Ezekiel’s Commission

2:1 He said to me, “Son of man,1 stand on your feet and I will speak with you.” 2:2 As he spoke to me,2 a wind3 came into me and stood me on my feet, and I heard the one speaking to me.

2:3 He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the house4 of Israel, to rebellious nations5 who have rebelled against me; both they and their fathers have revolted6 against me to this very day. 2:4 The people7 to whom I am sending you are obstinate and hard-hearted,8 and you must say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says.’9 2:5 And as for them,10 whether they listen11 or not—for they are a rebellious12 house13—they will know that a prophet has been among them. 2:6 But you, son of man, do not fear them, and do not fear their words—even though briers14 and thorns15 surround you and you live among scorpions—do not fear their words and do not be terrified of the looks they give you,16 for they are a rebellious house! 2:7 You must speak my words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious. 2:8 As for you, son of man, listen to what I am saying to you: Do not rebel like that rebellious house! Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.”

2:9 Then I looked and realized a hand was stretched out to me, and in it was a written scroll. 2:10 He unrolled it before me, and it had writing on the front17 and back;18 written on it were laments, mourning, and woe.

3:1 He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you see in front of you1—eat this scroll—and then go and speak to the house of Israel.” 3:2 So I opened my mouth and he fed me the scroll.

3:3 He said to me, “Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your belly with this scroll I am giving to you.” So I ate it,2 and it was sweet like honey in my mouth.

3:4 He said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them. 3:5 For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech3 and difficult language,4 but5 to the house of Israel—3:6 not to many peoples of unintelligible speech and difficult language, whose words you cannot understand6—surely if7 I had sent you to them, they would listen to you! 3:7 But the house of Israel is unwilling to listen to you,8 because they are not willing to listen to me,9 for the whole house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted.10

3:8 “I have made your face adamant11 to match their faces, and your forehead hard to match their foreheads. 3:9 I have made your forehead harder than flint—like diamond!12 Do not fear them or be terrified of the looks they give you,13 for they are a rebellious house.”

3:10 And he said to me, “Son of man, take all my words that I speak to you to heart and listen carefully. 3:11 Go to the exiles, to your fellow countrymen,14 and speak to them—say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says,’ whether they pay attention or not.”