Ezekiel 3:16–27

Ezekiel is a Watchman

16 Now it ocame to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 17 p“Son of man, I have made you qa watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them rwarning from Me: 18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man sshall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; tbut you have delivered your soul.

20 “Again, when a urighteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. 21 Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.”

22 vThen the hand of the Lord was upon me there, and He said to me, “Arise, go out winto the plain, and there I shall talk with you.”

23 So I arose and went out into the plain, and behold, xthe glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory which I ysaw by the River Chebar; zand I fell on my face. 24 Then athe Spirit entered me and set me on my feet, and spoke with me and said to me: “Go, shut yourself inside your house. 25 And you, O son of man, surely bthey will put ropes on you and bind you with them, so that you cannot go out among them. 26 cI will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and dnot be 3one to rebuke them, efor they are a rebellious house. 27 fBut when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, g‘Thus says the Lord God.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.