“ Son of man , ” He said to me , - “ eat what you find here. Eat - this scroll , then go and speak to the house of Israel. ”
So I opened - my mouth , and He fed me the scroll ....
“ Son of man , ” ... He said to me , “ eat and fill - your stomach with this - scroll I am giving you. ” ... So I ate , and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
Then He said to me , “ Son of man , go now ... to the house of Israel and speak My words to them.
For you are not being sent to a people of unfamiliar speech or difficult language , but to the house of Israel —
not to the many peoples of unfamiliar speech and difficult language whose words you cannot understand. Surely ... if I had sent you to them , they would have listened to you.
But the house of Israel vvv will be unwilling to listen to you , since vvv they are unwilling to listen to Me. For the whole house of Israel is hard-headed ... and hard-hearted ... ....
Behold , I will make - your face as hard as their faces , - and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.
I will make your forehead like a diamond , harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them (or) dismayed at their presence , even though they are a rebellious house. ”
“ Son of man , ” He added ... , “ - listen carefully ... to all the words - I speak to you , and take them to heart.
- Go to your people ... , the exiles ; speak ... to them and tell them , ‘ This is what the Lord GOD says , ’ whether they listen or refuse to listen. ”
Then the Spirit lifted me up , and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me : ‘ Blessed be the glory of the LORD in His dwelling place ! ’
(It was) the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against one another and the sound of the wheels beside them , a great rumbling sound.
So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away , and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit , with the strong hand of the LORD upon me.
I came to the exiles vvv at Tel-abib who dwelt by the River Kebar. And for seven days I sat where they sat and remained there among them , overwhelmed.
At the end of seven days ... the word of the LORD came to me , saying ,
“ Son of man , I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth , give them a warning from Me.
If I say to the wicked man , ‘ You will surely die ... , ’ but you do not warn him (or) speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life , that wicked man will die in his iniquity , and I will hold you responsible for his blood.
But if you warn a wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness and his wicked way , he will die in his iniquity , but you - will have saved yourself.
Now if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity , and I put a stumbling block before him , he will die. If you did not warn him , he will die in his sin , and the righteous Acts - - he did will not be remembered. And I will hold you responsible for his blood.
But if you warn the righteous man - not to sin , and he does not sin , he will indeed live ... because he heeded your warning , and you - will have saved yourself. ”
And there the hand of the LORD was upon me , and He said to me , “ Get up , go out to the plain , and there I will speak with you. ”
So I got up and went out to the plain , and behold , the glory of the LORD was present there , like the glory - I had seen by the River Kebar , and I fell facedown ....
Then the Spirit entered and set me on my feet. He spoke with me and said ... , “ Go , shut yourself inside your house.
And you , son of man , ... they will tie with ropes - , and you will be bound so that you cannot go out among (the people).
I 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.
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. (’’)