Ezekiel 3:1-15

New International Reader's Version

3 The Lord said to me, “Son of man, eat what is in front of you. Eat this scroll. Then go and speak to the people of Israel.” ² So I opened my mouth. And he gave me the scroll to eat.

³ Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you. Fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it. And it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

⁴ Then he said to me, “Son of man, go to the people of Israel. Give them my message. ⁵ I am not sending you to people who speak another language that is hard to learn. Instead, I am sending you to the people of Israel. ⁶ You are not being sent to many nations whose people speak other languages that are hard to learn. You would not be able to understand them. Suppose I had sent you to them. Then they certainly would have listened to you. ⁷ But the people of Israel do not want to listen to you. That is because they do not want to listen to me. All the Israelites are very stubborn. ⁸ But I will make you just as stubborn as they are. ⁹ I will make you very brave. So do not be afraid of them. Do not let them terrify you, even though they refuse to obey me.”

¹⁰ He continued, “Son of man, listen carefully. Take to heart everything I tell you. ¹¹ Go now to your own people who were brought here as prisoners. Speak to them. Tell them, ‘Here is what the Lord and King says.’ Speak to them whether they listen or not.”

¹² Then the Spirit of the Lord lifted me up. I heard a loud rumbling sound behind me. The sound was made when the glory of the Lord rose up. It rose up from the place it had been standing. ¹³ The sound was made by the wings of the living creatures. They were brushing against one another. The sound was also made by the wheels beside them. It was a loud rumbling sound. ¹⁴ Then the Spirit lifted me up and took me away. My spirit was bitter. I was very angry. The power of the Lord was on me. ¹⁵ I came to my people who had been brought as prisoners to Tel Aviv. It was near the Kebar River. I went to where they were living. There I sat among them for seven days. I was very sad and scared about everything that had happened.