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The Lord Chooses Ezekiel

The Lord[a] said, “Ezekiel, son of man,[b] I want you to stand up and listen.” After he said this, his Spirit took control of me and lifted me to my feet. Then the Lord said:

Ezekiel, I am sending you to the people of Israel. They are just like their ancestors who rebelled against me and refused to stop. They are stubborn and hardheaded. But I, the Lord God, have chosen you to tell them what I say. Those rebels may not even listen, but at least they will know that a prophet has come to them.

Don't be afraid of them or of anything they say. You may think you're in the middle of a thorn patch or a bunch of scorpions. But be brave and preach my message to them, whether they choose to listen or not. Ezekiel, don't rebel against me, as they have done. Instead, listen to everything I tell you.

And now, Ezekiel, open your mouth and eat what I am going to give you.

(A) Just then, I saw a hand stretched out toward me. And in it was a scroll.[c] 10 The hand opened the scroll, and both sides of it were filled with words of sadness, mourning, and grief.

Footnotes

  1. 2.1 The Lord: Hebrew “The voice.”
  2. 2.1 Ezekiel, son of man: The Hebrew text has “Son of man,” which is often used in this book when the Lord speaks directly to Ezekiel. It means that Ezekiel is a mere human, yet he is the one the Lord has chosen to be his prophet who speaks for him to the people of Israel.
  3. 2.9 scroll: A roll of paper or special leather used for writing on.

Ezekiel's Call

And he said to me, (A)“Son of man,[a] (B)stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” And as he spoke to me, (C)the Spirit entered into me and (D)set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to (E)nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. (F)They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. The descendants also are (G)impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ And (H)whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are (I)a rebellious house) (J)they will know that a prophet has been among them. And you, son of man, (K)be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, (L)though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on (M)scorpions.[b] Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. And you shall speak my words to them, (N)whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.

“But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. (O)Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and (P)eat what I give you.” And when I looked, behold, (Q)a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, (R)a scroll of a book was in it. 10 And he spread it before me. And it had writing (S)on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 2:1 Or Son of Adam; so throughout Ezekiel
  2. Ezekiel 2:6 Or on scorpion plants