In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I {am} the LORD.

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy. {my chief...: Heb. the head of my joy}

Therefore night {shall be} unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them. {that...: vision: Heb. from a vision} {that...: divine: Heb. from divining}

And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.

And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, {even} unto this very day. {nation: Heb. nations}

Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars: her king and her princes {are} among the Gentiles: the law {is} no {more}; her prophets also find no vision from the LORD.

Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. {confound: or, break to pieces}

Ephraim {is} joined to idols: let him alone.

Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.

And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?

And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy. {my chief...: Heb. the head of my joy}

Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.

His watchmen {are} blind: they are all ignorant, they {are} all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. {sleeping: or, dreaming, or, talking in their sleep}

Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they {are} a rebellious house.

The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth. {The nobles...: Heb. The voice of the nobles was hid}

Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:

And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns {be} with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they {be} a rebellious house. {briers...: or, rebels}

Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people {are} as they that strive with the priest.

In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I {am} the LORD.

And thou shalt say to the rebellious, {even} to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations,

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.

Prophesy ye not, {say they to them that} prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, {that} they shall not take shame. {Prophesy ye...: or, Prophesy not as they prophesy: Heb. Drop, etc}

In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I {am} the LORD.