1 ARST Yahweh gave me another message. He said, BSB BSB: Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 ARST “Son of man, speak to your fellow Israelites and say this to them:‘Suppose that I bring an enemy army to attack a country, and the people of that country choose one of their own people to be a watchman. BSB BSB: “Son of man, speak to your people and tell them: ‘Suppose I bring the sword against a land, and the people of that land choose a man from among them, appointing him as their watchman,
3 ARST And suppose that he sees the enemy army come into view, and that he blows a trumpet to warn everyone. BSB BSB: and he sees the sword coming against that land and blows the ram’s horn to warn the people.
4 ARST If anyone hears the trumpet but pays no attention, and if that person then dies because of the enemy, that person is responsible for his own death. BSB BSB: Then if anyone hears the sound of the horn but fails to heed the warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head.
5 ARST If he had paid attention, he would have saved his own life. But as it is, he will die, and it will be his own fault. BSB BSB: Since he heard the sound of the horn but failed to heed the warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had heeded the warning, he would have saved his life.
6 ARST Now suppose that the watchman sees the enemy army coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people. Then suppose that one of his people dies because of the enemy. That person will die because of his own mistake, but I will hold the watchman responsible for it. BSB BSB: But if the watchman sees the sword coming and fails to blow the horn to warn the people, and the sword comes and takes away a life, then that one will be taken away in his iniquity, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.’
7 ARST Son of man, this parable has a meaning for you. I have appointed you to be a watchman for the Israelites. So always listen to what I say, and warn the people for me. BSB BSB: As for you, O son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word from My mouth and give them the warning from Me.
8 ARST When I say to some wicked person,‘You wicked person, you will surely die because of your sins,’ you must tell him what I said. If you do not speak to that person to warn him to turn away from his sins, that wicked person will die because of his sins, but I will make you responsible for his death. BSB BSB: If I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ but you do not speak out to dissuade him from his way, then that wicked man will die in his iniquity, yet I will hold you accountable for his blood.
9 ARST But if you warn that wicked person that he should turn away from his sins, but if he does not do so, then he will die because of his sins, but you will have saved your own life. BSB BSB: But if you warn the wicked man to turn from his way, and he does not turn from it, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved your life.
10 ARST Son of man, say to the Israelite people,‘This is what you all are saying:“The guilt that we feel for disobeying God’ s laws and sinning is like a heavy weight on us, and our sins are hurting us, and we are slowly dying. So what can we do to continue to remain alive?”’ BSB BSB: Now as for you, son of man, tell the house of Israel that this is what they have said: ‘Our transgressions and our sins are heavy upon us, and we are wasting away because of them! How can we live?’
12 ARST Therefore, Son of man, say to your fellow Israelites that if good people start to disobey me, the fact that they were previously righteous will not keep me from punishing them. Similarly, if wicked people turn away from their wicked behavior, they will not die because of those sins. And if good people start to sin, I will not allow the fact that they had been good to keep me from punishing them now. BSB BSB: Therefore, son of man, say to your people: ‘The righteousness of the righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression; neither will the wickedness of the wicked man cause him to stumble on the day he turns from his wickedness. Nor will the righteous man be able to survive by his righteousness on the day he sins.’
13 ARST If I tell those who do what is right that they will surely remain alive because of all the good they do, but then if they turn away and become proud of all their good deeds, then I will ignore all the good things that they had done before. I will make sure that they will die because of the evil things that they have done. BSB BSB: If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but he then trusts in his righteousness and commits iniquity, then none of his righteous works will be remembered; he will die because of the iniquity he has committed.
14 ARST Continue to tell the people these things: If I say to some wicked person,‘You will surely die because of your sins,’ perhaps that person will stop doing evil and start doing what is just and right. BSB BSB: But if I tell the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and he turns from his sin and does what is just and right—
15 ARST For example, he might return what he took from another person to guarantee that that person would pay back what he owes, or he might return things that he has stolen, or he might obey the laws that will enable those who obey them to remain alive. If this happens, he will surely remain alive; he will not die because of the sins that he committed previously. BSB BSB: if he restores a pledge, makes restitution for what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without practicing iniquity—then he will surely live; he will not die.
