Open English Translation EZE Chapter 33

33 Then Yahweh gave me another message: 2 “Humanity’s child, tell this to your people: ‘When I send an army against any country, then the people of that country choose one of their men to become a watchman for them. 3 He looks for any attacker coming onto the land, and then he blows his horn to warn the people. 4 If the people hear the sound of the horn but don’t take any notice, and if the attacker comes and kills them, then each one’s blood is on their own head. 5 Yes, if someone heard the horn but paid no attention, that person’s blood is on them, but if those people do pay attention, they’ll save their own lives. 6 However, if the watchman sees the attacker coming, but doesn’t blow the horn, that is, if the people weren’t warned, and if the attacker approaches and takes anyone’s life, then that person dies in their own sin, but I’ll require their blood from the watchman.’

7 Now, talking to you, humanity’s child: I’ve made you a watchman for the Israeli people. You’ll hear the words from my mouth and then warn them on my behalf. 8 If I say to a wicked person, ‘You wicked person, you’re certainly about to die,’ and if you don’t announce it so as to warn that wicked person about their behaviour, then that wicked person will die in their sin, but it’ll be you that I hold responsible for their death. 9 But if you warn the wicked person about their behaviour, so that they might turn back from it, and if that person doesn’t turn back from their behaviour, then they’ll die in their sin, but you yourself will have saved your own life.

10 So, humanity’s child, you tell the Israeli people, ‘You’re saying this, “Our errors and our disobedience have come back on us and they’re hurting us. How can we go on living like this?” ’ 11 Tell them that this is the master Yahweh’s declaration: ‘As I live, I don’t delight in the death of wicked people. If they turn away from their wicked behaviour, then they’ll live! So turn back, yes turn away from your wicked behaviour. Why should you Israeli people die?’

12 So now, humanity’s child, you tell your people, ‘Righteous people’s righteousness won’t save them if they sin. Wicked people’s wickedness won’t cause them to die if they turn away from their sin. No, the righteous person won’t be able to live because of his righteousness if he sins. 13 If I say that a righteous person will surely live, and if they trust in their righteousness and then commit injustice, I won’t call to mind any of the good things they did—that person will die for the wickedness they committed. 14 Again, if I say to the wicked, “You will surely die,” but if they then turn away from their sins and do what’s just and right, 15 like returning loan guarantees that were wickedly demanded, or like making restitution for what they’ve stolen, and then if they obey the instructions that give life and no longer disobey, then those formerly wicked people will surely live—they won’t die. 16 None of the sins that they’ve committed will be called to mind against them. Those who’ve acted justly and rightly, will certainly live.

17 But your people say, “The master’s way isn’t fair!” but it’s your ways that aren’t fair. 18 When the righteous person turns away from doing what’s right and becomes disobedient, then they’ll die in their sin. 19 When the wicked person turns away from doing evil and does what’s just and right, they’ll live because of those things. 20 Yes, you people say, “The master’s way isn’t fair!” but I’ll judge each of you Israeli people according to your behaviour.”

21 In mid-January of the twelfth year of our captivity in Babylon, someone who’d escaped from Yerushalem (Jerusalem) came to me and told me that the city had been captured.[ref] 22 Yahweh had held me in a vision the evening before the fugitive came, but my mouth was opened by the time he came to me at dawn, so by then, I was able to speak again.

23 Then Yahweh gave me another message: 24 “Humanity’s child, the people inhabiting those ruins back in Yisrael (Israel) are saying, ‘Abraham was only one person, and he inherited the land, but there’s lots of us now. The land has been given to us as an inheritance.’

25 Therefore tell them that the master Yahweh says this: You eat blood, and you pay your respect to your idols, then you pour out people’s blood. Should you then inherit that land? 26 You people rely on your swords for protection, and you’ve done disgusting things—each man defiles his neighbour’s wife. Should you really possess that land?’

27 Tell them that the master Yahweh says this: As I live, surely the ones in the ruins will be killed by swords, and I’ll give those in the countryside to the wild animals as food, and those in fortresses and in caves will die of plagues. 28 Then I’ll turn the country into a desolation and a horror, and the pride that came from its power will end, because Yisrael’s mountains will be deserted, and there’ll be no one to walk through them.’ 29 Then they’ll know that I am Yahweh, when I make the country a desolation and a wasteland because of all the disgusting things they’ve done.

30 So now humanity’s child, your people are out beside the walls and the gates of their houses talking about you, and they’re all telling each other, ‘Let’s go and listen to the prophet’s message that comes from Yahweh.’ 31 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 won’t obey them. The right words are on their lips, but their hearts are going after unjust profit. 32 Yes, you’re like a lovely song to them, a beautiful sound that’s played well on a stringed instrument, so they’ll listen to your words, but none of them will obey them. 33 So when all that happens, watch out, because it will indeed happen. Then they’ll realise that a prophet’s been among them.”