Chapter 3

  Moreover he said to me, Son of man, eat what thou findest; eat this roll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.  

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  So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.  

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  And he said to me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.  

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  And he said to me, Son of man, depart, go to the house of Israel, and speak with my words to them.  

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  For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of a hard language, but to the house of Israel;  

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  Not to many people of a strange speech and of a hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened to thee.  

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  But the house of Israel will not hearken to thee; for they will not hearken to me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted.  

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  Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.  

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  As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.  

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  Moreover he said to me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to thee receive in thy heart, and hear with thy ears.  

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  And depart, go to them of the captivity, to the children of thy people, and speak to them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.  

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  Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place.  

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  I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and the noise of a great rushing.  

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  So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.  

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  Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel-abib, that dwelt by the river of Kebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.  

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  And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came to me, saying,  

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  Son of man, I have made thee a watchman to the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.  

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  When I say to the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand.  

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  Yet if thou shalt warn the wicked, and he shall not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.  

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  Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thy hand.  

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  Nevertheless if thou shalt warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.  

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  And the hand of the LORD was there upon me; and he said to me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee.  

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  Then I arose, and went forth into the plain; and behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Kebar: and I fell on my face.  

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  Then the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spoke with me, and said to me, Go, shut thyself within thy house.  

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  But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them:  

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  And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they are a rebellious house.  

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  But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say to them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.  

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