16 ARST I will ignore the sins that he previously committed; he will surely remain alive. BSB BSB: None of the sins he has committed will be held against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live.
17 ARST Tell the people this: That they say that what I do is not fair, but that it is really what they do that is not fair. Then tell them these things, also: BSB BSB: Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just.
18 ARST If a good person stops doing what is good and starts to do what is evil, it is fair that he should die because of his sins. BSB BSB: If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he will die for it.
19 ARST And if a wicked person turns away from his wicked behavior and does what is right and fair, it is fair for him to remain alive because of doing that. BSB BSB: But if a wicked man turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live because of this.
20 ARST Remind the people that they are still saying that what I do is not fair. They can talk all they want, but I will punish each of them for what they do. Tell them this.” BSB BSB: Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to his ways, O house of Israel.”
21 ARST Almost twelve years after the Babylonians had taken us Israelites to their land, on the fifth day of the tenth month of that year, a man who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me in Babylon and said,“Jerusalem has been captured!” BSB BSB: In the twelfth year of our exile, on the fifth day of the tenth month, a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and reported, “The city has been taken!”
22 ARST The evening before that man arrived, Yahweh took control of me. So when that man arrived, Yahweh enabled me to speak again; I was no longer forced to be silent. BSB BSB: Now the evening before the fugitive arrived, the hand of the LORD was upon 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 mute.
23 ARST Then Yahweh gave a message to me. He said, BSB BSB: Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
24 ARST “Son of man, the people who are living in the ruins in Israel are saying,‘Abraham was only one person, but Yahweh promised him that he and his descendants would possess this land. But we are many; so surely Yahweh has given us this land to possess.’ BSB BSB: “Son of man, those living in the 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 a possession.’
25 ARST So send a message to them. Say,‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says:“You eat meat that still has the animal’ s blood in it. You still worship idols. And you still murder others. So should this land belong to you? BSB BSB: Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You eat meat with the blood in it, lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. Should you then possess the land?
26 ARST You rely on using your swords to obtain things that you want. You do many detestable things. Each of you sleeps with other men’ s wives. So should you really possess the land of Israel?”’ BSB BSB: You have relied on your swords, you have committed detestable acts, and each of you has defiled his neighbor’s wife. Should you then possess the land?’
27 ARST Send this message to them and tell them that this is what I, the Lord Yahweh, say to them:‘As surely as I am alive, those who are left in the ruins in Jerusalem— their enemies will also kill them. And those who are living in the countryside— wild animals will kill them. Those who are living in forts and caves will die from disease. BSB BSB: Tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘As surely as I live, those in the ruins will fall by the sword, those in the open field I will give to be devoured by wild animals, and those in the strongholds and caves will die by plague.
28 ARST I will cause your country to become a desolate wasteland. You will no longer be proud of being a strong country. The mountains of Israel will become very desolate, with the result that no one will walk across them.’ BSB BSB: I will make the land a desolate waste, and the pride of her strength will come to an end. The mountains of Israel will become desolate, so that no one will pass through.
29 ARST Then, when I have caused their country to become a desolate wasteland because of all the disgusting things that you have done, they will know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do.” BSB BSB: Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have made the land a desolate waste because of all the abominations they have committed.’
30 ARST As for you, Son of man, your fellow Israelites here in Babylon stand beside the city wall or at the doors of their houses and are talking with each other. They are saying,‘Come and listen to the message that has come from Yahweh.’ BSB BSB: As for you, son of man, your people are talking about you near the city walls and in the doorways of their houses. One speaks to another, each saying to his brother, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD!’
31 ARST My people come to you as they often have done, and they sit in front of you to listen to what you say. But they do not do what you tell them that they must do. With their mouths they say that they love me, but in their inner beings they are eager to acquire things by doing what is unjust. BSB BSB: So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest gain.
32 ARST To them, you are only a man who sings them beautiful songs and plays a musical instrument well. They hear what you say, but they do not do what you tell them to do. BSB BSB: Indeed, you are to them like a singer of love songs with a beautiful voice, who skillfully plays an instrument. They hear your words but do not put them into practice.
33 ARST The terrible things that I have said will happen to them will surely happen. And then they will know that a prophet has been among them, and that you are that prophet.” BSB BSB: So when it comes to pass—and surely it will come—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.