¹ And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

^{2 Ref} `Son of man, speak unto the sons of thy people, and thou hast said unto them: A land -- when I bring in against it a sword, And the people of the land have taken one man out of their borders, And made him to them for a watchman.

^{3 Ref} And he hath seen the sword coming against the land, And hath blown with a trumpet, and hath warned the people,

^{4 Ref} And the hearer hath heard the voice of the trumpet, and he hath not taken warning, And come in doth the sword, and taketh him away, His blood is on his head.

^{5 Ref} The voice of the trumpet he heard, And he hath not taken warning, his blood is on him, And he who took warning his soul hath delivered.

^{6 Ref} And the watchman, when he seeth the sword coming in, And he hath not blown with a trumpet, And the people hath not been warned, And come in doth a sword, And taketh away of them -- a soul, He in his iniquity is taken away, And his blood from the hand of the watchman I require.

^{7 Ref} And thou, son of man, A watchman I gave thee to the house of Israel, And thou hast heard from My mouth a word, And thou hast warned them from Me.

^{8 Ref} In My saying to the wicked, O wicked one -- thou dost surely die, And thou hast not spoken to warn the wicked from his way, He -- the wicked -- in his iniquity doth die, And his blood from thy hand I require.

^{9 Ref} And thou, when thou hast warned the wicked of his way, to turn back from it, And he hath not turned back from his way, He in his iniquity doth die, And thou thy soul hast delivered.

^{10 Ref} And thou, son of man, say unto the house of Israel: Rightly ye have spoken, saying: Surely our transgressions and our sins `are' on us, And in them we are wasting away, How, then, do we live?

^{11 Ref} Say unto them, I live -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, I delight not in the death of the wicked, But -- in the turning of the wicked from his way, And he hath lived, Turn back, turn back, from your evil ways, Yea, why do ye die, O house of Israel?

^{12 Ref} And thou, son of man, say unto the sons of thy people: The righteousness of the righteous doth not deliver him in the day of his transgression, And the wickedness of the wicked, He doth not stumble for it in the day of his turning from his wickedness, And the righteous is not able to live in it in the day of his sinning.

^{13 Ref} In My saying of the righteous: He surely liveth, And -- he hath trusted on his righteousness, And he hath done perversity, All his righteous acts are not remembered, And for his perversity that he hath done, For it he doth die.

^{14 Ref} And in My saying to the wicked: Thou surely diest, And -- he hath turned back from his sin, And hath done judgment and righteousness,

^{15 Ref} (The pledge the wicked restoreth, plunder he repayeth,) In the statutes of life he hath walked, So as not to do perversity, He surely liveth -- he doth not die.

^{16 Ref} None of his sin that he hath sinned is remembered to him, Judgment and righteousness he hath done, He doth surely live.

^{17 Ref} And the sons of thy people have said: The way of the Lord is not pondered, As to them -- their way is not pondered.

^{18 Ref} In the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, And he hath done perversity -- he dieth for it.

^{19 Ref} And in the turning back of the wicked from his wickedness, And he hath done judgment and righteousness, by them he liveth.

^{20 Ref} And ye have said: The way of the Lord is not pondered, Each according to his ways do I judge you, O house of Israel.'

^{21 Ref} And it cometh to pass, in the twelfth year -- in the tenth `month', in the fifth of the month -- of our removal, come in unto me doth one who is escaped from Jerusalem, saying, `The city hath been smitten.'

^{22 Ref} And the hand of Jehovah hath been unto me in the evening, before the coming in of the escaped one, and He openeth my mouth till the coming in unto me in the morning, and opened is my mouth, and I have not been silent again.

²³ And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

^{24 Ref} `Son of man, the inhabitants of these wastes on the ground of Israel are speaking, saying: Alone hath been Abraham -- and he possesseth the land, and we `are' many -- to us hath the land been given for a possession.

^{25 Ref} Therefore say unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: With the blood ye do eat, And your eyes ye lift up unto your idols, And blood ye shed, and the land ye inherit!

^{26 Ref} Ye have stood on your sword, Ye have done abomination, Each the wife of his neighbour ye have defiled, And the land ye possess!

^{27 Ref} Thus dost thou say unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: I live -- do not they who `are' in the wastes by the sword fall? And they who `are' on the face of the field, To the beast I have given for food, And they who are in strongholds and in caves by pestilence die.

