He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day.(A) The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn.(B) Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’(C) And whether they listen or fail to listen(D)—for they are a rebellious people(E)—they will know that a prophet has been among them.(F) And you, son of man, do not be afraid(G) of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns(H) are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.(I) You must speak(J) my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.(K) But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel(L) like that rebellious people;(M) open your mouth and eat(N) what I give you.”

Then I looked, and I saw a hand(O) stretched out to me. In it was a scroll,(P) 10 which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe.(Q)

And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.

Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate(R) it, and it tasted as sweet as honey(S) in my mouth.

He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them.(T) You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and strange language,(U) but to the people of Israel—

And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.

For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God.

And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.

And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.

But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.

And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;

10 And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

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

So 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 fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.

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

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