Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says.’ Whoever will listen let them listen, and whoever will refuse let them refuse; for they are a rebellious people. New Living Translation But when I give you a message, I will loosen your tongue and let you speak. Then you will say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says!’ Those who choose to listen will listen, but those who refuse will refuse, for they are rebels. English Standard Version But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ He who will hear, let him hear; and he who will refuse to hear, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house. Berean Standard Bible But 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. King James Bible But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto 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. New King James Version But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house. New American Standard Bible But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says:’ The one who hears, let him hear; and the one who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house. NASB 1995 “But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you will say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house. NASB 1977 “But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth, and you will say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house. Legacy Standard Bible But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth, and you will say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house. Amplified Bible But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth and you will say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses [to hear], let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house. Christian Standard Bible But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’ Let the one who listens, listen, and let the one who refuses, refuse—for they are a rebellious house. Holman Christian Standard Bible But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’ Let the one who listens, listen, and let the one who refuses, refuse—for they are a rebellious house.” American Standard Version But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house. Contemporary English Version But the time will come, when I will tell you what to say, and you will again be able to speak my message. Some of them will listen; others will be stubborn and refuse to listen. English Revised Version But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto 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. GOD'S WORD® Translation 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." Good News Translation Then, when I speak to you again and give you back the power of speech, you will tell them what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying. Some of them will listen, but some will ignore you, for they are a nation of rebels." International Standard Version But when I speak with you, I'll open your mouth so you can say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "As for those who will listen, 'Let them listen,' but as for those who refuse, 'Let them refuse,' since they're a rebellious group."'" Majority Standard Bible But 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. NET Bible But when I speak with you, I will loosen your tongue and you must say to them, 'This is what the sovereign LORD says.' Those who listen will listen, but the indifferent will refuse, for they are a rebellious house. New Heart English Bible But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD': He who hears, let him hear; and he who forbears, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house. Webster's Bible Translation 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. World English Bible But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall tell them, ‘This is what the Lord Yahweh says.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.” Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd in My speaking with you, I open your mouth, and you have said to them: Thus said Lord YHWH; the hearer hears, and the refrainer refrains; for they [are] a house of rebellion.” Young's Literal Translation And in My speaking with thee, I do open thy mouth, and thou hast said unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah; the hearer doth hear, and the forbearer doth forbear; for a rebellious house are they. Smith's Literal Translation And in my speaking with thee I will open thy mouth, and say thou to them, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: He hearing, shall hear; and he desisting, shall desist: for they are a house of contradiction. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleBut when I shall speak to 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 provoking house. Catholic Public Domain Version But when I will speak to you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them: ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ Whoever is listening, let him hear. And whoever is quieted, let him be quieted. For they are a provoking house.” New American Bible Only when I speak to you and open your mouth, shall you say to them: Thus says the LORD God: Let those who hear, hear! Let those who resist, resist! They are truly a rebellious house. New Revised Standard Version But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD”; let those who will hear, hear; and let those who refuse to hear, refuse; for they are a rebellious house. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleBut when I speak with you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, Thus says the LORD God: He that hears, let him hear; and he that trembles, let him tremble; for they are a rebellious house. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And whenever I speak with you, I open your mouth that you shall say to them, “Thus says THE LORD OF LORDS.” He who hears shall hear, and he who trembles shall tremble, because they are a rebellious house” OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto 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. Brenton Septuagint Translation But when I speak to thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say to them, Thus saith the Lord, He that hears, let him hear; and he that is disobedient, let him be disobedient: because it is a provoking house. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context A Watchman for Israel…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. Cross References Isaiah 6:9-10 And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” Matthew 13:13-15 This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’ / In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. / For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’ Acts 28:26-27 ‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” / For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’ Isaiah 55:11 so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it. John 12:39-41 For this reason they were unable to believe. For again, Isaiah says: / “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.” / Isaiah said these things because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about Him. Jeremiah 1:7-9 But the LORD told me: “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ For to everyone I send you, you must go, and all that I command you, you must speak. / Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD. / Then the LORD reached out His hand, touched my mouth, and said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. Matthew 10:14-15 And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. / Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. Mark 4:11-12 He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables, / so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’” Luke 10:10-11 But if you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go into the streets and declare, / ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off as a testimony against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’ John 9:39-41 Then Jesus declared, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind may see and those who see may become blind.” / Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard this, and they asked Him, “Are we blind too?” / “If you were blind,” Jesus replied, “you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” Jeremiah 6:10 To whom can I give this warning? Who will listen to me? Look, their ears are closed, so they cannot hear. See, the word of the LORD has become offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it. Romans 11:8 as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.” 