NET Bible | New International Version |
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." | 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 fed me the scroll. | 2So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. |
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. | 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 said to me, "Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them. | 4He then said to me: "Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them. |
5For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech and difficult language, but to the house of Israel-- | 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 unintelligible speech and difficult language, whose words you cannot understand--surely if I had sent you to them, they would listen to you! | 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 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. | 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. |
8"I have made your face adamant to match their faces, and your forehead hard to match their foreheads. | 8But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. |
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." | 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, take all my words that I speak to you to heart and listen carefully. | 10And he said to me, "Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you. |
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." | 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 a wind lifted me up and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me as the glory of the LORD rose from its place, | 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. |
13and the sound of the living beings' wings brushing against each other, and the sound of the wheels alongside them, a great rumbling sound. | 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. |
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. | 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 at Tel Abib, who lived by the Kebar River. I sat dumbfounded among them there, where they were living, for seven days. | 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. |
16At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me: | 16At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to 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. | 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 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. | 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 for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. |
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. | 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"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. | 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. |
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." | 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 rested on me there, and he said to me, "Get up, go out to the valley, and I will speak with you there." | 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 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. | 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 a wind came into me and stood me on my feet. The LORD spoke to me and said, "Go shut yourself in your house. | 24Then the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet. He spoke to me and said: "Go, shut yourself inside your house. |
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. | 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 reprove them, for they are a rebellious house. | 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 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. | 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. |
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