^{28 Ref} And I have made the land a desolation and an astonishment, And ceased hath the excellency of its strength, And desolated have been mountains of Israel, Without any one passing through.

^{29 Ref} And they have known that I `am' Jehovah, In My making the land a desolation and an astonishment, For all their abominations that they have done.

^{30 Ref} And thou, son of man, the sons of thy people who are speaking about thee, By the walls, and in openings of the houses, Have spoken one with another, each with his brother, Saying: Come in, I pray you, And hear what `is' the word that cometh out from Jehovah.

^{31 Ref} And they come in unto thee as the coming in of a people, And they sit before thee -- My people, And have heard thy words, and they do them not, For doting loves with their mouth they are making, After their dishonest gain their heart is going.

^{32 Ref} And lo, thou `art' to them as a singer of doting loves, A pleasant voice, and playing well on an instrument, And they have heard thy words, and they are not doing them.

^{33 Ref} And in its coming in -- lo, it hath come, And they have known that a prophet hath been in their midst!'

¹ And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

^{2 Ref} Son of man, give a word to the children of your people, and say to them, When I make the sword come on a land, if the people of the land take a man from among their number and make him their watchman:

^{3 Ref} If, when he sees the sword coming on the land, by sounding the horn he gives the people news of their danger;

^{4 Ref} Then anyone who, hearing the sound of the horn, does not take note of it, will himself be responsible for his death, if the sword comes and takes him away.

^{5 Ref} On hearing the sound of the horn, he did not take note; his blood will be on him; for if he had taken note his life would have been safe.

^{6 Ref} But if the watchman sees the sword coming, and does not give a note on the horn, and the people have no word of the danger, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them; he will be taken away in his sin, but I will make the watchman responsible for his blood.

^{7 Ref} So you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the children of Israel; and you are to give ear to the word of my mouth and give them news from me of their danger.

^{8 Ref} When I say to the evil-doer, Death will certainly overtake you; and you say nothing to make clear to the evil-doer the danger of his way; death will overtake that evil man in his evil-doing, but I will make you responsible for his blood.

^{9 Ref} But if you make clear to the evil-doer the danger of his way for the purpose of turning him from it, and he is not turned from his way, death will overtake him in his evil-doing, but your life will be safe.

^{10 Ref} And you, son of man, say to the children of Israel, You say, Our wrongdoing and our sins are on us and we are wasting away in them; how then may we have life?

^{11 Ref} Say to them, By my life, says the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the evil-doer; it is more pleasing to me if he is turned from his way and has life: be turned, be turned from your evil ways; why are you looking for death, O children of Israel?

^{12 Ref} And you, son of man, say to the children of your people, The righteousness of the upright man will not make him safe in the day when he does wrong; and the evil-doing of the evil man will not be the cause of his fall in the day when he is turned from his evil-doing; and the upright man will not have life because of his righteousness in the day when he does evil.

^{13 Ref} When I say to the upright that life will certainly be his; if he puts his faith in his righteousness and does evil, not one of his upright acts will be kept in memory; but in the evil he has done, death will overtake him.

^{14 Ref} And when I say to the evil-doer, Death will certainly be your fate; if he is turned from his sin and does what is ordered and right;

^{15 Ref} If the evil-doer lets one who is in his debt have back what is his, and gives back what he had taken by force, and is guided by the rules of life, doing no evil; life will certainly be his, death will not overtake him.

^{16 Ref} Not one of the sins which he has done will be kept in mind against him: he has done what is ordered and right, life will certainly be his.

^{17 Ref} But the children of your people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: when it is they whose way is not equal.

^{18 Ref} When the upright man, turning away from his righteousness, does evil, death will overtake him in it.

^{19 Ref} And when the evil man, turning away from his evil-doing, does what is ordered and right, he will get life by it.

^{20 Ref} And still you say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O children of Israel, I will be your judge, giving to everyone the reward of his ways.

^{21 Ref} Now in the twelfth year after we had been taken away prisoners, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, one who had got away in flight from Jerusalem came to me, saying, The town has been taken.

^{22 Ref} Now the hand of the Lord had been on me in the evening, before the man who had got away came to me; and he made my mouth open, ready for his coming to me in the morning; and my mouth was open and I was no longer without voice.

²³ And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

^{24 Ref} Son of man, those who are living in these waste places in the land of Israel say, Abraham was but one, and he had land for his heritage: but we are a great number; the land is given to us for our heritage.

