³ He said to me: Human one, I’m sending you to the Israelites, a traitorous and rebellious people. They and their ancestors have been rebelling against me to this very day. ⁴ I’m sending you to their hardheaded and hard-hearted descendants, and you will say to them: The Lord God proclaims. ⁵ Whether they listen or whether they refuse, since they are a household of rebels, they will know that a prophet has been among them.

⁶ And as for you, human one, don’t be afraid of them or their words. Don’t be afraid! You possess thistles and thorns that subdue scorpions.^[a] Don’t be afraid of their words or shrink from their presence, because they are a household of rebels. ⁷ You’ll speak my words to them whether they listen or whether they refuse. They are just a household^[b] of rebels!

⁴ Then he said to me: Human one, go! Go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them. ⁵ You aren’t being sent to a people whose language and speech are difficult and obscure but to the house of Israel. ⁶ No, not to many peoples who speak difficult and obscure languages, whose words you wouldn’t understand. If I did send you to them, they would listen to you. ⁷ But the house of Israel—they will refuse to listen to you because they refuse to listen to me. The whole house of Israel is hardheaded and hard-hearted too. ⁸ I’ve now hardened your face so that you can meet them head-on. ⁹ I’ve made your forehead like a diamond, harder than stone. Don’t be afraid of them or shrink away from them, because they are a household of rebels.

⁴ Again the landowner sent another servant to them, but they struck him on the head and treated him disgracefully. ⁵ He sent another one; that one they killed. The landlord sent many other servants, but the tenants beat some and killed others. ⁶ Now the landowner had one son whom he loved dearly. He sent him last, thinking, They will respect my son. ⁷ But those tenant farmers said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ ⁸ They grabbed him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.