Ezekiel 3:4-6

3:4 He said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them. 3:5 For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech ¹  and difficult language, ²  but ³  to the house of Israel – 3:6 not to many peoples of unintelligible speech and difficult language, whose words you cannot understand ⁴  – surely if ⁵  I had sent you to them, they would listen to you!

[3:5]  ¹ tn Heb “deep of lip” (in the sense of incomprehensible).

[3:5]  ² tn Heb “heavy of tongue.” Similar language occurs in Exod 4:10; Isa 33:19.

[3:5]  ³ tn The conjunction “but” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied from the context.

[3:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “hear.”

[3:6]  ⁵ tc The MT reads “if not” but most ancient versions translate only “if.” The expression occurs with this sense in Isa 5:9; 14:24. See also Ezek 34:8; 36:5; 38:19.