וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי בֶּן־אָדָם אֵת אֲשֶׁר־תִּמְצָא אֱכוֹל אֱכוֹל אֶת־הַמְּגִלָּה הַזֹּאת וְלֵךְ דַּבֵּר אֶל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל

He said to me: Son of man, eat all that which you find in the hand; eat this scroll, and then go speak to the house of Israel.

וָאֶפְתַּח אֶת־פִּי וַיַּאֲכִלֵנִי אֵת הַמְּגִלָּה הַזֹּאת

I opened my mouth, and He fed me that scroll.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי בֶּן־אָדָם בִּטְנְךָ תַאֲכֵל וּמֵעֶיךָ תְמַלֵּא אֵת הַמְּגִלָּה הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן אֵלֶיךָ וָאֹכְלָה וַתְּהִי בְּפִי כִּדְבַשׁ לְמָתוֹק

He said to me: Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your innards with this scroll that I am giving to you. I ate it, and it was in my mouth like honey for sweetness. Although the contents of the scroll were grim, it tasted to Ezekiel like honey. Ezekiel understood that it is incumbent upon the prophet to stand willingly and wholeheartedly and deliver his message to the people, and he was prepared to do so.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָי בֶּן־אָדָם לֶךְ־בֹּא אֶל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וְדִבַּרְתָּ בִדְבָרַי אֲלֵיהֶם

After consuming the scroll, He said to me: Son of man, go, come to the house of Israel, and speak to them with My words, convey My words to them, or, alternatively, speak in My language.

כִּי לֹא אֶל־עַם עִמְקֵי שָׂפָה וְכִבְדֵי לָשׁוֹן אַתָּה שָׁלוּחַ אֶל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל

For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech and of cumbrous tongue, in which case your language would be foreign to them, but to the house of Israel, and you can understand one another. Your difficulties will not be due to a language barrier.

לֹא אֶל־עַמִּים רַבִּים עִמְקֵי שָׂפָה וְכִבְדֵי לָשׁוֹן אֲשֶׁר לֹא־תִשְׁמַע דִּבְרֵיהֶם אִם־לֹא אֲלֵיהֶם שְׁלַחְתִּיךָ הֵמָּה יִשְׁמְעוּ אֵלֶיךָ

I am not sending you to many peoples of unintelligible speech and of cumbrous tongue, whose words you would not understand. Had I sent you to them, they would have heeded you.

ובֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יֹאבוּ לִשְׁמֹעַ אֵלֶיךָ כִּי־אֵינָם אֹבִים לִשְׁמֹעַ אֵלָי כִּי כָּל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל חִזְקֵי־מֵצַח וּקְשֵׁי־לֵב הֵמָּה

But the house of Israel will be unwilling to heed you, not because of some flaw on your part, but just as they are unwilling to heed Me. Your ability to speak in their language will be of no help, for the entire house of Israel is stubborn-browed and hard-hearted.

הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי אֶת־פָּנֶיךָ חֲזָקִים לְעֻמַּת פְּנֵיהֶם וְאֶת־מִצְחֲךָ חָזָק לְעֻמַּת מִצְחָם

Behold, I have set your face strong against their face and your brow stubborn against their brow. I will give you the strength to withstand their rebukes, their quarrels, and their problems.

כְּשָׁמִיר חָזָק מצֹּר נָתַתִּי מִצְחֶךָ לֹא־תִירָא אוֹתָם וְלֹא־תֵחַת מִפְּנֵיהֶם כִּי בֵּית מְרִי הֵמָּה

Like crystal, a hard material, or a mysterious creature of some kind that can break and engrave stones, and even cut them, stronger than flint I have set your brow; do not fear them, and do not be dismayed because of them, as they are a house of defiance. They are a rebellious people, and they are unworthy of respect or fear; nevertheless, you will be provided with all the necessary strength to face them.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָי בֶּן־אָדָם אֶת־כָּל־דְּבָרַי אֲשֶׁר אֲדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ קַח בִּלְבָבְךָ וּבְאָזְנֶיךָ שְּׁמָע

He said to me: Son of man, take all My words that I will speak to you into your heart, and heed with your ears. Pay close attention.

