The Lord Chooses Ezekiel
2 The Lord[a] said, “Ezekiel, son of man,[b] I want you to stand up and listen.” 2 After he said this, his Spirit took control of me and lifted me to my feet. Then the Lord said:
3 Ezekiel, I am sending you to the people of Israel. They are just like their ancestors who rebelled against me and refused to stop. 4 They are stubborn and hardheaded. But I, the Lord God, have chosen you to tell them what I say. 5 Those rebels may not even listen, but at least they will know that a prophet has come to them.
6 Don't be afraid of them or of anything they say. You may think you're in the middle of a thorn patch or a bunch of scorpions. But be brave 7 and preach my message to them, whether they choose to listen or not. 8 Ezekiel, don't rebel against me, as they have done. Instead, listen to everything I tell you.
And now, Ezekiel, open your mouth and eat what I am going to give you.
9 (A) Just then, I saw a hand stretched out toward me. And in it was a scroll.[c] 10 The hand opened the scroll, and both sides of it were filled with words of sadness, mourning, and grief.
Footnotes
- 2.1 The Lord: Hebrew “The voice.”
- 2.1 Ezekiel, son of man: The Hebrew text has “Son of man,” which is often used in this book when the Lord speaks directly to Ezekiel. It means that Ezekiel is a mere human, yet he is the one the Lord has chosen to be his prophet who speaks for him to the people of Israel.
- 2.9 scroll: A roll of paper or special leather used for writing on.