1 The Lord said, “Ezekiel, son of man, after you eat this scroll, go speak to the people of Israel.”
2-3 He handed me the scroll and said, “Eat this and fill up on it.” So I ate the scroll, and it tasted sweet as honey.
4 The Lord said:
Ezekiel, I am sending you to your own people. 5-6 They are Israelites, not some strangers who speak a foreign language you can't understand. If I were to send you to foreign nations, they would listen to you. 7 But the people of Israel will refuse to listen, because they have refused to listen to me. All of them are stubborn and hardheaded, 8 so I will make you as stubborn as they are. 9 You will be so determined to speak my message that nothing will stop you. I will make you hard like a diamond, and you'll have no reason to be afraid of those arrogant rebels.
10 Listen carefully to everything I say and then think about it. 11 Then go to the people who were brought here to Babylonia with you and tell them you have a message from me, the Lord God. Do this, whether they listen to you or not.
12 The Spirit lifted me up, and as the glory of the Lord started to leave, I heard a loud, thundering noise behind me. 13 It was the sound made by the creatures' wings as they brushed against each other, and by the rumble of the wheels beside them. 14 Then the Spirit carried me away.
The Lord's power had taken complete control of me, and I was both annoyed and angry.
15 When I was back with the others living at Abib Hill near the Chebar River, I sat among them for seven days, shocked at what had happened to me.
The Lord Appoints Ezekiel To Stand Watch
(Ezekiel 33.1-9)16 Seven days after I had seen the brightness of the Lord's glory, the Lord said:
17 Ezekiel, son of man, I have appointed you to stand watch for the people of Israel. So listen to what I say, then warn them for me. 18 When I tell wicked people they will die because of their sins, you must warn them to turn from their sinful ways so they won't be punished. If you refuse, you are responsible for their death. 19 However, if you do warn them, and they keep on sinning, they will die because of their sins, and you will be innocent.
20 Now suppose faithful people start sinning, and I decide to put stumbling blocks in their paths to make them fall. They deserve to die because of their sins. So if you refuse to warn them, I will forget about the times they were faithful, and I will hold you responsible for their death. 21 But if you do warn them, and they listen to you and stop sinning, I will let them live. And you will be innocent.
Ezekiel Cannot Talk
22 The Lord took control of me and said, “Stand up! Go into the valley, and I will talk with you there.”
23 I immediately went to the valley, where I saw the brightness of the Lord's glory, just as I had seen it near the Chebar River, and I bowed with my face to the ground. 24 His Spirit took control of me and lifted me to my feet. Then the Lord said:
Go back and lock yourself in your house! 25 You will be tied up to keep you inside, 26 and I will make you unable to talk or to warn those who have rebelled against me. 27 But the time will come, when I will tell you what to say, and you will again be able to speak my message. Some of them will listen; others will be stubborn and refuse to listen.
1 Tad Viņš man sacīja: „Cilvēka bērns, ēd, kas tavā priekšā, ēd šo rakstu rituļu un tad ej un sludini Israēla namam.“
2 Tad es atvēru muti, un Viņš man deva ēst rakstu rituļu
3 Un man sacīja: „Cilvēka bērns, apēd šo rakstu rituļu, ko Es tev dodu, un pildi ar to savas iekšas.“ Tad es to apēdu, un tas bija manā mutē tik salds kā medus.
4 Un Viņš man teica: „Cilvēka bērns, ej pie Israēla un sludini Israēla namam manā vārdā.
5 Es tevi nesūtu pie tautas, kam sveša valoda un nesaprotama runa, bet pie Israēla nama,
6 Nedz arī pie lielām tautām, kam sveša valoda un nesaprotama izteiksme, kupas vārdus tu nesaproti. —Taču ja Es tevi pie tām sūtītu, tās tevi uzklausītu,
7 Bet Israēla nams negrib tevi uzklausīt, tie taču neuzklausa arī Mani. Israēla namam ir bieza piere un cieta sirds.
8 Redzi, Es nocietināšu tavu vaigu līdzīgu viņu vaigam, Es došu tev cietu pieri, kas būtu līdzīga viņu pierei,
9 Kā dimantu, kas cietāks par klinti, Es darīšu tavu pieri. Nebīsties no tiem, lai tevi nebaida viņu vaigs, jo tie ir nepielaidīga cilts.“
10 Tad Viņš vēl turpināja: „Cilvēka bērns, visus vārdus, ko Es tev runāšu, uzklausies labi ar savām ausīm un ieguldi dziļi savā sirdī.
