⁹ And when I looked, behold, ^(A)a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, ^(B)a scroll of a book was in it. ¹⁰ And he spread it before me. And it had writing ^(C)on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe.

3 And he said to me, ^(D)“Son of man, eat whatever you find here. ^(E)Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” ² So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. ³ And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” ^(F)Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth ^(G)as sweet as honey.

⁴ And he said to me, ^(H)“Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them. ⁵ For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel— ⁶ not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. ^(I)Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. ^7 (J)But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel ^(K)have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. ^8 (L)Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. ⁹ Like ^(M)emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. ^(N)Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.” ¹⁰ Moreover, he said to me, “Son of man, ^(O)all my words that I shall speak to you receive ^(P)in your heart, and hear with your ears. ¹¹ And go to the exiles, ^(Q)to your people, and speak to them and say to them, ^(R)‘Thus says the Lord God,’ ^(S)whether they hear or refuse to hear.”

Shepherd the Flock of God

5 So I exhort the elders among you, ^(A)as a fellow elder and ^(B)a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: ^2 (C)shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,^{[a] (D)}not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;^{[b] (E)}not for shameful gain, but eagerly; ³ not ^(F)domineering over those in your charge, but ^(G)being examples to the flock. ⁴ And when ^(H)the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the ^(I)unfading ^(J)crown of glory.

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two

10 After this the Lord appointed ^(A)seventy-two^[a] others and ^(B)sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. ^2 (C)And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. ^(D)Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. ³ Go your way; ^(E)behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. ^4 (F)Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and ^(G)greet no one on the road. ⁵ Whatever house you enter, first say, ^(H)‘Peace be to this house!’ ⁶ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, ^(I)it will return to you. ⁷ And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for ^(J)the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. ⁸ Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. ⁹ Heal the sick in it and say to them, ^(K)‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ ¹⁰ But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ^11 (L)‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that ^(M)the kingdom of God has come near.’ ¹² I tell you, ^(N)it will be more bearable on ^(O)that day for Sodom than for that town.

^16 (A)“The one who hears you hears me, and ^(B)the one who rejects you rejects me, and ^(C)the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

The Return of the Seventy-Two

^17 (D)The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, ^(E)even the demons are subject to us in your name!” ¹⁸ And he said to them, ^(F)“I saw Satan ^(G)fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ Behold, I have given you authority ^(H)to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of ^(I)the enemy, and ^(J)nothing shall hurt you. ^20 (K)Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that ^(L)your names are written in heaven.”