3. Then God said, “Son of man, I am giving you this scroll. Swallow it! Let that scroll fill your body.” So I ate the scroll. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
4. Then God said to me, “Son of man, go to the family of Israel. Speak my words to them.
5. I am not sending you to some foreigners you cannot understand. You don’t have to learn another language. I am sending you to the family of Israel.
6. I am not sending you to many different countries where people speak languages you cannot understand. If you went to those people and spoke to them, they would listen to you. But you will not have to learn those hard languages.
7. No, I am sending you to the family of Israel. Only, these people have hard heads—they are very stubborn! And the people of Israel will refuse to listen to you. They don’t want to listen to me.
8. But I will make you just as stubborn as they are, and your head just as hard.
9. A diamond is harder than flint rock. In the same way you will be more stubborn than they are, and your head will be harder. Then you will not be afraid of them or those who always turn against me.”
10. Then God said to me, “Son of man, listen to every word I say to you and remember them.
11. Then go to all of your people in exile and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says ….’ They will not listen, and they will not stop sinning, but you must still tell them my message.”
12. Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a voice behind me. It was very loud, like thunder. It said, “Blessed is the Glory of the Lord!”
13. Then the wings of the living beings began moving. The wings made a very loud noise as they touched each other, and the wheels in front of them began making a noise as loud as thunder.