Ezekiel 3:1-13 ▼

1 The LORD said to me, |Son of man, eat what you find. Eat this scroll. Then speak to the people of Israel.|

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

3 He said to me, |Son of man, eat this scroll I'm giving you, and fill your stomach with it.| So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

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

5 I am not sending you to people whose language is hard to understand or difficult to speak. I am sending you to Israel.

6 I am not sending you to nations whose language is hard to understand, difficult to speak, or whose words you cannot understand. If I send you to those nations, they will certainly listen to you.

7 But the people of Israel will refuse to listen to you because they refuse to listen to me. All the people of Israel are very stubborn and hardheaded.

8 Yet, I will make you as stubborn and as hardheaded as they are.

9 I will make you as hard as a diamond, harder than stone. Don't be afraid of them. Don't be terrified in their presence, even though they are rebellious people.|

10 He also said to me, |Son of man, take to heart everything I have spoken to you, and listen closely.

11 Go to the exiles, to your people. Whether they listen or not, tell them, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says.'|

12 Then the Spirit lifted me, and behind me I heard a loud thundering voice say, |Blessed is the LORD's glory, which left this place.|

13 I also heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures touching one another and the noise of the wheels beside them as well as a loud rumbling.