¶ Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat¹ that thou findest; eat this roll, and go² speak unto the house of Israel.

³So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.

And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill⁴ thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then⁵ did I eat it; and it was⁶ in my mouth as honey for sweetness.

⁷And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.

For thou⁸ art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language⁹, but to the house of Israel;

Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language¹⁰, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.

But the house of Israel will¹¹ not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the¹² house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted¹³.

¹⁴Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.

As an adamant¹⁵ harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear¹⁶ them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

¶ Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive¹⁷ in thine heart, and hear with thine ears.

And go, get¹⁸ thee to them of the captivity, unto the children¹⁹ of thy people, and speak²⁰ unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.

Then the spirit²¹ took me up, and I heard behind me a voice²² of a great rushing, saying, Blessed²³ be the glory²⁴ of the LORD from his place.

I heard also the noise²⁵ of the wings of the living creatures that touched²⁶ one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing.

So the spirit²⁷ lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit²⁸; but²⁹ the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.

Then I came to them of the captivity at Telabib, that dwelt³⁰ by the river of Chebar, and I sat³¹ where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.

¶ And it came to pass³² at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Son of man, I have³³ made thee a watchman³⁴ unto the house of Israel: therefore hear³⁵ the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

When I say³⁶ unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save³⁷ his life; the same³⁸ wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but³⁹ his blood will I require at thine hand.

Yet if thou⁴⁰ warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall⁴¹ die in his iniquity; but thou⁴² hast delivered thy soul.

¶ Again, When⁴³ a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness⁴⁴, and commit iniquity, and I lay⁴⁵ a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because⁴⁶ thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his⁴⁷ righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his⁴⁸ blood will I require at thine hand.

Nevertheless if thou⁴⁹ warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall⁵⁰ surely live, because he is warned; also⁵¹ thou hast delivered thy soul.

¶ And the hand⁵² of the LORD was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise⁵³, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee.

Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory⁵⁴ of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river⁵⁵ of Chebar: and I fell⁵⁶ on my face.

Then the spirit⁵⁷ entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spake with me, and said unto me, Go⁵⁸, shut thyself within thine house.

⁵⁹But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them:

And I will⁶⁰ make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt⁶¹ not be to them a reprover⁶²: for they are a rebellious house.

But when I speak with thee, I will⁶³ open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus⁶⁴ saith the Lord GOD; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they⁶⁵ are a rebellious house.