Die Propheten
Ezekiel eats the scroll and receives his prophetic mission
God gives the prophet Ezekiel a scroll which he eats, and it tastes as sweet as honey in his mouth. Then the Lord sends him to the house of Israel to speak His words, warning that the people are rebellious and will not listen. God promises to make Ezekiel's forehead hard like a diamond, harder than flint, so that he need not fear them, and sends him to the exiles among his own people to proclaim the Lord's words whether they hear or refuse.
Hesekiel 3,1-11
1He said to me, "Son of man, eat what you find here. Eat this scroll, then go and speak to the house of Israel."
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־תִּמְצָ֖א אֱכ֑וֹל אֱכוֹל֙ אֶת־הַמְּגִלָּ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את וְלֵ֥ךְ דַּבֵּ֖ר אֶל־בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
2So I opened my mouth, and he fed me the scroll.
וָאֶפְתַּ֖ח אֶת־פִּ֑י וַיַּ֣אֲכִלֵ֔נִי אֵ֖ת הַמְּגִלָּ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃
3He said to me, "Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your belly with this scroll that I am giving you." So I ate it, and in my mouth it was as sweet as honey.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י בֶּן־אָדָם֙ בִּטְנְךָ֤ תַֽאֲכֵל֙ וּמֵעֶ֣יךָ תְמַלֵּ֔א אֵ֚ת הַמְּגִלָּ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י נֹתֵ֣ן אֵלֶ֑יךָ וָאֹ֣כְלָ֔ה וַתְּהִ֥י בְּפִ֖י כִּדְבַ֥שׁ לְמָתֽוֹק׃ פ
4Then he said to me, "Son of man, go now to the house of Israel and speak my words to them.
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלָ֑י בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם לֶךְ־בֹּא֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְדִבַּרְתָּ֥ בִדְבָרַ֖י אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
5You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and difficult language, but to the house of Israel—
כִּ֡י לֹא֩ אֶל־עַ֨ם עִמְקֵ֥י שָׂפָ֛ה וְכִבְדֵ֥י לָשׁ֖וֹן אַתָּ֣ה שָׁל֑וּחַ אֶל־בֵּ֖ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
6not to many peoples of obscure speech and difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. Had I sent you to them, they would have listened to you.
לֹ֣א ׀ אֶל־עַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֗ים עִמְקֵ֤י שָׂפָה֙ וְכִבְדֵ֣י לָשׁ֔וֹן אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־תִשְׁמַ֖ע דִּבְרֵיהֶ֑ם אִם־לֹ֤א אֲלֵיהֶם֙ שְׁלַחְתִּ֔יךָ הֵ֖מָּה יִשְׁמְע֥וּ אֵלֶֽיךָ׃
7But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me. The whole house of Israel is hard-browed and stubborn-hearted.
וּבֵ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לֹ֤א יֹאבוּ֙ לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ אֵלֶ֔יךָ כִּֽי־אֵינָ֥ם אֹבִ֖ים לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ אֵלָ֑י כִּ֚י כָּל־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל חִזְקֵי־מֵ֥צַח וּקְשֵׁי־לֵ֖ב הֵֽמָּה׃
8See, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your brow as hard as their brow.
הִנֵּ֨ה נָתַ֧תִּי אֶת־פָּנֶ֛יךָ חֲזָקִ֖ים לְעֻמַּ֣ת פְּנֵיהֶ֑ם וְאֶֽת־מִצְחֲךָ֥ חָזָ֖ק לְעֻמַּ֥ת מִצְחָֽם׃
9I have made your brow like a diamond, harder than flint. Do not fear them or be dismayed before them, for they are a rebellious house.
כְּשָׁמִ֛יר חָזָ֥ק מִצֹּ֖ר נָתַ֣תִּי מִצְחֶ֑ךָ לֹֽא־תִירָ֤א אוֹתָם֙ וְלֹא־תֵחַ֣ת מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם כִּ֛י בֵּֽית־מְרִ֖י הֵֽמָּה׃ פ
10And he said to me, "Son of man, take into your heart every word I speak to you, and listen with your ears.
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלָ֑י בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם אֶת־כָּל־דְּבָרַי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲדַבֵּ֣ר אֵלֶ֔יךָ קַ֥ח בִּֽלְבָבְךָ֖ וּבְאָזְנֶ֥יךָ שְׁמָֽע׃
11Go now to the exiles, to your own people, and speak to them. Say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says'—whether they listen or refuse."
וְלֵ֨ךְ בֹּ֤א אֶל־הַגּוֹלָה֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֤ אֲלֵיהֶם֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהֹוִ֑ה אִֽם־יִשְׁמְע֖וּ וְאִם־יֶחְדָּֽלוּ׃