Ezekiel the Watchman for Israel 1 UEB Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, BSB BSB: Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 UEB "Son of man, declare this to your people; say to them, 'When I bring a sword against any land, then the people of that land take one man from among themselves and make him a watchman for them. 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 UEB He looks for the sword as it comes on the land, and he blows his horn to warn the people! BSB BSB: and he sees the sword coming against that land and blows the ram’s horn to warn the people.
4 UEB If the people hear the sound of the horn but do not pay attention, and if the sword comes and kills them, then each one's blood is on his own head. 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 UEB If someone hears the sound of the horn and pays no attention, his blood is on him; but if he pays attention, he will save his own life. 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 UEB However, if the watchman sees the sword as it is coming, but if he does not blow the horn, with the result that the people are not warned, and if the sword comes and takes anyone's life, then that person dies in his own sin, but I will require his blood from the watchman.' 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 UEB Now you yourself, son of man! I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; you will hear the words from my mouth and warn them on my behalf. 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 UEB If I say to a wicked person, 'Wicked one, you will surely die!' but if you do not announce this so as to warn the wicked about his way, then he who is wicked will die in his sin, but I will require his blood from your hand! 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 UEB But you, if you warn the wicked about his way, so that he might turn back from it, and if he does not turn back from his way, then he will die in his sin, but you yourself 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.
The Message of the Watchman 10 UEB So you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, 'You are saying this, "Our transgressions and our sins are on us, and we are decaying in them! How can we live?"' 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 UEB So now you, son of man, say to your people, 'The righteousness of a righteous person will not save him if he sins! The wickedness of a wicked person will not cause him to perish if he repents from his sin! For the righteous person will not be able to live because of his righteousness if he sins. 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 UEB If I say to the righteous, "He will surely live!" and if he trusts in his righteousness and then commits injustice, I will not call to mind any of his righteousness. He will die for the wickedness he committed. 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 UEB So if I say to the wicked, "You will surely die," but if he then repents from his sins and does 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 UEB if he restores the loan guarantee that he wickedly demanded, or if he makes restitution for what he has stolen, and if he walks in the statutes that give life and no longer commits sin—then he will surely live. He will not die. 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 UEB None of the sins that he has committed will be called to mind for him. He has acted justly and rightly, and so, he will surely live! 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 UEB But your people say, "The way of the Lord is not fair!" but it is your ways that are not fair! BSB BSB: Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just.
18 UEB When the righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits sin, then he will die in it! BSB BSB: If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he will die for it.
19 UEB When the wicked turns away from his wickedness and does what is just and righteous, he will live because of those things! 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 UEB But you people say, "The way of the Lord is not fair!" I will judge each of you according to his way, house of Israel!'" 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.”
Word of Jerusalem’s Fall 21 UEB It happened in the twelfth year, on the fifth day of the tenth month of our captivity, that a fugitive came to me from Jerusalem and said, "The city 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 UEB The hand of Yahweh had been on me in the evening before the fugitive came, and my mouth was opened by the time that he came to me in the dawn. So my mouth was open; I was no longer mute! 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 UEB Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, BSB BSB: Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
24 UEB "Son of man, the ones inhabiting those ruins in the land of Israel are talking and say, 'Abraham was only one person, and he inherited the land, but we are many! The land has been given to us as a possession.' 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 UEB Therefore say to them, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: You eat blood, and you lift up your eyes towards your idols, then you pour out people's blood. Should you really possess the land? 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 UEB You have depended on your swords and have done disgusting things; each man defiles his neighbor's wife. Should you really possess the land?' 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 UEB You will say this to them, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: As I live, surely the ones in the ruins will fall by the sword, and I will give those in the fields to the living creatures as food, and those in fortresses and in caves will die of plagues. 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 UEB Then I will turn the land into a desolation and a horror, and the pride of its might will end, for the mountains of Israel will be deserted, and there will be no one to pass through 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 UEB So they will know that I am Yahweh, when I make the land a desolation and a waste because of all the abominations that they have done. 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 UEB So now you, son of man—your people are saying things about you beside the walls and the gates of the houses, and each says to one another—each man to his brother, 'Let us go and listen to the prophet's word that comes out 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 UEB So my people will come to you, as they often do, and will sit in front of you and listen to your words, but they will not obey them. Right words are in their mouths, but their hearts are going after unjust profit. 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 UEB For you are like a lovely song to them, a beautiful sound that is well played on a stringed instrument, so they will listen to your words, but none of them will obey them. 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 UEB So when all of this happens—behold! it will happen!—then they will know that a prophet has been among them." 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.