⁴ He said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel, and speak my words to them. ⁵ For you are not sent to a people of a strange speech and of a hard language, but to the house of Israel; ⁶ not to many peoples of a strange speech and of a hard language, whose words you can’t understand. Surely, if I sent you to them, they would listen to you. ⁷ But the house of Israel will not listen to you, for they will not listen to me; for all the house of Israel are obstinate^[a] and hard-hearted. ⁸ Behold, I have made your face hard against their faces, and your forehead hard against their foreheads. ⁹ I have made your forehead as a diamond, harder than flint. Don’t be afraid of them, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.”

¹⁰ Moreover he said to me, “Son of man, receive in your heart and hear with your ears all my words that I speak to you. ¹¹ Go to them of the captivity, to the children of your people, and speak to them, and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord Yahweh says,’ whether they will hear, or whether they will refuse.”