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.
Ecehiēla uzdevums
1 Viņš man sacīja: “Cilvēka dēls, ēd, kas tev likts priekšā, apēd šo rakstu rulli un ej, runā uz Israēla namu.” 2 Es atvēru muti, un viņš man deva ēst rakstu rulli. 3 Viņš man teica: “Cilvēka dēls, ēd, piepildi vēderu ar šo rulli, ko es tev dodu.” Kad es ēdu, tas man mutē bija salds kā medus.
4 Viņš man sacīja: “Cilvēka dēls, ej, dodies pie Israēla nama un runā tiem manā vārdā, 5 jo tevi nesūta pie ļaudīm ar svešu runu un grūtu valodu, bet pie Israēla – 6 ne pie citām tautām, kam sveša runa un grūta valoda, kuru tu nesaproti. Tiešām, ja es tevi sūtītu pie tādiem, tie tevi klausītu! 7 Bet Israēls tevi negribēs klausīt, jo viņi nav gribējuši mani klausīt, jo viss Israēls ir cietpauri ar ietiepīgu sirdi. 8 Redzi, es tevi darīšu cietāku par tiem – tava piere būs cietāka nekā viņiem – 9 dimantcietu kā kramu es padarīšu tavu pieri! Nebaidies un nepakļaujies tiem, jo tie ir dumpīga saime!”
10 Viņš man sacīja: “Cilvēka dēls, paturi prātā un klausies uzmanīgi visu, ko es tev teikšu! 11 Ej, dodies pie izsūtītajiem, pie savas tautas, runā ar tiem un saki: tā saka Kungs Dievs! Vienalga, vai tie klausa vai neklausa.”
Pie Kebaras upes
12 Gars pacēla mani, aizmugurē es dzirdēju lielu dārdoņu – tā tika slavēta Kunga godība vietā, kur tā atradās, – 13 būtņu spārnu švīkstoņa, tiem saskaroties, riteņu rīboņa un lieli dārdi. 14 Gars mani pacēla un aiznesa prom. Man kļuva rūgti mana gara dedzībā, bet ar mani bija stipra Kunga roka. 15 Es nonācu pie izsūtītajiem, kas dzīvoja Tēl-Abībā, pie Kebaras upes, kur tie bija apmetušies. Es pie viņiem paliku septiņas dienas.
16 Septītās dienas beigās Kunga vārds nāca pār mani: 17 “Cilvēka dēls, es tevi ieceļu par sargu Israēla namam! Klausies vārdu, ko es saku, pamāci viņus manā vārdā! 18 Ja es saku par ļaundari – tik tiešām tu mirsi! – bet tu viņu nepamāci, nerunā ar viņu, pamācīdams ļaundari novērsties no grēcīgā ceļa viņa dzīvības labad, jo tad šis ļaundaris mirs savas vainas dēļ, bet viņa asinis es atprasīšu no tevis! 19 Ja tu ļaundari pamācīsi, bet viņš nenovērsīsies no sava ļaunā ceļa, tad viņš mirs savas vainas dēļ, bet tu būsi glābis savu dzīvību!
20 Un, ja taisnais novērsīsies no taisnības un darīs netaisnību, es viņam nolikšu klupšanas akmeni, un viņš mirs, jo tu viņu nepamācīji – viņš mirs savu grēku dēļ, un netiks pieminēti viņa taisnie darbi, bet no tevis es atprasīšu viņa asinis! 21 Ja tu taisno pamācīsi, lai taisnais negrēko, un viņš negrēkos, tad viņš paliks dzīvs, jo būs mācījies, un tu būsi glābis savu dzīvību!”
Ecehiēls saistīts un mēms
22 Kungs bija ar mani, un viņš man teica: “Celies, ej uz ieleju, un tur es runāšu ar tevi!” 23 Es cēlos un gāju uz ieleju. Redzi, tur bija Kunga godība – tāda pati godība, kādu es redzēju pie Kebaras upes, un es kritu uz sava vaiga, 24 bet gars ienāca manī un piecēla mani kājās. Viņš runāja ar mani un teica: “Ej, ieslēdzies savā namā! 25 Cilvēka dēls, redzi, tie tevi saistīs virvēm, un tu nevarēsi iet pie tiem. 26 Un tavu mēli es pielipināšu aukslējām, ka tu būsi mēms. Tu nebūsi ar tiem, lai katrs lemj pats, jo tie ir dumpīga saime. 27 Un, kad es ar tevi runāšu, es atvēršu tavu muti, un tu tiem teiksi: tā saka Kungs Dievs – kas klausa, lai klausa, un, kas neklausa, lai neklausa, jo tie ir dumpīga saime!”
