Verse

Ezekiel 3:17 — Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel…

“Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.”
Ezekiel 3:17 · KJV

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The verses around Ezekiel 3:17.

15Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel–abib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.

16And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

17Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

18When I say unto 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 thine hand.

19Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

Read the full chapter of Ezekiel 3 →

Verse explanation

The image of a “watchman” is used to explain the prophet’s role: he is not responsible for what people decide to do, only for warning them in time. If he warns and no one listens, the fault is not his; if he fails to warn, it is.

From the Ezekiel 3 study in Bible in Stories.

Ezekiel 3:17 in other versions

The same verse in the 4 Bible versions we have on the site.

  • KJV · King James

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

    Read the chapter in this version →
  • ARC · Almeida 1911Português

    Filho do homem: Eu te dei por atalaia sobre a casa de Israel; e tu da minha bocca ouvirás a palavra, e os avisarás da minha parte.

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  • BLIVRE · Bíblia LivrePortuguês

    Filho do homem, eu te pus por vigia sobre a casa de Israel; portanto tu ouvirás a palavra de minha boca, e os alertarás de minha parte.

    Read the chapter in this version →
  • VBL · Versión Biblia LibreEspañol

    Hijo de hombre, te he elegido como vigilante del pueblo de Israel. Cada vez que te dé un mensaje, deberás avisarles de mi parte.

    Read the chapter in this version →

In other languages: Português (Ezequiel 3:17) · Español (Ezequiel 3:17)

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