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. / To the one we are an odor that brings death, to the other a fragrance that brings life. And who is qualified for such a task? Isaiah 29:10-12 For the LORD has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He has shut your eyes, O prophets; He has covered your heads, O seers. / And the entire vision will be to you like the words sealed in a scroll. If it is handed to someone to read, he will say, “I cannot, because it is sealed.” / Or if the scroll is handed to one unable to read, he will say, “I cannot read.” Revelation 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to eat from the tree of life in the Paradise of God. Treasury of Scripture But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, Thus said the Lord GOD; He that hears, let him hear; and he that declines, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house. I will Ezekiel 11:25 Ezekiel 24:27 Ezekiel 29:21 Thus Ezekiel 3:11 Ezekiel 2:5 Matthew 11:15 for they Ezekiel 3:9,26 Ezekiel 12:2,3 Jump to Previous Ear Ears Forbear Forbeareth Hear Hearer Heareth Hears House Mouth Open Rebellious Refuse Refuses Shut Sovereign Speak Speaking Talk UncontrolledJump to Next Ear Ears Forbear Forbeareth Hear Hearer Heareth Hears House Mouth Open Rebellious Refuse Refuses Shut Sovereign Speak Speaking Talk UncontrolledEzekiel 3 1. Ezekiel eats the scroll4. God encourages him 15. God shows him the rule of prophecy 22. God shuts and opens the prophet's mouth But when I speak to you This phrase emphasizes the divine initiative in communication. The Hebrew root for "speak" is דָּבַר (dabar), which implies not just casual conversation but authoritative declaration. In the context of Ezekiel's prophetic ministry, it underscores that the prophet's words are not his own but are directly from God. This divine communication is a hallmark of prophetic authenticity, reminding us that true prophecy originates from God’s will and timing. I will open your mouth and you are to tell them ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’ Whoever will listen, let him listen and whoever will refuse, let him refuse for they are a rebellious house Persons / Places / Events 1. EzekielA prophet called by God to deliver His messages to the Israelites during their exile in Babylon. Known for his visions and symbolic acts. 2. The Lord GOD The sovereign and covenant-keeping God of Israel, who communicates His will through His prophets. 3. The Israelites Specifically referred to as a "rebellious house," they are the people of God who are in exile due to their disobedience and idolatry. 4. Babylon The place of exile for the Israelites, representing both physical and spiritual captivity. 5. Prophetic Commission The event where God commissions Ezekiel to speak His words to the people, emphasizing the importance of obedience to God's message. Teaching Points Divine Authority in Prophetic SpeechGod is the ultimate source of truth, and His words carry authority. When God opens Ezekiel's mouth, it signifies that the message is not Ezekiel's but God's. Human Responsibility to Respond The phrase "whoever will listen, let him listen" underscores the responsibility of individuals to respond to God's message. It is a call to active listening and obedience. The Reality of Rebellion The description of Israel as a "rebellious house" serves as a warning against hard-heartedness and the consequences of ignoring God's word. The Role of the Prophet Ezekiel's role is to faithfully deliver God's message, regardless of the people's response. This teaches the importance of faithfulness in ministry. God's Sovereignty in Communication God chooses when and how to communicate His message, demonstrating His control over revelation and the unfolding of His plans.(27) When I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth.--To this Ezekiel evidently refers in Ezekiel 24:27; Ezekiel 33:22, when, after the destruction of Jerusalem, his mouth should no longer be shut. But until then, although he should be greatly restrained in his ordinary utterances by the opposition of the people, yet there would be times when God would give him a message with such power that he would be constrained to declare it, whether the people would hear or whether they would forbear. Such messages are those contained in this book, which at this point begin to be recorded. By all this the difficulties and trials under which the prophet must exercise his office are clearly and strongly set before him. (See Excursus I., "On the Figurative and Symbolical Language of Ezekiel.") Verse 27. - When I speak with thee, etc. This then, as ever, was the condition of the prophet's work. He was to speak out of his own heart. When the "time to speak" came words would be given him (Matthew 10:19). And those he would then speak would be as the echo of those in ver. 11. In our Lord's words (Matthew 11:15; Matthew 13:9) we have, it may be, a deliberate reproduction of Ezekiel's formula. The LXX., in this instance, it may be noted, translates the second clause by " He who is disobedient (ἀπειθῶν), Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew But when I speakוּֽבְדַבְּרִ֤י (ū·ḇə·ḏab·bə·rî) Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | first person common singular Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue with you, אֽוֹתְךָ֙ (’ō·wṯ·ḵā) Preposition | second person masculine singular Strong's 854: Nearness, near, with, by, at, among I will open אֶפְתַּ֣ח (’ep̄·taḥ) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular Strong's 6605: To open wide, to loosen, begin, plough, carve your mouth, פִּ֔יךָ (pî·ḵā) Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to and you are to tell וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ (wə·’ā·mar·tā) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say them, אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם (’ă·lê·hem) Preposition | third person masculine plural Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to ‘This is what כֹּ֥ה (kōh) Adverb Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now the Lord אֲדֹנָ֣י (’ă·ḏō·nāy) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 136: The Lord GOD יְהֹוִ֑ה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel says.’ אָמַ֖ר (’ā·mar) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say Whoever listens, יִשְׁמָע֙ (yiš·mā‘) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently let him listen; הַשֹּׁמֵ֤עַ ׀ (haš·šō·mê·a‘) Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently and whoever refuses, יֶחְדָּ֔ל (yeḥ·dāl) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 2308: To be flabby, desist, be lacking, idle let him refuse; וְהֶחָדֵ֣ל ׀ (wə·he·ḥā·ḏêl) Conjunctive waw, Article | Adjective - masculine singular Strong's 2310: Vacant, ceasing, destitute for כִּ֛י (kî) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction they הֵֽמָּה׃ (hêm·māh) Pronoun - third person masculine plural Strong's 1992: They are a rebellious מְרִ֖י (mə·rî) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 4805: Bitterness, rebellion, bitter, rebellious house. בֵּ֥ית (bêṯ) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 1004: A house Links Ezekiel 3:27 NIVEzekiel 3:27 NLT Ezekiel 3:27 ESV Ezekiel 3:27 NASB Ezekiel 3:27 KJV Ezekiel 3:27 BibleApps.com Ezekiel 3:27 Biblia Paralela Ezekiel 3:27 Chinese Bible Ezekiel 3:27 French Bible Ezekiel 3:27 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Ezekiel 3:27 But when I speak with you (Ezek. Eze Ezk) |