^{25 Ref} For this cause say to them, This is what the Lord has said: You take your meat with the blood, your eyes are lifted up to your images, and you are takers of life: are you to have the land for your heritage?

^{26 Ref} You put your faith in your swords, you do disgusting things, everyone takes his neighbour's wife: are you to have the land for your heritage?

^{27 Ref} This is what you are to say to them: The Lord has said, By my life, truly, those who are in the waste places will be put to the sword, and him who is in the open field I will give to the beasts for their food, and those who are in the strong places and in holes in the rocks will come to their death by disease.

^{28 Ref} And I will make the land a waste and a cause of wonder, and the pride of her strength will come to an end; and the mountains of Israel will be made waste so that no one will go through.

^{29 Ref} Then they will be certain that I am the Lord, when I have made the land a waste and a cause of wonder, because of all the disgusting things which they have done,

^{30 Ref} And as for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking together about you by the walls and in the doorways of the houses, saying to one another, Come now, give ear to the word which comes from the Lord.

^{31 Ref} And they come to you as my people come, and are seated before you as my people, hearing your words but doing them not: for deceit is in their mouth and their heart goes after profit for themselves.

^{32 Ref} And truly you are to them like a love song by one who has a very pleasing voice and is an expert player on an instrument: for they give ear to your words but do them not.

^{33 Ref} And when this comes about (see, it is coming), then it will be clear to them that a prophet has been among them.

¹ The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

^{2 Ref} Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and tell them, When I bring the sword on a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and set him for their watchman;

^{3 Ref} if, when he sees the sword come on the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;

^{4 Ref} then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet, and doesn't take warning, if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be on his own head.

^{5 Ref} He heard the sound of the trumpet, and didn't take warning; his blood shall be on him; whereas if he had taken warning, he would have delivered his soul.

^{6 Ref} But if the watchman sees the sword come, and doesn't blow the trumpet, and the people aren't warned, and the sword comes, 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 Ref} So you, son of man, I have set you a watchman to the house of Israel; therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

^{8 Ref} When I tell the wicked, O wicked man, you shall surely die, and you don't 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 Ref} Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, and he doesn't turn from his way; he shall die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your soul.

^{10 Ref} You, son of man, tell the house of Israel: Thus you speak, saying, Our transgressions and our sins are on us, and we pine away in them; how then can we live?

^{11 Ref} Tell them, As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, 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, house of Israel?

^{12 Ref} You, son of man, tell the children of your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his disobedience; and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turns from his wickedness; neither shall he who is righteous be able to live thereby in the day that he sins.

^{13 Ref} When I tell the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his righteousness, and commit iniquity, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered; but in his iniquity that he has committed, therein shall he die.

^{14 Ref} Again, when I say to the wicked, You shall surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;

^{15 Ref} if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that which he had taken by robbery, walk in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.

^{16 Ref} None of his sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him: he has done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

^{17 Ref} Yet the children of your people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.

^{18 Ref} When the righteous turns from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, he shall even die therein.

^{19 Ref} When the wicked turns from his wickedness, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.

^{20 Ref} Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not equal. House of Israel, I will judge you everyone after his ways.

^{21 Ref} It happened in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth [month], in the fifth [day] of the month, that one who had escaped out of Jerusalem came to me, saying, The city has been struck.

^{22 Ref} Now the hand of Yahweh had been on me in the evening, before he who was escaped came; and he had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more mute.

²³ The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

^{24 Ref} Son of man, they who inhabit those waste places in 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.

^{25 Ref} Therefore tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: You eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood: and shall you possess the land?

^{26 Ref} You stand on your sword, you work abomination, and you defile everyone his neighbor's wife: and shall you possess the land?

^{27 Ref} Thus shall you tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: As I live, surely those who are in the waste places shall fall by the sword; and him who is in the open field will I give to the animals to be devoured; and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.

^{28 Ref} I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment; and the pride of her power shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, so that none shall pass through.

^{29 Ref} Then shall they know that I am Yahweh, when I have made the land a desolation and an astonishment, because of all their abominations which they have committed.

^{30 Ref} As for you, son of man, the children of your people talk of you by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, everyone to his brother, saying, Please come and hear what is the word that comes forth from Yahweh.

^{31 Ref} They come to you as the people comes, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but don't do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their gain.

^{32 Ref} Behold, you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they don't do them.

^{33 Ref} When this comes to pass, (behold, it comes), then shall they know that a prophet has been among them.