12 The Spirit then lifted me up,t and I heard a loud rumbling sound behind me—bless the glory of the Lord in his place!—13 with the* sound of the living creatures’ wings brushing against each otheru and the sound of the wheels beside them,v a loud rumbling sound. 14 The Spirit lifted me up and took me away. I left in bitterness and in an angry spirit, and the Lord’s hand was on me powerfully.w 15 I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, who were living by the Chebar Canal, and I sat there among them stunned for seven days.x

EZEKIEL AS A WATCHMAN

16 Now at the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me:y 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the house of Israel.z When you hear a word from my mouth, give them a warning from me.aa 18 If I say to the wicked person,ab ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him—you don’t speak out to warn him about his wicked way in order to save his life—that wicked person will die for his iniquity. Yet I will hold you responsible for his blood. 19 But if you warn a wicked person and he does not turn from his wickedness or his wicked way, he will die for his iniquity, but you will have rescued yourself.ac 20 Now if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and acts unjustly,ad and I put a stumbling block in front of him, he will die.ae If you did not warn him, he will die because of his sin, and the righteous acts he did will not be remembered. Yet I will hold you responsible for his blood. 21 But if you warn the righteous person that he should not sin, and he does not sin, he will indeed live because he listened to your warning, and you will have rescued yourself.”

22 The hand of the Lord was on me there, and he said to me, “Get up, go out to the plain,a and I will speak with you there.”b 23 So I got up and went out to the plain. The Lord’s glory was present there,c like the glory I had seen by the Chebar Canal,d and I fell facedown. 24 The Spirit entered me and set me on my feet.e He spoke with me and said, “Go, shut yourself inside your house. 25 As for you, son of man, they will put ropes on youf and bind you with them so you cannot go out among them. 26 I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth,g and you will be muteh and unable to be a mediator forA them, for they are a rebellious house. 27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth,i and you will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says.’ Let the one who listens, listen, and let the one who refuses, refuse—for they are a rebellious house.