1“Stand up, O man,” he said, “and let me talk with you.”
2As he spoke, a spirit came into me and stood me on my feet, and I listened to him speaking.
3He said to me, “O man, I am sending you to the Israelites, rebels who have rebelled against me. They and their forefathers have been in revolt against me to this very day,
4and this generation to which I am sending you is stubborn and obstinate. You are to say to them, ‘These are the words of the Lord GOD,’
5and they will know that they have a prophet among them, whether they listen or whether in their rebelliousness they refuse to listen.
6“But you, O man, must not be afraid of them or of what they say, though they resist and reject you and you are sitting on scorpions. There is nothing to fear in their rebellious words, nothing to make you afraid in their rebellious looks.
7You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or whether in their rebelliousness they refuse to listen.
8But you, O man, must heed what I say and not be rebellious like them. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.”
9I saw a hand stretched out to me, holding a scroll.
10He unrolled it before me, and it was written on both sides, back and front, with dirges and laments and words of woe.