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

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

2 S on 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;

Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, When I bring the sword upon a land and the people of the land take a man from among them and make him their watchman,

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

If when he sees the sword coming upon the land, he blows the trumpet and warns the people,

4 t hen 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.

Then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.

5 H e 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.

He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning shall save his life.

6 B ut 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.

But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, he is taken away in and for his perversity and iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.

7 S o 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.

So you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear the word at My mouth and give them warning from Me.

8 W hen 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.

When I say to the wicked, O wicked man, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his perversity and iniquity, but his blood will I require at your hand.

9 N evertheless, 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.

But if you warn the wicked to turn from his evil way and he does not turn from his evil way, he shall die in his iniquity, but you will have saved your life.

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?

And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus you have said: Truly our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we waste away because of them; how then can we live?

11 S ay 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?

Say to them, As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

12 A nd 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.

And you, son of man, say to your people, The uprightness and justice of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; and as for the wicked lawlessness of the wicked lawless, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness, neither shall the rigidly upright and just be able to live because of his past righteousness in the day that he sins and misses the mark.

13 W hen 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.

When I shall say to the righteous that he shall surely live, and he trusts to his own righteousness and commits iniquity (heinous sin), all his righteous deeds shall not be remembered; but for his perversity and iniquity that he has committed he shall die.

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

Again, when I have said to the wicked, You shall surely die, if he turns from his sin and does that which is lawful and right—

15 i f 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.

If the wicked restores pledge, gives back what he had taken in robbery, walks in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

16 N one of his sins that he has committed shall be mentioned unto him. Has he lived according to judgment and righteousness? He shall surely live.

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 T hen 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.

Yet your people say, The way of the Lord is not perfect or even just; but as for them, it is their own way that is not perfect or even just.

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

When the righteous turns back from his righteousness and commits perverseness and iniquity, he shall even die in and because of it.

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

But if the wicked turns back from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it.

20 Y et ye say, The way of the Lord is not straight. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you each one after his ways.

Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not perfect or just. O you house of Israel, I will judge you, every one according to his own 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.

In the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth, on the fifth of the month, a man who had escaped out of Jerusalem came to me, saying, The city is taken.

22 N ow 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.

Now the hand of the Lord had been upon me in the evening before this one who had escaped came, and He had opened my mouth coming to me in the morning, and my mouth was opened and I was no longer dumb.

23 A nd the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

24 S on 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.

Son of man, those who inhabit those wastes of the ground of Israel are saying, Abraham was only one man and he inherited the land, but we are many; the land is surely given to us to possess as our inheritance.

25 T herefore 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?

Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord God: You eat meat with the blood and lift up your eyes to your idols and shed blood; shall you then possess the land?

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

You stand upon your sword; you commit abominations and each of you defiles your neighbor’s wife; shall you then possess the land?

27 T hou 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.

Say this to them, Thus says the Lord God: As I live, surely those who are in the waste places shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in strongholds and in caves shall die by pestilence.

28 F or 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.

And I will make the land a desolation and a waste, and her proud might shall cease, and the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that no one will pass through them.

29 T hen 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.

Then shall they know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord, when I have made the land a desolation and a waste 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.

As for you, son of man, your people who talk of you by the walls and in the doors of the houses say one to another, every one to his brother, Come and hear what the word is that comes forth from the Lord.

31 A nd 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.

And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as My people, and they hear the words you say, but they will not do them; for with their mouths they show much love, but their hearts go after and are set on their gain.

32 A nd, 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.

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 do not do them.

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

When this comes to pass—for behold, it will come!—then shall they know, understand, and realize that a prophet has been among them.