Ezekiel was called to be a prophet

2 He said to me, “You human, stand up while I speak to you.” 2 While he spoke to me, God’s Spirit entered me and enabled me to stand up. Then I heard him speak to me.

3 He said, “You human, I will send you to the Israeli people. They are people who have turned away from me and rebelled against me. Their ancestors rebelled against me, and they themselves are still rebelling against me. 4 The people to whom I will send you are very stubborn [DOU]. But say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says to you.’ 5 Andwhen you tell them my messages, perhaps those rebellious people will heed those messages and perhaps they will not heed them, but they will know thatyou are a prophet who has been among them. 6 And you human, you must not be afraid of them or afraid of what they say. Living among them will be like living in the midst of briers or scorpions, but do not be afraid of them. They are rebellious people [MTY], but do not allow them to cause you to become afraid. 7 Tell them my message, but do not expect them to pay attention to it, because they arevery rebellious. 8 But human, you must pay attention to what I say. Do not be rebellious like they are. Now open your mouth and eat what I give to you.”

9 Then, as I watched, I saw his hand that was stretched toward me. In his hand was a scroll. 10 He unrolled the scroll. On both sides of it were written words that expressed sorrow and mourning and words about trouble/disaster.

3 He said to me, “You human, eat this scroll that is in front of you. Then go and speak to the Israeli people [MTY].” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat it.

3 Then 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.

4 Then he said to me, “You human, go to the Israeli people [MTY] and tell them my message. 5 The 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]. 6 I 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. 7 But 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]. 8 But I will enable you [SYN] to be as stubborn and tough as they are. 9 I 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.”

10 He also said to me, “You human, listen very carefully to what I say, and keep thinking about it [IDM]. 11 Go 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.”

12 Thenin 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!” 13 I 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. 14 The Spirit took me away. Within me I was very bitter and angry [DOU], but I felt Yahweh holding me very powerfully. 15 I 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.