You shall speak my words to them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear; for they are most rebellious.
Parallel translations
- KJV And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
- BSB But speak My words to them, whether they listen or refuse to listen, for they are rebellious.
- NKJV You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious.
- NASB But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious.
- NLT You must give them my messages whether they listen or not. But they won’t listen, for they are completely rebellious!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Ezekiel must speak God's words whether the people listen or refuse, for they are most rebellious. Faithfulness, not results, is his charge.
Overview
God again stresses that Ezekiel's responsibility is to speak, not to secure a response. The outcome rests with God and the hearers, not the prophet. This frees the servant of God from the burden of controlling results. It models the call of every gospel witness to be faithful regardless of how the message is received.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Jer 23:28The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the straw to the wheat?” says Yahweh.
- Jer 1:7But Yahweh said to me, “Don’t say, ‘I am a child;’ for you must go to whomever I send you, and you must say whatever I command you.
- Ezek 2:5They, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house), yet shall know that there has been a prophet among them.
- Ezek 3:17“Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore hear the word from my mouth, and warn them from me.
- Ezek 3:10Moreover he said to me, “Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears.
- Jer 1:17“You therefore put your belt on your waist, arise, and say to them all that I command you. Don’t be dismayed at them, lest I dismay you before them.
- Jer 26:2“Yahweh says: ‘Stand in the court of Yahweh’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in Yahweh’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Don’t omit a word.
- Matt 28:20teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
- Jonah 3:2“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I give you.”
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 2:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.