1 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 2 "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 if, when he sees the sword come on the land, he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and doesn’t heed the warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and didn’t take warning. His blood will be on him; whereas if he had heeded the warning, he would have delivered his soul. 6 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 takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’

7 "So you, son of man, I have set you a watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore hear the word from my mouth, and give them warnings from me. 8 When I tell the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you don’t speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at your hand. 9 Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, and he doesn’t turn from his way; he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your soul.

10 "You, son of man, tell the house of Israel: ‘You say this, "Our transgressions and our sins are on us, and we pine away in them. How then can we live?"’ 11 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, turn from your evil ways! For why will you die, house of Israel?"’

12 "You, son of man, tell the children of your people, ‘The righteousness of the righteous will not deliver him in the day of his disobedience. And as for the wickedness of the wicked, he will not fall by it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; neither will he who is righteous be able to live by it in the day that he sins. 13 When I tell the righteous that he will surely live, if he trusts in his righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered; but he will die in his iniquity that he has committed. 14 Again, when I say to the wicked, "You will surely die," if he turns from his sin and does that which is lawful and right, 15 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 will surely live. He will not die. 16 None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done that which is lawful and right. He will surely live.

17 "‘Yet the children of your people say, "The way of the Lord is not fair;" but as for them, their way is not fair. 18 When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he will even die therein. 19 When the wicked turns from his wickedness and does that which is lawful and right, he will live by it. 20 Yet you say, "The way of the Lord is not fair." House of Israel, I will judge every one of you after his ways.’"

21 In the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, one who had escaped out of Jerusalem came to me, saying, "The city has been defeated!" 22 Now Yahweh’s hand had been on me in the evening, before he who had 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 longer mute.

23 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 24 "Son of man, those who inhabit the 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 Therefore tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: "You eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. So should you possess the land? 26 You stand on your sword, you work abomination, and every one of you defiles his neighbor’s wife. So should you possess the land?"’

27 "You shall tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: "As I live, surely those who are in the waste places will fall by the sword. I will give whoever is in the open field to the animals to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves will die of the pestilence. 28 I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment. The pride of her power will cease. The mountains of Israel will be desolate, so that no one will pass through. 29 Then they will 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 "As for you, son of man, the children of your people talk about you by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak to one another, everyone to his brother, saying, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes out from Yahweh.’ 31 They come to you as the people come, 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 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 "When this comes to pass—behold, it comes—then they will know that a prophet has been among them."

1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, speak to the sons of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring [a] sword upon the land and the people of the land take a man from [within] their borders and set him up as a watchman;

3 and he should see the sword coming upon the land, [if] he should blow the shofar, and warn the people,

4 then whoever hears the sound of the shofar and does not take warning; and the coming of the sword should take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.

5 He heard the sound of the shofar and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he that takes warning shall deliver his soul.

6 But if the watchman should see the sword coming and not blow the shofar and the people not be warned, if the sword comes and takes [any] person from among them, he is taken away because of his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand.

7 So 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.

8 When 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 for his sin; but I will require his blood at thine hand.

9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, if he does not turn from his way, he shall die for his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel: Ye speak thus, saying, Our transgressions and our sins [are] upon us, and we are consumed because of them. How should we then live?

11 Say unto them, [As] I live, said the Lord GOD, I do not desire the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and that he live; turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

12 And thou, son of man, say unto the sons of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him the day that he rebels; and the wickedness of the wicked shall not impede him in the day that he turns from his wickedness; and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness [in] the day that he sins.

13 When I am saying to the righteous, Thou shalt shall surely live and he trusting in his own righteousness commits iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he has committed, he shall die for it.

14 And, when I am saying unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turns from his sin, and does judgment and righteousness

15 [if] the wicked restores the pledge, returns that which he had robbed, walks in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity he shall surely live; he shall not die.

16 None of his sins that he has committed shall be mentioned unto him. Has he lived according to judgment and righteousness? He shall surely live.

17 Then the sons of thy people shall say, The way of the Lord is not straight: [but] their way is the one that is not straight.

18 When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die thereby.

19 And when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does judgment and righteousness, he shall live thereby.

20 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not straight. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you each 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 came unto me, saying, The city is smitten.

22 Now the hand of the LORD 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 he opened my mouth, and I was never dumb again.

23 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

24 Son of man, those that inhabit these wastes in the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he possessed the land; but we [are] many; the land is given us for a possession.

25 Therefore say unto them, Thus hath the Lord GOD said; Ye eat with the blood and lift up your eyes toward your idols and shed blood, and shall ye possess this land?

26 Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile each one his neighbour's wife, and shall ye possess the land?

27 Thou shalt speak unto them like this, Thus hath the Lord GOD said; [As] I live, surely those that [are] in those wastes shall fall by the sword, and he that [is] in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those that [are] in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.

28 For I will make the land into desert and solitude, and the pride of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that no one shall pass through.

29 Then they shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I have made the land into solitude and desert because of all their abominations which they have committed.

30 And thou, son of man, the sons of thy people are still talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses and speak one to another, each one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that comes forth from the LORD.

31 And they shall come unto thee as the people come, and they shall be before thee, my people, and they shall hear thy words, but they shall not do them; for with their mouth they flatter, [but] their heart goes after their covetousness.

32 And, behold, thou [art] unto them as a singer of love [songs], one that has a good voice and can sing well: and they shall hear thy words, but they will not do them.

33 But when this comes to pass (behold, it comes), then they shall know that a prophet has been among them.: