⁴ Then he told me, “Son of Man, go to the house of Israel and tell them what I have to say to them, ⁵ because you’re not going to a people whose speech you cannot understand or whose language is difficult to speak. Instead, you’re going to the house of Israel. ⁶ This isn’t a large group of people whose speech is unintelligible to you or whose language is difficult for you to comprehend. Frankly, if I had sent you to that kind of people,^[a] they would certainly have listened to you! ⁷ But the house of Israel won’t listen to you, since they weren’t willing to listen to me. That’s because the entire house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted. ⁸ So pay attention! I’m going to make you just as obstinate^[b] and unyielding as they are.^{[c] 9} I’m making you harder than flint—like diamond! So you are not to fear them or be intimidated by how they look at you,^[d] since they’re a rebellious group.”

Ezekiel is Commissioned to Speak

¹⁰ Next, he told me, “Son of Man, take to heart every word that I’m telling you. Listen carefully, ¹¹ then go immediately^[e] to the exiles; that is, to your people’s descendants, and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says…’ whether they listen or not.”^[f]