11 Un ej pie trimdiniekiem, saviem tautiešiem, runā uz tiem un saki: „Tā saka Dievs tas Kungs, vai tie tevi klausa, vai neuzklausa.“
12 Tad gara spēks pacēla mani, un es izdzirdu aiz sevis ārkārtīgi skaļu un spēcīgu troksni, kad pacēlās no savas vietas tā Kunga godība,
13 Un proti—četru dzīvo tēlu spārnu švīkstoņu, šiem spārniem savā starpā saskaroties, un ratu rīboņu, katram ritenim griežoties līdzās savam tēlam.
14 Kad Dieva gars mani pacēla un aizrāva, es gāju uz priekšu, būdams sava gara satraukumā dziļi nospiests, bet tā Kunga roka ar pārmērīgi varenu spēku turēja mani.
15 Tā es nonācu pie trimdiniekiem Tel-Abibā, kur tie dzīvoja pie Ķebara upes. Tur es sēdēju septiņas dienas garā noskumis klusībā viņu vidū.
16 Kad septiņas dienas pagāja, man atskanēja garā tā Kunga vārds, kas man sacīja:
17 „Cilvēka bērns, Es tevi esmu ielicis par sargu Israēla namam. Kad tu uztversi vārdu no manas mutes, tad tev tie jāpamāca un jābrīdina manā vārdā.
18 Kad Es saku bezdievim: Tev jāmirst! un tu to nepārnāci un nebrīdini, lai bezdievis atgrieztos no sava ļaunā ceļa un tas paliktu dzīvs, tad bezdievis gan nomirs savos grēkos, bet viņa asinis Es prasīšu no tavas rokas.
19 Bet kad tu bezdievi būsi pamācījis un viņš tomēr neatstājas no savas bezdievības un sava ļaunā ceļa, tad viņš nomirs savos grēkos, bet tu izglābsi savu dzīvību.
20 Kad taisnais nogriežas no savas taisnības un dara ļaunu un Es nostāšos pret viņu, viņš mirs. Kad tu viņu nebūsi pamācījis, viņš nomirs savos grēkos. Viņa taisnību, ko tas darījis, vairs nepieminēs. Bet viņa asinis Es prasīšu no tavas rokas.
21 Bet kad tu pamācīsi taisno negrēkot un viņš negrēkos, tad viņš paliks dzīvs, tādēļ ka pieņēma pamācību, un tu būsi izglābis savu dzīvību.“
22 Tā Kunga roka nāca tur pār mani, un Viņš man sacīja: „Celies un ej klajumā, tur Es runāšu ar tevi!“
23 Tad es cēlos un aizgāju klajumā, un tur es skatīju tā Kunga godību, kā es to redzēju pie Ķebaras upes; tad es nokritu uz sava vaiga.
24 Bet Dieva spēks nāca pār mani, un es nostājos uz savām kājām. Viņš uzrunāja mani un sacīja: „Ej un ieslēdzies savā namā!
25 Redzi, cilvēka bērns, tev uzliks važas, tu būsi saistīts un nevarēsi iziet viņu vidū.
26 Es likšu tavai mēlei pielipt pie tava žokļa, ka tu paliec mēms un nebūsi tiem vairs par pamācītāju, jo tie ir pretestības pilna un nepaklausīga cilts.
27 Bet kad Es runāšu ar tevi, Es atdarīšu tavu muti, un tu saki tiem: Tā saka Dievs tas Kungs: kas klausa, lai klausa, kas neklausa, lai neklausa, —jo tie ir pretestības pilna un nepaklausīga cilts.“
