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Ezekiel’s Call

He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you.” The Spirit entered into me as he spoke to me and brought me up to my feet. Then I heard him speaking to me.

He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the people of Israel,[a] to disloyal nations, who have been disloyal to me. They and their fathers have rebelled against me to this very day. These children of mine are brazen-faced and hard-hearted. I am sending you to them, and you are to tell them that this is what the Lord God says. Then, whether they listen or do not listen—for they are a rebellious house—then they will know that a prophet has been among them. But you, son of man, do not be afraid of them, and do not be afraid of their words. Even though briers and thorns surround you and you are living with scorpions, do not be afraid of their words, and do not be intimidated by the look on their faces, for they are a rebellious house. You are to speak my words to them whether they listen or they do not, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, listen to what I am telling you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.”

Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out toward me, and in it there was a rolled-up scroll. 10 He unrolled it in front of me, and there was writing on both sides. Written on it was: Laments, Groaning, and Woe.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 2:3 The Greek text reads house of Israel, a common expression in Ezekiel.

The Call of Ezekiel to Speak God’s Words

And he said to me, “Son of man,[a] stand on your feet, so that I can speak with you.” And the Spirit[b] came into me as he was speaking to me, and it set me on my feet, and I heard the one speaking to me. And he said to me, “Son of man,[c] I am sending you to the Israelites,[d] to nations[e] who are rebelling, who rebelled against me, they and their ancestors,[f] they transgressed against me until this very day.[g] And the children[h] are impudent[i] and stubborn,[j] and so I am sending you to them, and you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh!’ And they, whether they listen or whether they fail to listen, for they are a rebellious house, they will know that a prophet was in their midst. And you, son of man,[k] you must not be afraid of them, and you must not be afraid of their words, because[l] briers and thorns are with you, and you are sitting among scorpions. You must not be afraid of their words, and you must not be dismayed because of their looks,[m] for they are a rebellious house. And you must speak my words to them whether they listen or whether they fail to listen, for they are rebellious. And you, son of man,[n] hear what I am speaking to you: you must not be rebellious like the house of rebellion. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving to you.” And I looked,[o] and look! There was a hand stretched out to me, and look! In it was a scroll with writing.[p] 10 And he rolled it out[q] before me,[r] and it was written on the front and back, and there were written on it laments and mourning and wailing.[s]

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 2:1 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
  2. Ezekiel 2:2 Or “a spirit”
  3. Ezekiel 2:3 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
  4. Ezekiel 2:3 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  5. Ezekiel 2:3 Or “a people”
  6. Ezekiel 2:3 Hebrew “fathers”
  7. Ezekiel 2:3 Literally “until the day the this”
  8. Ezekiel 2:4 Or “sons”
  9. Ezekiel 2:4 Literally “hard of face”
  10. Ezekiel 2:4 Literally “strong of heart”
  11. Ezekiel 2:6 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
  12. Ezekiel 2:6 Or “although”
  13. Ezekiel 2:6 Literally “faces”
  14. Ezekiel 2:8 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
  15. Ezekiel 2:9 Or “saw”
  16. Ezekiel 2:9 Literally “a scroll of a book”
  17. Ezekiel 2:10 Or “he spread it out”
  18. Ezekiel 2:10 Literally “to the face of me”
  19. Ezekiel 2:10 Or “woe”