Chapter 3

Against a stubborn people, to whom he must preach, ℣.8 the Prophet is strengthened, ℣.12 by increase of spirit: ℣.17 charged to execute his office. ℣.12 But first to be silent for a time.

1. 1

   And he said to me: Son of man, whatsoever thou shalt find going speak to the children of Israel. , eat: eat this volume, and

2. 2

   And I opened my mouth, and he fed me with that volume:

3. 3

   and he said to me: Son of man thy belly shall eat, and thy bowels shall be filled with this volume, which I give thee. And I did eat it: and it was made in my mouth sweet as honey.

4. 4

   And he said to me: Son of man go to the house of Israel, and thou shalt speak my words to them.

5. 5

   For not to a people of profound speech, and of an unknown tongue art thou sent, to the house of Israel.

6. 6

   Neither to many peoples of profound speech, and of an unknown tongue, whose words thou canst not hear: and if thou were sent to them, they would hear thee.

7. 7

   But the house of Israel will not hear thee: because they will not hear me. For all the house of Israel is of a shameless forehead, & hard hearted.

8. 8

   Behold I have made thy face stronger than their faces, and thy forehead harder than their foreheads.

9. 9

   As the adamant, & as the flint stone have I made thy face: fear them not, neither be afraid of their face: because it is an exasperating house.

10. 10

    And he said to me: Son of man, all my words which I speak to thee, take in thy heart, & hear with thine ears:

11. 11

    And go, enter into the transmigration, to the children of thy people, and thou shalt speak to them, and shalt say to them: Thus saith our Lord God: if perhaps they will hear, and be quiet.

12. 12

    And the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great commotion: Blessed be the glory of our Lord from his place,

13. 13

    and the voice of the wings of living creatures striking one against an other, & the voice of wheels following the living creatures, & the voice of a great commotion.

14. 14

    The spirit also lifted me, & took me up: & I went away bitter in the indignation of my spirit: for the hand of our Lord was with me, strengthening me.

15. 15

    And I came to the transmigration, to the heap of new corn, to them that dwelt by the river Chobar, & I sat where they sat: & I tarried there seven days mourning in the midst of them.

16. 16

    And when seven days were passed, the word of our Lord was made to me, saying:

17. 17

    Son of man, a watchman to the house of Israel have I given thee: & thou shalt hear the word out of my mouth, & shalt tell it them from me.

18. 18

    If when I say to the impious: Dying thou shalt die: thou tell him not, nor speak that he may be turned away from his impious way, and live: the same impious man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at thy hand.

19. 19

    But if thou denounce to the impious, and he be not converted from his impiety, and from his impious way: he verily shall die in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul.

20. 20

    Yea & if the just shall be turned from his justice, & shall do iniquity: I will lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not told him, he shall die in his sin, & his justices which he hath done shall not be in memory: but his blood I will require at thy hand.

21. 21

    But if thou warn the just that the just sin not, and he do not sin: living he shall live, because thou hast warned him, & thou hast delivered thy soul.

22. 22

    And the hand of our Lord was made upon me, and he said to me: Rising go out into the field, and there I will speak with thee.

23. 23

    And rising I went out into the field: and behold the glory of our Lord stood there as it were the glory, which I saw by the river Chobar: & I fell on my face:

24. 24

    And the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet: and he spake to me, and said to me: Go in, and be shut up in the midst of thy house.

25. 25

    And thou son of man, behold bands are given upon thee, and they shall bind thee in them: and thou shalt not go forth from the midst of them.

26. 26

    And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, and thou shalt be dumb, not as a man controlling: because it is an exasperating house.

27. 27

    But when I shall speak to thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say to them: Thus saith our Lord God: He that heareth, let him hear: & he that is quiet, let him be quiet, because it is an exasperating house.