New Revised Standard NRS
The Message Bible MSG
1 He said to me: O mortal, stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you.
1 It said, "Son of man, stand up. I have something to say to you."
2 And when he spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; and I heard him speaking to me.
2 The moment I heard the voice, the Spirit entered me and put me on my feet. As he spoke to me, I listened.
3 He said to me, Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have transgressed against me to this very day.
3 He said, "Son of man, I'm sending you to the family of Israel, a rebellious nation if there ever was one. They and their ancestors have fomented rebellion right up to the present.
4 The descendants are impudent and stubborn. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, "Thus says the Lord God."
4 They're a hard case, these people to whom I'm sending you - hardened in their sin. Tell them, 'This is the Message of God, the Master.'
5 Whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house), they shall know that there has been a prophet among them.
5 They are a defiant bunch. Whether or not they listen, at least they'll know that a prophet's been here.
6 And you, O mortal, do not be afraid of them, and do not be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns surround you and you live among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words, and do not be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.
6 But don't be afraid of them, son of man, and don't be afraid of anything they say. Don't be afraid when living among them is like stepping on thorns or finding scorpions in your bed. Don't be afraid of their mean words or their hard looks. They're a bunch of rebels.
7 You shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear; for they are a rebellious house.
7 Your job is to speak to them. Whether they listen is not your concern. They're hardened rebels.
8 But you, mortal, hear what I say to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.
8 "Only take care, son of man, that you don't rebel like these rebels. Open your mouth and eat what I give you."
9 I looked, and a hand was stretched out to me, and a written scroll was in it.
9 When I looked he had his hand stretched out to me, and in the hand a book, a scroll.
10 He spread it before me; it had writing on the front and on the back, and written on it were words of lamentation and mourning and woe.
10 He unrolled the scroll. On both sides, front and back, were written lamentations and mourning and doom.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.