וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָי בֶּן־אָדָם עֲמֹד עַל־רַגְלֶיךָ וַאֲדַבֵּר אֹתָךְ

He, the voice from God, said to me: Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak to you.

וַתָּבֹא בִי רוּחַ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלַי וַתַּעֲמִדֵנִי עַל־רַגְלָי וָאֶשְׁמַע אֵת מִדַּבֵּר אֵלָי

A spirit entered me, or, alternatively, I was girded with a new spirit, when He, the voice, spoke to me and stood me on my feet, and I heard Him who was speaking to me. Ezekiel heard the voice of God without discerning the source of the voice or its precise direction. It was as though the voice was radiating throughout the world and Ezekiel was simply attuned to it.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי בֶּן־אָדָם שׁוֹלֵחַ אֲנִי אוֹתְךָ אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־גּוֹיִם הַמּוֹרְדִים אֲשֶׁר מָרְדוּ־בִי הֵמָּה וַאֲבוֹתָם פָּשְׁעוּ בִי עַד־עֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

He said to me: Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to the rebellious nations. The plural term “nations” refers to the different tribes of Israel. Alternatively, the term is to be understood in the singular and refers to the nation of Israel as a whole. The book of Ezekiel contains many examples of the prophet employing the plural form when referring to a singular entity (see commentary on 12:10). In any case, God says to Ezekiel: I am sending you to a nation that rebelled against Me, as they and their fathers have transgressed against Me until this very day.

וְהַבָּנִים קְשֵׁי פָנִים וְחִזְקֵי־לֵב אֲנִי שׁוֹלֵחַ אוֹתְךָ אֲלֵיהֶם וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים

The children are hard-faced and stubborn-hearted. They are brazen and obstinate. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them: So said the Lord God. You are the one who shall deliver the word of God to this difficult nation.

וְהֵמָּה אִם־יִשְׁמְעוּ ואִם־יֶחְדָּלוּ כִּי בֵּית מְרִי הֵמָּה וְיָדְעוּ כִּי נָבִיא הָיָה בְתוֹכָם

And they, whether they heed or whether they refrain, as they are a defiant house, a group of rebels, in whom disobedience and contempt are ingrained like an ancestral tradition, they will know, after your prophecies come to pass, that a prophet had been among them.

וְאַתָּה בֶן־אָדָם אַל־תִּירָא מֵהֶם וּמִדִּבְרֵיהֶם אַל־תִּירָא כִּי סָרָבִים וְסַלּוֹנִים אוֹתָךְ וְאֶל עַקְרַבִּים אַתָּה יוֹשֵׁב מִדִּבְרֵיהֶם אַל־תִּירָא וּמִפְּנֵיהֶם אַל־תֵּחָת כִּי בֵּית מְרִי הֵמָּה

You, Son of man, do not fear them, and do not fear their words, though they are briars, or caustic materials, and thistles to you and you sit by thornbushes. Do not fear their words, and do not be dismayed because of them, as they are a house of defiance, and it is only to be expected that their behavior will be unpleasant.

וְדִבַּרְתָּ אֶת־דְּבָרַי אֲלֵיהֶם אִם־יִשְׁמְעוּ וְאִם־יֶחְדָּלוּ כִּי מְרִי הֵמָּה

You shall speak My words to them, whether they will heed or whether they will refrain, as they are defiant people. Your journey will not be simple, and it is doubtful whether you will have any influence over Israel. Nevertheless, your task is to transmit My words to the people under any conditions, so that they will be reminded through you that they have not been abandoned. Even in exile, there was a prophet who assumed the mantle and warned them.

וְאַתָּה בֶן־אָדָם שְׁמַע אֵת אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִי מְדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ אַל־תְּהִי מֶרִי כְּבֵית הַמֶּרִי פְּצֵה פִיךָ וֶאֱכֹל אֵת אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִי נֹתֵן אֵלֶיךָ

You, Son of man, heed that which I am speaking to you: Do not be defiant like the house of defiance in which you live. Obey My commands; do not refuse: Open your mouth and eat that which I am giving to you.

וָאֶרְאֶה וְהִנֵּה־יָד שְׁלוּחָה אֵלָי וְהִנֵּה־בוֹ מְגִלַּת־סֵפֶר

I looked, and behold, a hand was extended to me, and behold, in it there was a scrolled book.

וַיִּפְרשׂ אוֹתָהּ לְפָנַי וְהִיא כְתוּבָה פָּנִים וְאָחוֹר וְכָתוּב אֵלֶיהָ קִנִים וָהֶגֶה וָהִי

He, the extended hand, spread it out before me, and it was written within and without, on both sides, and written in it were lamentations and matters that evoke moaning and woe.