1He said to me, “You human, eat this scroll that is in front of you. Then go and speak to the Israeli people [MTY].”

2So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat it.

3Then he said to me, “You human, eat the scroll that I have given to you. Fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and in my mouth it tasted as sweet as honey.

4Then he said to me, “You human, go to the Israeli people [MTY] and tell them my message.

5The people to whom I am sending you are not people whose language is very difficultto learn, a language which you do not understand. I am sending you to your Israeli people [MTY].

6I am sending you to people whose language you understand very well. If I were sending you to people whose language was difficult for you to understand, they wouldbe surprised and pay attention to what yousay to them.

7But the Israeli people do not want to listen to you because they do not want to listen to me. They do not want to listen because they are all very stubborn [DOU].

8But I will enable you [SYN] to be as stubborn and tough as they are.

9I will cause you to be as firm/unbreakable as [SIM] the hardest stone, like flint. So, even though they are very rebellious people, do not be afraid of them; do not allow them to cause you to be afraid.”

10He also said to me, “You human, listen very carefully to what I say, and keep thinking about it [IDM].

11Go to your fellow Israelis who arehere after being ◄exiled/forced to leave their country►, and speak to them. Say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says,’ and then tell them my message, whether they want to hear it or whether they do not want to hear it.”

12Thenin the vision the Spiritof God lifted me up, and I heard behind mesomeone speaking very loudly, like a loud rumbling sound. I heard someone say, “Praise our glorious Yahweh in the place where he livesin heaven!”

13I heard the sound of the wings of the four living creatures brushing against each other, andI also heard the sound of the wheels that were beside them. It was a loud rumbling sound.

14The Spirit took me away. Within me I was very bitter and angry [DOU], but I felt Yahweh holding me very powerfully.

15I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Abibtown near the Kebar River/Canalsouth of Babylon. Then, where they were living, I sat for seven days. I was shockedabout everything that I had seen.

The warning to the Israeli people

16After those seven days had ended, Yahweh gave me this message:

17“You human, I am appointing youto be like a watchman [MET] for the Israeli people [MTY]. So listen to these messages that I will give you, and tell them those messages to warn them.

18When I say about some wicked people, ‘They will surely diebecause of their sins,’ if you do not warn them or tell them that they must turn from their wicked behavior if they want to ◄save their lives/remain alive►, those wicked people will die because of the sins that they have committed, but I will consider that you are responsible for their deaths [MTY].

19But if you warn the wicked people and they do not turn from all their wicked behavior [DOU], they will die because of their sins, but you will have saved yourselffrom my punishing you.

20Similarly, when righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and do evil deeds, I will cause bad things to happen [IDM] to them. But you must warn them. If you do not warn them, and if they do not stop their sinful behavior, they will die because of their sins; I will not think about the righteous things that they didpreviously, but I will consider that you are responsible for their deaths [MTY].

21But if you warn righteous people not to sin, and they do not sin, they will surely remain alive because they heededyour warning, and you will have saved yourselffrom my punishing you.”

22I felt Yahweh take control [MTY] of me, and he said to me, “Get up and go outfrom the city down to the plain/valley, and there I will speak to you.”

23So I got up and went down to the valley. And I saw the glory of Yahweh there, like the glory that I had seen along the Kebar River/Canal. And I prostrated myself on the ground.

24Then the Spiritof God entered me and enabled me to stand up. He said to me, “Go into your house and stay inside it.

25People will tie you with ropes, with the result that you will be unable to go out among the people.

26Even though they are very rebellious people, I will cause your tongue to stick to the roof of your mouth, with the result that you will be unable to talk and to rebuke them.

27Butthen when I speak to youagain, I will enable you to talk [MTY], and you will say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says,’ and you will tell them my message. Those who are willing to listento what you say will listen, butmany will refuse to listen, because they are rebellious people [MTY].”