Ezekiel 3:14–22

¹⁴The power of the Lord came on me with great force, and as his spirit carried me off, I felt bitter and angry. ¹⁵So I came to Tel Abib beside the River Chebar, where the exiles were living, and for seven days I stayed there, overcome by what I had seen and heard.

The Appoints Ezekiel as a Watchman

¹⁶After the seven days had passed, the Lord spoke to me. ¹⁷“Mortal man,” he said, “I am making you a watchman for the nation of Israel. You will pass on to them the warnings I give you. ¹⁸If I announce that an evil person is going to die but you do not warn him to change his ways so that he can save his life, he will die, still a sinner, and I will hold you responsible for his death. ¹⁹If you do warn an evil man and he doesn’t stop sinning, he will die, still a sinner, but your life will be spared.

²⁰“If a truly good person starts doing evil and I put him in a dangerous situation, he will die if you do not warn him. He will die because of his sins—I will not remember the good he did—and I will hold you responsible for his death. ²¹If you do warn a good man not to sin and he listens to you and doesn’t sin, he will stay alive, and your life will also be spared.”

Ezekiel Will Be Unable to Talk

²²I felt the powerful presence of the Lord and heard him say to me, “Get up and go out into the valley. I will talk to you there.”