A Watchman for Israel

At the end of seven days the word of the LORD comes and names Ezekiel a watchman for the house of Israel. He must warn the wicked when death is pronounced and also warn the righteous not to turn into sin. If he fails to speak, the unrepentant may die for their own sin, but Ezekiel will bear accountability for their blood; if he warns faithfully, he preserves his own life regardless of their response.

A¹⁶t the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ¹⁷“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me. ¹⁸If I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will hold you responsible for his blood. ¹⁹But if you warn a wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness and his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved yourself. ²⁰Now if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. If you did not warn him, he will die in his sin, and the righteous acts he did will not be remembered. And I will hold you responsible for his blood. ²¹But if you warn the righteous man not to sin, and he does not sin, he will indeed live because he heeded your warning, and you will have saved yourself.”

The LORD's hand comes on Ezekiel again and sends him to the plain, where he sees the same glory that appeared by the River Kebar and falls on his face. The Spirit sets him on his feet and tells him to shut himself inside his house, where he will be bound and his tongue made to cling to his mouth so that he is silent among a rebellious people. But when the LORD speaks to him, his mouth will be opened and he will deliver the divine word, leaving hearers to listen or refuse.

²²And there the hand of the LORD was upon me, and He said to me, “Get up, go out to the plain, and there I will speak with you.” ²³So I got up and went out to the plain, and behold, the glory of the LORD was present there, like the glory I had seen by the River Kebar, and I fell facedown. ²⁴Then the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet. He spoke with me and said, “Go, shut yourself inside your house. ²⁵And you, son of man, they will tie with ropes, and you will be bound so that you cannot go out among the people. ²⁶I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth, and you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, though they are a rebellious house. ²⁷But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you are to tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’ Whoever listens, let him listen; and whoever refuses, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house.[’’]