וְלֵךְ בֹּא אֶל הַגּוֹלָה אֶל־בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים אִם־יִשְׁמְעוּ וְאִם־יֶחְדָּלוּ

Go, come to the exiles, to the members of your people, and speak to them, and say to them, over and over again: So said the Lord God. Whether they will heed or whether they will refrain, your task is to state My words with the hope that they will listen, but their obedience is not your responsibility. Even if they will accept that you are a prophet, they remain very stubborn.

וַתִּשָּׂאֵנִי רוּחַ וָאֶשְׁמַע אַחֲרַי קוֹל רַעַשׁ גָּדוֹל בָּרוּךְ כְּבוֹד־ה' מִמְּקוֹמוֹ

A wind lifted me, and I heard behind me the sound of a great noise, saying: Blessed is the glory of the Lord from His place,

וְקוֹל כַּנְפֵי הַחַיּוֹת מַשִּׁיקוֹת אִשָּׁה אֶל־אֲחוֹתָהּ וְקוֹל הָאוֹפַנִּים לְעֻמָּתָם וקוֹל רַעַשׁ גָּדוֹל

and the sound of the wings of the creatures touching one against the other, and the sound of the wheels parallel to them, the creatures, and all this created the sound of a great noise. Not only was I lifted by the wind, but it was apparent from the clapping wings and the moving wheels that the divine chariot was moving as well.

וְרוּחַ נְשָׂאַתְנִי וַתִּקָּחֵנִי וָאֵלֵךְ מַר בַּחֲמַת רוּחִי וְיַד־ה' עָלַי חָזָקָה

A wind lifted me and took me, and in sharp contrast to the sweetness I experienced during the prophecy, I went in bitterness, in the fury of my spirit, with profound excitement, and the hand of the Lord was strong upon me. I no longer acted of my own will; God was directing me.

וָאָבוֹא אֶל הַגּוֹלָה תֵּל אָבִיב הַיּשְׁבִים אֶל־נְהַר־כְּבָר וָאֵשֵׁב הֵמָּה יוֹשְׁבִים שָׁם וָאֵשֵׁב שָׁם שִׁבְעַת יָמִים מַשְׁמִים בְּתוֹכָם

I came to the exiles at Tel Aviv, who dwelled by the Kevar River, and I dwelled where they were dwelling, and I sat there seven days among them, silent and stunned.

וַיְהִי מִקְצֵה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים וַיְהִי דְבַר־ה' אֵלַי לֵאמֹר

It was at the end of seven days of waiting in silence that the word of the Lord was with me, saying:

בֶּן־אָדָם צֹפֶה נְתַתִּיךָ לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל וְשָׁמַעְתָּ מִפִּי דָּבָר וְהִזְהַרְתָּ אוֹתָם מִמֶּנִּי

Son of man, I have appointed you as a sentinel for the house of Israel, and you will hear a word from My mouth, and you will warn them from Me, by My authority.

בְּאָמְרִי לָרָשָׁע מוֹת תָּמוּת וְלֹא הִזְהַרְתּוֹ וְלֹא דִבַּרְתָּ לְהַזְהִיר רָשָׁע מִדַּרְכּוֹ הָרְשָׁעָה לְחַיֹּתוֹ הוּא רָשָׁע בַּעֲוֹנוֹ יָמוּת וְדָמוֹ מִיָּדְךָ אֲבַקֵּשׁ

When I say to the wicked person: You shall die in your wickedness, and if you, Ezekiel, whom I have appointed as sentinel, did not warn him, and you did not speak to warn the wicked person about his wicked way, to preserve his life, he is wicked, he will die due to his iniquity, and his blood I will seek from your hand. You will be held responsible for his death.

וְאַתָּה כִּי הִזְהַרְתָּ רָשָׁע וְלֹא־שָׁב מֵרִשְׁעוֹ וּמִדַּרְכּוֹ הָרְשָׁעָה הוּא בַּעֲוֹנוֹ יָמוּת וְאַתָּה אֶת־נַפְשְׁךָ הִצַּלְתָּ

But you, if you warned the wicked person, and he did not turn back from his wickedness and his wicked way, he will die due to his iniquity, but you will have saved your life. As the sentinel, it is your responsibility to warn the wicked person, but you do not control his response.

