¹ He then said, 'Son of man, eat what you see; eat this scroll, then go and speak to the House of Israel.'

² I opened my mouth; he gave me the scroll to eat

³ and then said, 'Son of man, feed on this scroll which I am giving you and eat your fill.' So I ate it, and it tasted sweet as honey.

⁴ He then said, 'Son of man, go to the House of Israel and tell them what I have said.

⁵ You are not being sent to a nation that speaks a difficult foreign language; you are being sent to the House of Israel.

⁶ Not to big nations that speak difficult foreign languages, and whose words you would not understand -- if I sent you to them, they would listen to you;

⁷ but the House of Israel will not listen to you because it will not listen to me. The whole House of Israel is defiant and obstinate.

⁸ But now, I am making you as defiant as they are, and as obstinate as they are;

⁹ I am making your resolution as hard as a diamond, harder than flint. So do not be afraid of them, do not be overawed by them, for they are a tribe of rebels.'

¹⁰ Then he said, 'Son of man, take to heart everything I say to you, listen carefully,

¹¹ then go to your exiled countrymen and talk to them. Say to them, "Lord Yahweh says this," whether they listen or not.'

¹² The spirit lifted me up, and behind me I heard a great vibrating sound, 'Blessed be the glory of Yahweh in his dwelling-place!'

¹³ This was the sound of the living creatures' wings beating against each other, and the sound of the wheels beside them: a great vibrating sound.

¹⁴ The spirit lifted me up and took me, and I went, bitter and angry, and the hand of Yahweh lay heavy on me.

¹⁵ I came to Tel Abib, to the exiles beside the River Chebar where they were living, and there I stayed with them in a stupor for seven days.

¹⁶ After seven days the word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,

¹⁷ 'Son of man, I have appointed you as watchman for the House of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, warn them from me.

¹⁸ If I say to someone wicked, "You will die," and you do not warn this person; if you do not speak to warn someone wicked to renounce evil and so save his life, it is the wicked person who will die for the guilt, but I shall hold you responsible for that death.

¹⁹ If, however, you do warn someone wicked who then fails to renounce wickedness and evil ways, the wicked person will die for the guilt, but you yourself will have saved your life.

²⁰ When someone upright renounces uprightness to do evil and I set a trap for him, it is he who will die; since you failed to warn him, he will die for his guilt, and the uprightness he practised will no longer be remembered; but I shall hold you responsible for his death.

²¹ If, however, you warn someone upright not to sin and this person does not sin, such a one will live, thanks to your warning, and you too will have saved your life.'

²² While I was there the hand of Yahweh came on me; he said, 'Get up, go out into the valley, and there I shall speak to you.'

²³ I got up and went out into the valley; the glory of Yahweh was resting there, like the glory I had seen by the River Chebar, and I fell to the ground.

²⁴ The spirit of Yahweh then entered me and put me on my feet and spoke to me. He said, 'Go and shut yourself in your house.

²⁵ Son of man, you are about to be tied and bound, and unable to mix with other people.

²⁶ I am going to make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth; you will be dumb, and no longer able to reprove them, for they are a tribe of rebels.

²⁷ When I speak to you, however, I shall open your mouth and then you will say to them, "Lord Yahweh says this: Let anyone prepared to listen, listen; let anyone who refuses, refuse!"-for they are a tribe of rebels.'