Ezekiel 33

1 Again the word of יהוה came unto me, saying,

2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your 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.

3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blows the trumpet, and warn the people;

4 Then 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.

5 He 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.

6 But if the watchman sees 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’s hand.’

7 So you, O son of man, I have set you a watchman unto the house of Yisrael; therefore you shalt hear the word at My mouth, and warn them from Me.

8 When I say unto the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shalt surely die; if you 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 your hand.

9 Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.

10 Therefore, O you son of man, speak unto the house of Yisrael: ‘Thus you speak, saying, “If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?”’

11 “Say unto them: ‘As I live,’ saith Lord (Adonai) יהוה, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn you, turn you from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Yisrael?’

12 “Therefore, you son of man, say unto the children of your 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.’

13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trusts 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.

14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, ‘You shalt surely die;’ if he turns from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;

15 If 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.

16 None 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.

17 Yet the children of your people say, ‘The way of the Lord (Adonai) is not equal,’ but as for them, their way is not equal.

18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.

19 But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.

20 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord (Adonai) is not equal.’ O you house of Yisrael, I will judge you every one after his ways.”

21 And 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 (Yerushalayim) came unto me, saying, ‘The city is smitten.’

22 Now the hand of יהוה was upon me in the evening, before 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.

23 Then the word of יהוה came unto me, saying:

24 “Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Yisrael speak, saying, ‘Avraham was one, and he inherited the land; but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.’

25 Wherefore say unto them, ‘Thus saith Lord (Adonai) יהוה: “You eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood; and shall you possess the land?

26 You stand upon your sword, you work abomination, and you defile every one his neighbour’s wife: and shall you possess the land?

27 Say you thus unto them, ‘Thus saith Lord (Adonai) יהוה: “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.

28 For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Yisrael shall be desolate, that none shall pass through.

29 Then shall they know that I am יהוה, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.”’

30 Also, you son of man, the children of your people still are talking against you by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, ‘Please come, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from יהוה.’

31 And they come unto you as the people cometh, and they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they will not do them; for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.

32 And, behold, you are unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do them not.

33 And when this cometh to pass, (behold, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.”