1 Jehovah said to me: »Son of man, eat what you find. Eat this scroll. Then speak to the people of Israel.«

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

3 He said: »Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you, and fill your stomach with it.« So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

4 He then 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 flint stone. Do not be afraid of them. Do not be terrified in their presence, even though they are rebellious people.«

10 He also said: »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 Lord Jehovah says.«

12 Then the Spirit lifted me, and behind me I heard a loud thundering voice say: »Blessed is Jehovah’s glory from 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.

14 The Spirit lifted me and took me away. I went away feeling bitter and angry. The strong power of Jehovah came over me.

15 I went to Tel Abib, to the exiles that lived by the Chebar River. I sat there among them for seven days. I was stunned among them.

16 After seven days Jehovah spoke his word to me:

17 »Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the people of Israel. Listen to what I say, and warn them for me.

18 »When I tell a wicked man that he will surely die, but you do not warn him or speak out so that he can change his wicked way in order to save his life; that wicked man will die because of his sin. I will hold you responsible for his death.

19 »When you warn the wicked man, and he does not turn from his wicked way; he will die because of his sin, but you will save yourself.

20 »If righteous people turn from living the right way and do wrong, I will make them stumble and they will die. If you do not warn them, they will die because of their sin. The right things they did will not be remembered. I will hold you responsible for their deaths.

21 »If you warn righteous people not to sin, and they do not sin, they will certainly live because they listened to the warning and you will save yourself.«

22 The power of Jehovah came over me. He said: »Get up, and go to the plain. I will speak to you there.«

23 I got up and went to the plain. Jehovah’s glory was standing there like the glory I saw by the Chebar River. So I immediately bowed down.

24 The Spirit entered me and stood me on my feet. He talked to me. He said: »Go shut yourself in your home.

25 »People will tie you up with ropes, son of man, so that you cannot go outside.

26 »I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you cannot talk or criticize them, even though they are rebellious people.

27 »But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth. You will tell them: ‘This is what the Lord Jehovah says.’ Some will listen and some will refuse to listen for they are a rebellious people.