³ He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day.^{(A) 4} The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn.^(B) Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’^{(C) 5} And whether they listen or fail to listen^(D)—for they are a rebellious people^(E)—they will know that a prophet has been among them.^{(F) 6} And you, son of man, do not be afraid^(G) of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns^(H) are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.^{(I) 7} You must speak^(J) my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.^(K)

⁴ He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them.^{(A) 5} You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and strange language,^(B) but to the people of Israel— ⁶ not to many peoples of obscure speech and strange language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you.^{(C) 7} But the people of Israel are not willing to listen^(D) to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate.^{(E) 8} But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are.^{(F) 9} I will make your forehead^(G) like the hardest stone, harder than flint.^(H) Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.^(I)”

⁴ Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. ⁵ He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

⁶ “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all,^(A) saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

⁷ “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ ⁸ So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.