. |
| 18"So when I say to a wicked person, 'You're about to die,' if you don't warn or instruct that wicked person that his behavior is wicked so he can live, that wicked person will die in his sin, but I'll hold you responsible for his death. | 18When I say to the wicked, "You will certainly die," and you do not warn him--you do not speak out to warn the wicked to turn from his wicked deed and wicked lifestyle so that he may live--that wicked person will die for his iniquity, but I will hold you accountable for his death. |
| 19If you warn the wicked person, and he doesn't repent of his wickedness or of his wicked behavior, he'll die in his sin, but you will have saved your own life. | 19But as for you, if you warn the wicked and he does not turn from his wicked deed and from his wicked lifestyle, he will die for his iniquity but you will have saved your own life. |
| 20"When a righteous man abandons his righteousness to practice unrighteousness, I'll set a stumbling block before him. He'll die. If you don't warn him, he'll die in his sin and the righteous deeds that he had practiced won't be remembered, but you'll be held responsible for his death. | 20"When a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I set an obstacle before him, he will die. If you have not warned him, he will die for his sin. The righteous deeds he performed will not be considered, but I will hold you accountable for his death. |
| 21If you warn the righteous person, so that he doesn't commit sin, then he'll live, since he had been warned. And you will have saved your life." | 21However, if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he will certainly live because he was warned, and you will have saved your own life." |
| 22The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he told me, "Get up! Go to the valley, and I'll speak with you there." | 22The hand of the LORD rested on me there, and he said to me, "Get up, go out to the valley, and I will speak with you there." |
| 23So I got up, went to the valley, and there was the glory of the LORD, standing there just like I had seen at the Chebar River. So I fell on my face. | 23So I got up and went out to the valley, and the glory of the LORD was standing there, just like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River, and I threw myself face down. |
| 24The Spirit entered me, rested on me, caused me to stand on my feet, and then he spoke to me. This is what he had to say: "Go barricade yourself in your house. | 24Then a wind came into me and stood me on my feet. The LORD spoke to me and said, "Go shut yourself in your house. |
| 25Now pay attention! They're going to bind you with ropes, tying you up right in their midst, so you won't be able to circulate freely among them. | 25As for you, son of man, they will put ropes on you and tie you up with them, so you cannot go out among them. |
| 26Meanwhile, I'll make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you'll be mute and unable to reprove them, since they're a rebellious group. | 26I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be silent and unable to reprove them, for they are a rebellious house. |
| 27But when I speak with you, I'll open your mouth so you can say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "As for those who will listen, 'Let them listen,' but as for those who refuse, 'Let them refuse,' since they're a rebellious group."'" | 27But when I speak with you, I will loosen your tongue and you must say to them, 'This is what the sovereign LORD says.' Those who listen will listen, but the indifferent will refuse, for they are a rebellious house. |
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