1The word of the Lord came to me:2“Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, (Eze 2:1; Eze 3:11; Eze 14:17; Eze 33:12; Eze 33:17; Eze 33:30; Eze 37:18; Mic 7:4)3and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, (Am 3:6)4then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. (Eze 3:18; Eze 18:13)5He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. (Eze 3:19)6But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand. (Eze 3:18)7“So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. (Eze 3:17; Eze 33:2)8If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. (Eze 33:6)9But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. (Eze 3:19; Eze 33:4; 1Ti 4:16)
Why Will You Die, Israel?
10“And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?’ (Isa 49:14; Eze 2:1; Eze 4:17; Eze 37:11)11Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel? (Eze 16:48; Eze 18:23; Eze 18:31)12“And you, son of man, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness[1] when he sins. (2Ch 7:14; Eze 18:24; Eze 33:2; Eze 33:18)13Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die. (Eze 33:12)14Again, though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ yet if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, (Ge 2:17; Eze 3:18; Eze 18:27)15if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die. (Le 6:2; Le 6:4; Eze 18:7; Eze 20:11; Lu 19:8)16None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live. (Eze 18:22)17“Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just,’ when it is their own way that is not just. (Eze 18:25; Eze 18:29; Eze 33:12)18When the righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it. (Eze 18:26; Eze 33:12)19And when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he shall live by this. (Eze 18:27; Eze 33:11)20Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways.” (Eze 18:30)
Jerusalem Struck Down
21In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has been struck down.” (2Ki 25:2; Eze 1:2; Eze 20:1; Eze 24:26; Eze 26:2; Eze 40:1)22Now the hand of the Lord had been upon me the evening before the fugitive came; and he had opened my mouth by the time the man came to me in the morning, so my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute. (Eze 1:3; Eze 24:26)23The word of the Lord came to me:24“Son of man, the inhabitants of these waste places in the land of Israel keep saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he got possession of the land; but we are many; the land is surely given us to possess.’ (Isa 51:2; Eze 2:1; Eze 36:4; Mt 3:9; Lu 3:8; Ac 7:5)25Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord God: You eat flesh with the blood and lift up your eyes to your idols and shed blood; shall you then possess the land? (Ge 9:4; Le 3:17; Eze 18:6; Eze 22:3)26You rely on the sword, you commit abominations, and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife; shall you then possess the land? (Ge 27:40; Eze 22:11)27Say this to them, Thus says the Lord God: As I live, surely those who are in the waste places shall fall by the sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in strongholds and in caves shall die by pestilence. (1Sa 23:29; Eze 14:21; Eze 16:48; Eze 36:4)28And I will make the land a desolation and a waste, and her proud might shall come to an end, and the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that none will pass through. (Jer 44:2; Jer 44:6; Jer 44:22; Eze 6:2; Eze 7:24; Eze 30:6; Eze 35:3; Eze 35:9)29Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have made the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations that they have committed. (Eze 6:7)30“As for you, son of man, your people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to his brother, ‘Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ (Eze 33:2; Eze 33:24)31And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain. (Ps 78:36; Isa 29:13; Jer 12:2; Eze 8:1; 1Jo 3:18)32And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays[2] well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it. (1Sa 16:17; Mt 7:26; Lu 6:49)33When this comes—and come it will!—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.” (Eze 2:5; Eze 33:29)
Ezekiel 33
New International Version
Renewal of Ezekiel’s call as watchman
1The word of the Lord came to me:2‘Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: “When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman,3and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people,4then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head.5Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves.6But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.”7‘Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.8When I say to the wicked, “You wicked person, you will surely die,” and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for[1] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.9But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.10‘Son of man, say to the Israelites, “This is what you are saying: ‘Our offences and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of[2] them. How then can we live?’ ”11Say to them, “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?”12‘Therefore, son of man, say to your people, “If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.”13If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done.14And if I say to a wicked person, “You will surely die,” but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just and right –15if they give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil – that person will surely live; they will not die.16None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.17‘Yet your people say, “The way of the Lord is not just.” But it is their way that is not just.18If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, they will die for it.19And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so.20Yet you Israelites say, “The way of the Lord is not just.” But I will judge each of you according to your own ways.’
Jerusalem’s fall explained
21In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month on the fifth day, a man who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, ‘The city has fallen!’22Now the evening before the man arrived, the hand of the Lord was on me, and he opened my mouth before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened and I was no longer silent.23Then the word of the Lord came to me:24‘Son of man, the people living in those ruins in the land of Israel are saying, “Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many; surely the land has been given to us as our possession.”25Therefore say to them, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: since you eat meat with the blood still in it and look to your idols and shed blood, should you then possess the land?26You rely on your sword, you do detestable things, and each of you defiles his neighbour’s wife. Should you then possess the land?”27‘Say this to them: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: as surely as I live, those who are left in the ruins will fall by the sword, those out in the country I will give to the wild animals to be devoured, and those in strongholds and caves will die of a plague.28I will make the land a desolate waste, and her proud strength will come to an end, and the mountains of Israel will become desolate so that no-one will cross them.29Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have made the land a desolate waste because of all the detestable things they have done.”30‘As for you, son of man, your people are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, “Come and hear the message that has come from the Lord.”31My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.32Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.33‘When all this comes true – and it surely will – then they will know that a prophet has been among them.’
