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A Rebellious House

Then He said to me: “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” As He spoke to me, the Ruach came upon me and stood me up on my feet. I heard Him speaking to me again.

He said to me, “Son of man, I send you to Bnei-Yisrael, to rebellious nations that have been rebelling against Me. They and their fathers have rebelled against Me to this very day. The children have hard faces and stubborn hearts. I am sending you to them, and you are to tell them, ‘Thus says Adonai Elohim.’ Whether they listen, or whether they will refuse to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet was among them.

“But you, son of man, do not be afraid of them. Do not fear their words, though thistles and thorns are beside you and you sit among scorpions. Do not be afraid of their words or be dismayed by their looks—for they are a rebellious house. You will speak My words to them, whether they will listen or whether they will refuse to listen—for they are rebellious. Now you, son of man, hear what I say to you: do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth, and eat what I am giving to you.”

I looked, and behold, a hand was stretched out to me, holding a written scroll. 10 He spread it out before me. It was written on, front and back. Written on it were lamentations, dirges and woe.

Ezekiel’s Call to Be a Prophet

He said to me, “Son of man,[a](A) stand(B) up on your feet and I will speak to you.(C) As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me(D) to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.

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.(E) The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn.(F) Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’(G) And whether they listen or fail to listen(H)—for they are a rebellious people(I)—they will know that a prophet has been among them.(J) And you, son of man, do not be afraid(K) of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns(L) 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.(M) You must speak(N) my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.(O) But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel(P) like that rebellious people;(Q) open your mouth and eat(R) what I give you.”

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

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 2:1 The Hebrew phrase ben adam means human being. The phrase son of man is retained as a form of address here and throughout Ezekiel because of its possible association with “Son of Man” in the New Testament.