1. He said to me: Son of man, eat what you find here: eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel.
2. So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.
3. Son of man, he said to me, feed your stomach and fill your belly with this scroll I am giving you. I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
4. Then he said to me, Son of man, go now to the house of Israel, and speak my words to them.
5. Not to a people with obscure speech and difficult language am I sending you, but to the house of Israel.
6. Nor to many nations of obscure speech and difficult language whose words you cannot understand. For if I were to send you to these, they would listen to you.
7. But the house of Israel will refuse to listen to you, since they refuse to listen to me. For the whole house of Israel is stubborn of brow and hard of heart.
8. Look! I make your face as hard as theirs, and your brow as stubborn as theirs.
9. Like diamond, harder than flint, I make your brow. Do not be afraid of them, or be terrified by their looks, for they are a rebellious house.
10. Then he said to me, Son of man, take into your heart all my words that I speak to you; hear them well.
11. Now go to the exiles, to your own people, and speak to them. Say to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear: Thus says the Lord God!
12. Then the spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling noise as the glory of the Lord rose from its place:
13. the noise of the wings of the living creatures beating against one another, and the noise of the wheels alongside them, a loud rumbling.
14. And the spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went off, my spirit angry and bitter, for the hand of the Lord pressed hard on me.
15. Thus I came to the exiles who lived at Tel-abib by the river Chebar; and there where they dwelt, I stayed among them distraught for seven days.
16. At the end of the seven days, the word of the Lord came to me:
17. Son of man, I have appointed you a sentinel for the house of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, you shall warn them for me.