Ezekiel 33
King James Version
1Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,2Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:3If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;4Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.5He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.6But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman' hand.7So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.8When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man , thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.9Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.10Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?11Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?12Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.13When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.14Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;15If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.16None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.17Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.18When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.19But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.20Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.21And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month , in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten.22Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.23Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,24Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.25Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land?26Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour's wife: and shall ye possess the land?27Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.28For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through.29Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.30Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD.31And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.32And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.33And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.
Ezekiel 33
New International Reader’s Version
The Lord again appoints Ezekiel to warn Israel
1A message from the LORD came to me. The LORD said,2‘Son of man, speak to your people. Tell them, “Suppose I send enemies against a land. And its people choose one of their men to stand guard.3He sees the enemies coming against the land. He blows a trumpet to warn the people.4Someone hears the trumpet. But they do not pay any attention to the warning. The enemies come and kill them. Then what happens to them will be their own fault.5They heard the sound of the trumpet. But they did not pay any attention to the warning. So what happened to them was their own fault. If they had paid attention, they would have saved themselves.6But suppose the guard sees the enemies coming. And he does not blow the trumpet to warn the people. The enemies come and kill one of them. Then their life has been taken away from them because they sinned. But I will hold the guard responsible for their death.”7‘Son of man, I have appointed you as a prophet to warn the people of Israel. So listen to my message. Give them a warning from me.8Suppose I say to a sinful person, “You can be sure that you will die.” And suppose you do not try to get them to change their ways. Then they will die because they have sinned. And I will hold you responsible for their death.9But suppose you do warn that sinful person. You tell them to change their ways. But they do not change. Then they will die because they have sinned. But you will have saved yourself.10‘Son of man, speak to the Israelites. Tell them, “You are saying, ‘Our sins and the wrong things we have done weigh us down. We are wasting away because we have sinned so much. So how can we live?’ ”11Tell them, “When sinful people die, it does not give me any joy. But when they turn away from their sins and live, that makes me very happy. And that is just as sure as I am alive,” announces the LORD and King. “So turn away from your sins! Change your evil ways! Why should you die, people of Israel?”12‘Son of man, speak to your people. Tell them, “Suppose a godly person does not obey the LORD. Then the right things that person has done in the past count for nothing. Suppose a sinful person turns away from doing wrong things. Then the wrong things that person has done in the past won’t bring them judgment. A godly person who sins won’t be allowed to live. That’s true even though they used to do right things.”13Suppose I tell a godly person that they will live. And they trust in the fact that they used to do what is right. But now they do what is evil. Then I will not remember any of the right things they have done. They will die because they have done so many evil things.14Suppose I say to a sinful person, “You can be sure you will die.” And then they turn away from their sin. They do what is fair and right.15They return things they take to make sure loans are repaid. They give back what they have stolen. They obey my rules that give life. They do not do what is evil. Then you can be sure they will live. They will not die.16None of the sins they have committed will be held against them. They have done what is fair and right. So you can be sure they will live.17‘In spite of that, your people say, “What the Lord does isn’t fair.” But it is what you do that is not fair.18Suppose a godly person stops doing what is right. And they do what is evil. Then they will die because of it.19But suppose a sinful person turns away from the evil things they have done. And they do what is fair and right. Then they will live by doing that.20In spite of that, you Israelites say, “What the Lord does isn’t fair.” But I will judge each of you based on how you have lived.’
The Lord explains why Jerusalem fell
21It was the 12th year since we had been brought to Babylon as prisoners. On the fifth day of the tenth month, a man who had escaped from Jerusalem came to bring me a report. He said, ‘The city has fallen!’22The evening before the man arrived, the power of the LORD came on me. He opened my mouth before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened. I was no longer silent.23Then a message from the LORD came to me. The LORD said,24‘Son of man, here is what the people living in Israel’s broken-down buildings are saying. “Abraham was only one man. But he owned the land. We are many people. The land must certainly belong to us.”25So tell them, “The LORD and King says, ‘You eat meat that still has blood in it. You worship your statues of gods. You commit murder. So should you still possess the land?26You depend on your swords. You do things I hate. Each one of you sleeps with your neighbour’s wife. So should you still possess the land?’ ”27‘Tell them, “Here is what the LORD and King says. ‘The people who are left in those broken-down buildings will be killed by swords. Wild animals will eat up those who are out in the country. Those who are in caves and other safe places will die of a plague. And that is just as sure as I am alive.28I will turn the land into a dry and empty desert. The strength Jerusalem is so proud of will come to an end. The mountains of Israel will be deserted. No one will travel across them.29So I will turn the land into a dry and empty desert. I will punish my people because of all the evil things they have done. I hate those things. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’ ”30‘Son of man, your people are talking about you. They are getting together by the walls of their houses and at their doors. They are saying to one another, “Come. Listen to the LORD’s message.”31My people come to you, just as they usually do. They sit in front of you. They hear what you say. But they do not put it into practice. With their mouths they say they love me. But in their hearts they want what belongs to others. They try to get rich by cheating them.32You are nothing more to them than someone who sings love songs. They say you have a beautiful voice. They think you play an instrument well. They hear what you say. But they do not put it into practice.33‘Everything I have told you will come true. You can be sure of it. Then the people will know that a prophet has been among them.’