The Father Sends His Prophet
2 1 He said to me, "Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you." a a v1 Here "son of man" simply means "mortal" — it marks Ezekiel as a frail human standing before the living God, and is not the royal title Jesus later claims for himself.
2 The Spirit of our Father entered me as our Father spoke, set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.
3 He said to me, "Son of man, I am sending you to Israel's people, rebellious nations that have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have sinned against me to this very day. 4 They are stubborn-faced and hard-hearted. I am sending you to them, and you will tell them, 'This is what the Sovereign Father says.' 5 Whether they listen or refuse — for they are a rebellious house — they will know a prophet has been among them. 6 And you, son of man, do not fear them or their words, though thornbushes and thorns are with you and you live among scorpions. Do not fear their words or be dismayed at their faces, for they are a rebellious house. 7 You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or refuse, for they are rebellious. 8 But you, son of man, hear what I speak to you. Don't rebel like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I give you.
9 I looked, and a hand was reaching out to me, and in it a scroll of a book. 10 He spread it before me; on front and back were written lamentations, mourning, and woe.
