Ezekiel 3; Ezekiel 4; Hebrews 11:20-40

1 The LORD said to me, "Son of man, eat what you find. Eat this scroll. Then speak to the people of Israel."

2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.

3 He said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I'm giving you, and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

4 He said to me, "Son of man, go to the people of Israel, and speak my words to them.

5 I am not sending you to people whose language is hard to understand or difficult to speak. I am sending you to Israel.

6 I am not sending you to nations whose language is hard to understand, difficult to speak, or whose words you cannot understand. If I send you to those nations, they will certainly listen to you.

7 But the people of Israel will refuse to listen to you because they refuse to listen to me. All the people of Israel are very stubborn and hardheaded.

8 Yet, I will make you as stubborn and as hardheaded as they are.

9 I will make you as hard as a diamond, harder than stone. Don't be afraid of them. Don't be terrified in their presence, even though they are rebellious people."

10 He also said to me, "Son of man, take to heart everything I have spoken to you, and listen closely.

11 Go to the exiles, to your people. Whether they listen or not, tell them, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says.'"

12 Then the Spirit lifted me, and behind me I heard a loud thundering voice say, "Blessed is the LORD's glory, which left this place."

13 I also heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures touching one another and the noise of the wheels beside them as well as a loud rumbling.

14 Then the Spirit lifted me and took me away. I went away feeling bitter and angry. The strong power of the LORD came over me.

15 I went to Tel Abib, to the exiles who lived by the Chebar River. I sat there among them for seven days. I was stunned.

16 After seven days the LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

17 "Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the people of Israel. Listen to what I say, and warn them for me.

18 Suppose I tell you that wicked people will surely die, but you don't warn them or speak out so that they can change their wicked ways in order to save their lives. Then these wicked people will die because of their sin, but I will hold you responsible for their deaths.

19 But suppose you warn the wicked people, and they don't turn from their wicked ways. Then they will die because of their sin, but you will save yourself.

20 If righteous people turn from living the right way and do wrong, I will make them stumble, and they will die. If you don't warn them, they will die because of their sin, and the right things they did will not be remembered. I will hold you responsible for their deaths.

21 But if you warn righteous people not to sin, and they don't sin, they will certainly live because they listened to the warning. You will save yourself."

22 The power of the LORD came over me. He said, "Get up, and go to the plain. I will speak to you there."

23 I got up and went to the plain. The LORD's glory was standing there like the glory I saw by the Chebar River, and I immediately bowed down.

24 Then the Spirit entered me and stood me on my feet. He talked to me. He said, "Go into your home, and shut yourself inside.

25 People will tie you up with ropes, son of man, so that you can't go outside.

26 I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you can't talk or criticize them, even though they are rebellious people.

27 But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth. You will tell them, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says.' Some will listen, and some will refuse to listen. They are rebellious people."

1 [The LORD said,] "Son of man, take clay, put it in front of you, and draw a map of Jerusalem on it.

2 Set up a blockade against it, build attack walls around it, put up dirt ramps around it, have troops ready to attack it, and place battering rams all around it.

3 Then take an iron pan, and set it up as a wall between you and the city. Turn your face toward the city as if you were going to attack it, and then attack it. This is a sign for the people of Israel.

4 "Then lie on your left side and take the punishment of the nation of Israel yourself. You will bear its punishment as many days as you lie on that side.

5 I have assigned to you one day for each year its punishment will last. So for 390 days, you will bear the punishment for the sins of the nation of Israel.

6 When you finish this, you will lie down again, this time on your right side. You will bear the punishment for the sins of the nation of Judah for 40 days, one day for each year I have assigned to you.

7 Turn your face toward the blockaded Jerusalem. Shake your fist and prophesy against it.

8 I will tie you up with ropes so that you will not be able to turn from one side to the other until you have finished attacking [Jerusalem].

9 "Then take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and winter wheat. Put them in a container, and use them to make bread for yourself. Eat it during the 390 days that you are lying on your side.

10 The food that you eat should be weighed. Eat eight ounces of food every day at set times.

11 Measure out two-thirds of a quart of water, and drink it at set times.

12 Eat the bread as you would eat barley loaves. Bake the bread in front of people, using human excrement for fuel."

13 Then the LORD said, "In the same way, the people of Israel will eat unclean bread among the nations where I scatter them."

14 I answered, "Almighty LORD, I have never dishonored myself. From the time I was young until now, I have never eaten an animal that died by itself or was killed by other wild animals. No unclean meat has ever entered my mouth."

15 He said to me, "I will let you use cow manure in place of human excrement. Bake your bread over it."

16 He also said to me, "Son of man, I am going to cut off the bread supply in Jerusalem. People will anxiously eat rationed bread and fearfully drink rationed water.

17 They will be shocked at the sight of each other because of the lack of food and water. They will waste away because of their sin."

20 Faith led Isaac to bless Jacob and Esau.

21 While Jacob was dying, faith led him to bless each of Joseph's sons. He leaned on the top of his staff and worshiped God.

22 While Joseph was dying, faith led him to speak about the Israelites leaving Egypt and give them instructions about burying his bones.

23 Faith led Moses' parents to hide him for three months after he was born. They did this because they saw that Moses was a beautiful baby and they were not afraid to disobey the king's order.

24 When Moses grew up, faith led him to refuse to be known as a son of Pharaoh's daughter.

25 He chose to suffer with God's people rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a little while.

26 He thought that being insulted for Christ would be better than having the treasures of Egypt. He was looking ahead to his reward.

27 Faith led Moses to leave Egypt without being afraid of the king's anger. Moses didn't give up but continued as if he could actually see the invisible God.

28 Faith led Moses to establish the Passover and spread the blood [on the doorposts] so that the destroying angel would not kill the firstborn sons.

29 Faith caused the people to go through the Red Sea as if it were dry land. The Egyptians also tried this, but they drowned.

30 Faith caused the walls of Jericho to fall after the Israelites marched around them for seven days.

31 Faith led the prostitute Rahab to welcome the spies as friends. She was not killed with those who refused to obey God.

32 What more should I say? I don't have enough time to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets.

33 Through faith they conquered kingdoms, did what God approved, and received what God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions,

34 put out raging fires, and escaped death. They found strength when they were weak. They were powerful in battle and defeated other armies.

35 Women received their loved ones back from the dead. Other believers were brutally tortured but refused to be released so that they might gain eternal life.

36 Some were made fun of and whipped, and some were chained and put in prison.

37 Some were stoned to death, sawed in half, and killed with swords. Some wore the skins of sheep and goats. Some were poor, abused, and mistreated.

38 The world didn't deserve these good people. Some wandered around in deserts and mountains and lived in caves and holes in the ground.

39 All these people were known for their faith, but none of them received what God had promised.

40 God planned to give us something very special so that we would gain eternal life with them.