וּבְשׁוּב צַדִּיק מִצִּדְקוֹ וְעָשָׂה עָוֶל וְנָתַתִּי מִכְשׁוֹל לְפָנָיו הוּא יָמוּת כִּי לֹא הִזְהַרְתּוֹ בְּחַטָּאתוֹ יָמוּת וְלֹא תִזָּכַרְןָ צִדְקֹתָו אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה דָמוֹ מִיָּדְךָ אֲבַקֵּשׁ

When a righteous person regrets his path and turns back from his righteousness and performs injustice, I will place an obstacle before him, and he will stumble over his iniquity, and he will die. If you did not warn him and he did not repent, he will die because of his sin, and his righteousness that he had performed will not be remembered to spare him from punishment. This principle is repeated several times throughout the book of Ezekiel: It is one’s conduct in the present that ultimately decides the person’s fate, and each individual bears responsibility for his own actions. Granted, one’s past, the merit of one’s ancestors, or societal influences are all given weight, but they do not exempt one from personal responsibility, for better or for worse (see 9:4–6, 14:13–20). If a righteous person turns from his righteousness, he will be held accountable. And if you did not warn him, then his blood I will seek from your hand.

וְאַתָּה כִּי הִזְהַרְתּוֹ צַדִּיק לְבִלְתִּי חֲטֹא צַדִּיק וְהוּא לֹא־חָטָא חָיוֹ יִחְיֶה כִּי נִזְהָר וְאַתָּה אֶת־נַפְשְׁךָ הִצַּלְתָּ

But you, if you warned him, the righteous person, that the righteous not sin, and as befitting a righteous individual, he listened and did not sin, he will live, because he took warning, and you will have saved your life.

וַתְּהִי עָלַי שָׁם יַד־ה' וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי קוּם צֵא אֶל־הַבִּקְעָה וְשָׁם אֲדַבֵּר אוֹתָךְ

The hand of the Lord, the spirit of prophecy, was upon me there, in Tel Aviv, and He said to me: Arise, go out from the settled area to the plain, a broad expanse in Babylonia, itself an especially flat land, and there I will speak to you.

וָאָקוּם וָאֵצֵא אֶל־הַבִּקְעָה וְהִנֵּה־שָׁם כְּבוֹד־ה' עֹמֵד כַּכָּבוֹד אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי עַל־נְהַר־כְּבָר וָאֶפֹּל עַל־פָּנָי

I arose and went out to the plain, and behold, the glory of the Lord was already standing there like the glory of the chariot that I saw by the Kevar River, and I fell upon my face.

וַתָּבֹא־בִי רוּחַ וַתַּעֲמִדֵנִי עַל־רַגְלָי וַיְדַבֵּר אֹתִי וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי בֹּא הִסָּגֵר בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתֶךָ

A spirit came into me and stood me on my feet, and He spoke to me and said to me: Come, shut yourself inside your house.

וְאַתָּה בֶן־אָדָם הִנֵּה נָתְנוּ עָלֶיךָ עֲבוֹתִים וַאֲסָרוּךָ בָּהֶם וְלֹא תֵצֵא בְּתוֹכָם

You, Son of man, behold, it is as though they have placed thick ropes upon you and bound you with them. You are to be isolated and constricted, and you shall not go out among them, the exiles. From this point forward, you are no longer a social person.

וּלְשׁוֹנְךָ אַדְבִּיק אֶל־חִכֶּךָ וְנֶאֱלַמְתָּ וְלֹא־תִהְיֶה לָהֶם לְאִישׁ מוֹכִיחַ כִּי בֵּית מְרִי הֵמָּה

I will cleave your tongue to your palate and you will be mute, and you will not be a man of rebuke for them, as they are a house of defiance.

וּבְדַבְּרִי אוֹתְךָ אֶפְתַּח אֶת־פִּיךָ וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים הַשֹּׁמֵעַ יִשְׁמָע וְהֶחָדֵל יֶחְדָּל כִּי בֵּית מְרִי הֵמָּה

But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth. When the time arrives, I will grant you permission, or the ability, to speak, and you shall say to them, verbatim, the words of My prophecy: So said the Lord God. Indeed, Ezekiel’s mouth was opened only after the tidings of the destruction of the Temple reached Babylonia (24:27). God reiterates for the third time: He who heeds will heed, and he who refrains will refrain, as they are a house of defiance.