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 Then he said to me, "Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving to you." So I ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth. 4 Then he told me, "Son of man, go to the house of Israel, and tell them my words. 5 For you are not sent to a people of an unintelligible speech or a difficult language, but to the house of Israel– 6 not to many peoples of an unintelligible speech or a difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to them, they would listen to you. 7 But the house of Israel will not listen to you because they will not even listen to me. For the entire house of Israel is hard-headed and stubborn hearted. 8 Look, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and made you as hard-headed as they are. 9 I have made your head harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them, or terrified by their looks, for they are a rebellious house." 10 Then he said, "Son of man, all my words that I will tell you take to your heart and listen carefully. 11 Go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them, and tell them, 'This is what the sovereign LORD says,' whether they listen or not." 12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the sound a loud rumbling as the glory of the LORD rose from its place. 13 It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures as they brushed against one another, and the sound of the wheels beside them producing a great rumbling sound. 14 So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away. I went with bitterness and fury in my spirit; and the hand of the LORD was firm on me. 15 Then I came to the exiles at Tel-Aviv, who lived by Kebar River. I just sat there for seven days among them totally overwhelmed. 16 At the end of seven days, the word of the LORD came to me saying: 17 "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word at my mouth, give them a warning from me. 18 If I tell the wicked, 'You will surely die,' and you give him no warning, or do not speak out to warn the wicked to turn from his wicked way, to save his life; that wicked person will die in his sin; and I will hold you responsible for his blood. 19 But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he will die in his sin; but you have saved your own life. 20 If a righteous person turns from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and I put a stumbling block in front of him, he will die; because you have not warned him, he will die in his sin, and the righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered. I will hold you responsible for his blood. 21 If, however, you warn the righteous person, so that the righteous person does not sin, he will surely live, because he accepted the warning; and you will have saved your own life." 22 Then the hand of the LORD was on me; and he said to me, "Get up, go out into the valley, and I will speak with you there." 23 So I got up, and went out into the valley and the glory of the LORD stood there, like the glory that I saw by the Kebar River; and I fell on my face. 24 Then the Spirit entered into me, and set me on my feet. He spoke with me and said, "Go, shut yourself up inside your house. 25 But as for you, son of man, they will put ropes on you, and will tie you up, and you will not be able to go out among them. 26 I will make your tongue cleave to the roof of your mouth, so that you will be speechless and unable to rebuke them; for they are a rebellious house. 27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you will tell them, 'This is what the sovereign LORD says.' The one who hears, let him hear; and the one who refuses to listen, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house."