And you shall speak my words to them: God commands Ezekiel to tell the people the message he is giving to them.

Whether they hear or refuse to hear: See the comments on Ezek 2.5. Ezekiel is to give them God’s message, whether they respond and obey, or whether they refuse to listen.

For they are a rebellious house: This Revised Standard Version reading is a favorite expression of Ezekiel, and it is supported by many Hebrew manuscripts and early translations. But the best Hebrew text does not have the word house, and says nothing more than “for they are rebellious” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). There is no way of knowing whether the word house was in the original text and accidentally dropped out, or whether it was not in the original text and a scribe put it in by mistake, because it is in verses 5, 6, and 8. Either way, the meaning is the same. Most modern versions follow the best Hebrew text, but Contemporary English Version omits the whole clause, because it is used in verses 5 and 6 already. This is permissible, depending on the requirements of naturalness in the receptor language. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch connects this clause well with the first half of the verse by saying “You know, after all, that they are a rebellious people.”

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .