Ezekiel 3

1 “Son of man [human, descendant of Adam],” He said to me, “eat [consume, devour] what you find [discover, come across] here. Eat [take in, ingest] this scroll [book, written message], then go [walk, proceed] and speak [declare, proclaim] to the house [family, nation] of Israel [God’s chosen people, descendants of Jacob].” word study 2 So I opened [to engrave or carve, as with intricate carvings] my mouth [my lips, the edge of my being], and He fed [caused me to eat, gave to me as food] me the scroll [a rolled-up book, containing prophetic words] [this specific roll, the one given to me]. word study 3 “Son of man [human, mortal, a son of Adam],” He said to me, “eat [consume, devour] and fill [satisfy, complete] your stomach [belly, inner being] with this scroll [book, written message] I am giving [offering, providing] you.” So I ate [consumed, took in], and it was as sweet [pleasant, delightful] as honey [a sweet and valuable food] in my mouth [lips, the entrance to the soul]. word study 4 Then He said to me, “Son of man [human, descendant of Adam], go now [depart, enter in] to the house [dwelling place, family] of Israel [Jacob’s descendants, God’s chosen people] and speak [declare, communicate] My words [message, teachings] to them [toward, unto]. word study 5 For you [as a prophet] are not being sent to a people of unfamiliar [strange, unknown] speech or difficult [hard, heavy] language, but to the house [family, descendants] of Israel [God’s chosen people, Jacob’s descendants]— word study 6 not to the many [numerous, several] peoples of unfamiliar [strange, unknown] speech and difficult [hard, heavy] language whose words you cannot [are unable to] understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they [those people, they themselves] would have listened [hearkened, given ear] to you. word study 7 But the house [dwelling place, family] of Israel [descendants of Jacob] will be unwilling [refuse, not consent] to listen [hear and obey] to you, since they are unwilling [refuse, not consent] to listen [hear and obey] to Me. For the whole [all, everything] house of Israel is hard-headed [strong, stubborn, impudent] and hard-hearted [severe, unyielding, stiff-hearted]. word study 8 Behold [look, see], I will make your face [presence, person] as hard [strong, severe] as their faces, and your forehead [the prominent part of the face] as hard [strong, unyielding] as their foreheads. word study 9 I will make your forehead [as an adamant] like a diamond, harder than flint [a sharp stone]. Do not be afraid [fear them not, do not revere] of them or dismayed [completely broken, shattered] at their presence [face, before them], even though they are a rebellious [bitter, against authority] house [dwelling place, family].” word study 10 “Son of man [human, descendant of Adam],” He added, “listen carefully [pay close attention, hear with your ears] to all [every, everything] the words [messages, teachings] I speak [communicate, declare] to you, and take them [receive, accept] to heart [your innermost being, mind and emotions]. word study 11 Go to your people [those who have been taken away as prisoners, in exile], the exiles [captivity, a group of people taken away from their homeland]; speak to them [communicate, share a message] and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord [Adonay, a title of reverence and respect] GOD [Yehovah, the self-existent and eternal God] says,’ whether they listen [hear and obey, give attention] or refuse to listen [do not hear, disobey].” word study 12 Then the Spirit [breath of life, divine wind] lifted me up, and I heard a great [large, mighty] rumbling sound [quaking, shaking] behind me: ‘Blessed [praised, honored] be the glory [honor, splendor] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] in His dwelling place [residence, holy location]!’ word study 13 It was the sound [noise, voice] of the wings [edges, extremities] of the living creatures [beings, alive] brushing [touching, kissing] against one another and the sound [noise, voice] of the wheels [circular objects, chariot wheels] beside them, a great [large, immense] rumbling [quaking, shaking] sound [voice, noise]. word study 14 So the Spirit [breath of life, divine wind] lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness [emotional pain, discontent] and in the anger [intense rage, burning fire] of my spirit, with the strong [powerful, courageous] hand of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] upon me. word study 15 I came [arrived, to the place of exile] to the exiles [those taken captive, led away as prisoners] at Tel-abib [the mound of freshness, a place in Babylon] who dwelt [sat, remained, lived] by the River [a flood] Kebar [also known as Chebar, a river in Mesopotamia]. And for seven days I sat [remained, dwelt] where they [the exiles, the people of Israel] sat [lived, remained] and remained [stayed, abided] there [in that place] among them [in their midst, surrounded by the people], overwhelmed [desolate, devastated, astonished]. word study 16 At the end [of a complete period, after a full cycle] of seven days [a period of twenty-four hours, a day of rest or reckoning] the word [a message, a declaration] of the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] came to me [was directed towards me], saying [to speak, to communicate], word study 17 “Son of man [human, a watchman], I have made you a watchman [to observe and warn] for the house [family, descendants] of Israel [God’s chosen people]. Whenever you hear [listen and obey] a word [message, instruction] from My mouth [lips, voice], give them a warning [caution, admonition] from Me [on My behalf]. word study 18 If I say to the wicked man [morally wrong, guilty of sin], ‘You will surely die [face eternal separation, perish],’ but you do not warn him [caution, admonish] or speak out to warn him from his wicked way [path of sin, evil behavior] to save his life [preserve his soul, have eternal life], that wicked man will die [succumb to spiritual death, be lost] in his iniquity [moral evil, sin], and I will hold you responsible [accountable, liable] for his blood [the value of his life, his very existence]. word study 19 But if you [as a watchman, a messenger of God] warn a wicked man [morally wrong, guilty of sin] and he does not turn [repent, change direction] from his wickedness [immoral actions, sin] and his wicked way [path of evil, unrighteousness], he will die [perish, suffer spiritual death] in his iniquity [moral evil, sin], but you will have saved [rescued, delivered] yourself [your soul, your life]. word study 20 Now if a righteous man [one who is just, upright] turns from his righteousness [moral integrity, virtuous character] and commits iniquity [sin, wickedness], and I put a stumbling block [obstacle, hindrance] before him, he will die [perish, come to an end]. If you did not warn him [caution, admonish], he will die in his sin [guilt, transgression], and the righteous acts [just, virtuous deeds] he did will not be remembered [recalled, brought to mind]. And I will hold you responsible [accountable, liable] for his blood [life, soul]. word study 21 But if you warn [admonish, instruct] the righteous man [just, upright, one who is in right standing with God] not to sin [miss the mark, go wrong], and he does not sin [commit wrongdoing, fall short], he will indeed live [have life, be revived] because he heeded [paid attention to, took warning from] your warning [caution, enlightenment], and you will have saved [rescued, delivered] yourself [your soul, your inner being].” word study 22 And there [in that place, at that time] the hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] was upon me, and He said to me, “Get up [rise, stand up], go out [come out, depart] to the plain [valley, low area of land], and there [in that location] I will speak [communicate, talk] with you [to you, towards you].” word study 23 So I got up [arose, stood up] and went out [to come out, depart] to the plain [valley, low area], and behold [look, see], the glory [great honor, splendor] of the LORD [Yehovah, God] was present [standing, existing] there, like [similar to, as] the glory [majesty, honor] I had seen [looked upon, perceived] by the River [stream, watercourse] Kebar [Chebar, a river in Mesopotamia], and I fell [prostrated, bowed down] facedown [on my face, in reverence]. word study 24 Then the Spirit [the divine breath] entered me and set me on my feet [upright, enabled to stand]. He spoke with me and said, “Go [come, approach], shut yourself inside your house [in the midst, within your dwelling place]. word study 25 And you [O son of man, behold], son of man [a human, a descendant of Adam], they will tie with ropes [thick bands, cords], and you will be bound [tied, restricted] so that you cannot go out [come out, depart] among the people [in their midst, among them]. word study 26 I will make your tongue [to cleave, stick firmly] stick to the roof of your mouth [palate, the upper part of the mouth], and you will be silent [dumb, unable to speak] and unable to rebuke [correct, reprove] them, though they are a rebellious [uncontrolled, bitter] house [family, community, dwelling place]. word study 27 But when I speak [communicate, utter words] with you, I will open [enabling, setting free] your mouth, and you are to tell them, ‘This is what the Lord [Adonay, Master] GOD [Yehovah] says.’ Whoever listens [hears and obeys], let him listen; and whoever refuses [rejects, turns away], let him refuse, for they are a rebellious [disobedient, unyielding] house [family, community]. word study