CHAPTER 3

1 After that he said to me, Son of man, eat completely what you has found; namely, this roll, And go and speak to the house of Israel.

2 So I opened my mouth, and he fed me with that roll.

3 And said to me, Son of man, Feed thy belly, and fill thy bowels with this roll which I give thee. So I ate it, and it was in my mouth Like honey for sweetness.

4 Then he said to me, Son of man! Go to the house of Israel and address them in my words,

5 Since you art not sent to a people profound in lip and hard of speech, You art sent to the house of Israel:

6 Not to many peoples profound in lip and heavy in speech, Whom you canst not understand; ³⁰⁰³⁰⁰     See vol. 1, p. 131, note. Had I sent thee unto them, they would have hearkened unto thee.

7 But the house of Israel will not hear thee; Because they will not hear me; Since the whole house of Israel are hard of front and stout of heart.

8 Lo! I have made thy face hard against their faces, And thy forehead hard, against their forehead.

9 As an adamant, harder than flint, Have I made thy forehead: fear them not: Be not broken down at their presence, For they are a house of rebellion.

10 Moreover, he said to me, Son of man! All my words which I shall speak to thee, Receive in your heart and hear with your ears:

11 And go — Judea thee to the captives, to the children of thy people, And speak unto them and tell them, — Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Whether they will hear, or whether they will not.

12 Then the Spirit raised me up: and I heard behind me A voice of mighty rustling, which said, Blessed be the glory of Jehovah from his place!

13 1 heard also the sound of the wings of the living’ creatures, Each kissing that of its companion, And the noise of the wheels beside them — the sound of a mighty shaking.

14 Then the Spirit raised me, and took me away, And I set forth in bitterness and indignation of spirit, And the hand of Jehovah was strong upon me.

15 Then I came to the captives at Thel-abib, They were seated by the river Chebar: there they sat: And I also sat there seven days desolate in the midst of them.

16 Then it happened at the end of the seven days, Thai the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,

17 Son of man! I have appointed thee a watchman over the house of Israel; Hence you shalt hear words from my mouth, And shall warn them from me.

18 When I say unto the wicked, You shall surely die: And you warnest him not, and speakest not unto him; And warnest him not from his wicked way to save his life: That wicked man shall die in his iniquity; But his blood. will I require at thy hand.

19 Yet if you warn the wicked, and he turn not from his impious and evil way, He shall die in his iniquity; But you has freed your own soul.

20 If a just man shall turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity: And I put a stumbling-block before his face, he shall die: Because you has not warned him, he shall die in his sins, The righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; But his blood will I require at thy hand.

21 Then if you warn the righteous that he sin not, And he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned, You also has delivered your own soul.

22 Then the hand of Jehovah was upon me, and he said to me, Arise, go unto the plain, and there I will speak to thee.

23 Then I arose, and went to the plain, and lo! The glory of Iehovah stood there, As the glory which I had beheld by the river Chebar:

24 And I fell upon my face, and the Spirit entered into me, And placed me upon my feet, and addressed me, and said, Go — shut thyself within your house.

25 And now — son of man! — lo! they shall put chains upon thee, And shall bind thee with them, and you shall not go forth into the midst of them:

26 Then I will make thy tongue cleave to thy palate, And you shall be dumb, and be no longer a reprover to them: Because they are a house; of rebellion.

27 But when I shall speak to thee, and shall open thy mouth, You shall say unto them, Thus says the Lord Jehovah, He who hears, may hear: he who forbears, may forbear; Since they are a house of rebellion. ³⁰¹³⁰¹     See vol. 1, p. 168, note.