Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Whole Creation Invoked to Praise the Lord.

⁸ “Now you, son of man, listen to what I am speaking to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and ^(A)eat what I am giving you.” ⁹ Then I looked, and behold, a ^(B)hand was extended to me; and lo, a ^[a](C)scroll was in it. ¹⁰ When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and back, and written on it were lamentations, mourning and ^(D)woe.

Ezekiel’s Commission

3 Then He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; ^(E)eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” ² So I ^(F)opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll. ³ He said to me, “Son of man, feed your stomach and ^(G)fill your ^[b]body with this scroll which I am giving you.” Then I ^(H)ate it, and it was sweet as ^(I)honey in my mouth.

⁴ Then He said to me, “Son of man, ^[c]go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. ⁵ For ^(J)you are not being sent to a people of ^[d](K)unintelligible speech or difficult language, but to the house of Israel, ⁶ nor to many peoples of ^[e]unintelligible speech or difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. ^[f]But I have sent you to them ^[g]who should listen to you; ⁷ yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, since they are ^(L)not willing to listen to Me. Surely the whole house of Israel is ^[h]stubborn and obstinate. ⁸ Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. ⁹ Like ^[i]emery harder than flint I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, though they are a rebellious house.” ¹⁰ Moreover, He said to me, “Son of man, take into your heart all My ^(M)words which I will speak to you and listen ^[j]closely. ^11 [k]Go to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or ^[l]not, ‘Thus says the Lord ^[m]God.’”

The Angel and the Little Book

10 I saw another ^(A)strong angel ^(B)coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the ^(C)rainbow was upon his head, and ^(D)his face was like the sun, and his ^(E)feet like pillars of fire; ² and he had in his hand a ^(F)little book which was open. He placed ^(G)his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; ³ and he cried out with a loud voice, ^(H)as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the ^(I)seven peals of thunder ^[a]uttered their voices. ⁴ When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, ^(J)I was about to write; and I ^(K)heard a voice from heaven saying, “^(L)Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.” ⁵ Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land ^(M)lifted up his right hand to heaven, ^6 (N)and swore by ^(O)Him who lives forever and ever, ^(P)who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that ^(Q)there will be delay no longer, ⁷ but in the days of the voice of the ^(R)seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then ^(S)the mystery of God is finished, as He ^[b]preached to His servants the prophets.

⁸ Then ^(T)the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, “Go, take ^(U)the ^[c]book which is open in the hand of the angel who ^(V)stands on the sea and on the land.” ⁹ So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he *said to me, “^(W)Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” ¹⁰ I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. ¹¹ And ^(X)they *said to me, “You must ^(Y)prophesy again concerning ^(Z)many peoples and nations and tongues and ^(AA)kings.”