¹He said to me , “Son of man , eat what you find . Eat this scroll , and go , speak to the house of Israel .”

²So I opened my mouth , and he caused me to eat the scroll .

³He said to me , “Son of man , eat this scroll that I give you and fill your belly and your bowels with it .”

Then I ate it . It was as sweet as honey in my mouth .

⁴He said to me , “Son of man , go to the house of Israel , and speak my words to them .

⁵For you are not sent to a people of a strange speech and of a hard language , but to the house of Israel —

⁶not to many peoples of a strange speech and of a hard language , whose words you can ’t understand . Surely , if I sent you to them , they would listen to you .

⁷But the house of Israel will not listen to you , for they will not listen to me ; for all the house of Israel are obstinate and hard-hearted.[#3:7 Literally, have a hard forehead]

⁸Behold , I have made your face hard against their faces , and your forehead hard against their foreheads .

⁹I have made your forehead as a diamond , harder than flint . Don’t be afraid of them , neither be dismayed at their looks , though they are a rebellious house .”

¹⁰Moreover he said to me , “Son of man , receive in your heart and hear with your ears all my words that I speak to you .

¹¹Go to them of the captivity , to the children of your people , and speak to them , and tell them , ‘This is what the Lord GOD says ,’ whether they will hear , or whether they will refuse .”

¹²Then the Spirit lifted me up , and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing , saying , “Blessed be the LORD ’s glory from his place .”

¹³I heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another , and the noise of the wheels beside them, even the noise of a great rushing .

¹⁴So the Spirit lifted me up , and took me away ; and I went in bitterness , in the heat of my spirit ; and the LORD ’s hand was strong on me .

¹⁵Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel Aviv who lived by the river Chebar , and to where they lived ; and I sat there overwhelmed amongst them seven days .

¹⁶At the end of seven days , the LORD ’s word came to me , saying ,

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 .

¹⁸When I tell the wicked , ‘You will surely die ;’ and you give him no warning , nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way , to save his life , that wicked man will die in his iniquity ; but I will require his blood at your hand .

¹⁹Yet if you warn the wicked , and he doesn’t turn from his wickedness , nor from his wicked way , he will die in his iniquity ; but you have delivered your soul .”

²⁰“Again , when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity , and I lay a stumbling block before him , he will die . Because you have not given him warning , he will die in his sin , and his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered ; but I will require his blood at your hand .

²¹Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man , that the righteous not sin , and he does not sin , he will surely live , because he took warning ; and you have delivered your soul .”

²²The LORD ’s hand was there on me ; and he said to me , “Arise , go out into the plain , and I will talk with you there .”

²³Then I arose , and went out into the plain , and behold , the LORD ’s glory stood there , like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar . Then I fell on my face .

²⁴Then the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet . He spoke with me , and said to me , “Go , shut yourself inside your house .

²⁵But you , son of man , behold , they will put ropes on you , and will bind you with them , and you will not go out amongst them .

²⁶I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be mute and will not be able to correct them , for they are a rebellious house .

²⁷But when I speak with you , I will open your mouth , and you shall tell them , ‘This is what the Lord GOD says .’ He who hears , let him hear ; and he who refuses , let him refuse ; for they are a rebellious house .”