Ezekiel

Mission of the Prophet

He said to me: “Son of man, eat what is given to you. Eat this scroll and then go; speak to the people of Israel.”

I opened my mouth, and he made me eat the scroll.

He said to me: “Eat and fill yourself with this scroll that I’m giving you.” I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey.

He said: “Son of man, go to the Israelites; speak to them with my words.

Indeed, you are not sent to people with a complex foreign language; it is to the people of Israel.

It’s not to the many nations with complex and obscure languages, which you cannot understand. If I sent you to them, they would listen to you.

But the Israelites will not listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me; all of them are defiant and stubborn in heart.

See, I am making your face as unyielding as theirs, and your forehead as hard as theirs.

I am making your forehead as hard as a diamond, harder than flint; so you shall not fear or tremble because of this set of rebels.”

He said to me: “Son of man, listen, and take to heart all I say to you.

Then go to the exiles, your fellow countrymen, speak to them and tell them: ‘This is what the Lord says,’ whether they listen or not.”

Then the spirit lifted me up. Behind me, I heard a loud shout: “Blessed be the glory of the Lord in his dwelling place;”

and I heard the sound of the animals’ wings brushing against each other, along with the noise of the wheels; it was a loud uproar.

The spirit had lifted me up and carried me away, but I went in a bitter and feverish spirit because the hand of the Lord was heavy upon me.

I came to Tel-abib, to the exiles living by the river Chebar, and I stayed there seven days with them, overwhelmed.

FIRST ACTIVITY OF THE PROPHET I

The Prophet as Watchman

After seven days, the word of the Lord came to me:

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. With the word you hear from my mouth, you will warn them in my name.

When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ if you do not warn the wicked man to give up his evil ways, and so live, he shall die for his sin, and I will hold you responsible for his death.

But if you have warned the wicked man, and he has not given up his wickedness and evil ways, he shall die for his sin, but you will save yourself.

When the righteous man turns from what is good to do evil, I shall put an obstacle in his path: he shall die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. His good deeds will not be remembered, and I shall hold you responsible for his death.

But when you have warned the righteous man to keep him from sinning, and he has not sinned, he will live for sure, for he was warned; and you will save your life.”

The hand of the Lord was on me, and he said to me: “Get up! Go to the valley, and there I will speak to you.”

I got up and went toward the valley, and there was the glory of the Lord that I had seen by the Chebar River. I fell on my face.

Then the spirit came to me and kept me standing. He spoke to me and said: “Go! Shut yourself in your house.

You, son of man, will be bound with cords and prevented from going among the people.

Your tongue shall stick to your palate, and you will remain dumb; you will not be able to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious people.

But, when I speak to you, I shall open your lips and you shall say to them: This is the word of the Lord! He who listens, let him hear; and he who refuses to listen, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious people.