1
Again the word[H1697] of the LORD[H3068] came unto me, saying[H559],
2Son[H1121] of man[H120], speak[H1696] to the children[H1121] of thy people[H5971], and say[H559] unto them, When I bring[H935] the sword[H2719] upon a[H259]land[H776], if the people[H5971] of the land[H776]take[H3947]a[H259]man[H376] of their coasts[H7097], and set[H5414] him for their watchman[H6822]:
3
If when he seeth[H7200] the sword[H2719]come[H935] upon the land[H776], he blow[H8628] the trumpet[H7782], and warn[H2094] the people[H5971];
4
Then whosoever[H8085]heareth[H8085] the sound[H6963] of the trumpet[H7782], and taketh not warning[H2094]; if the sword[H2719]come[H935], and take him away[H3947], his blood[H1818] shall be upon his own head[H7218].
5
He heard[H8085] the sound[H6963] of the trumpet[H7782], and took not warning[H2094]; his blood[H1818] shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning[H2094] shall deliver[H4422] his soul[H5315].
6
But if the watchman[H6822]see[H7200] the sword[H2719]come[H935], and blow[H8628] not the trumpet[H7782], and the people[H5971] be not warned[H2094]; if the sword[H2719]come[H935], and take[H3947] any person[H5315] from among them, he is taken away[H3947] in his iniquity[H5771]; but his blood[H1818] will I require[H1875] at the watchman[H6822]'s hand[H3027].
7
So thou, O son[H1121] of man[H120], I have set[H5414] thee a watchman[H6822] unto the house[H1004] of Israel[H3478]; therefore thou shalt hear[H8085] the word[H1697] at my mouth[H6310], and warn[H2094] them from me.
8
When I say[H559] unto the wicked[H7563], O wicked[H7563] man, thou shalt surely[H4191]die[H4191]; if thou dost not speak[H1696] to warn[H2094] the wicked[H7563] from his way[H1870], that wicked[H7563] man shall die[H4191] in his iniquity[H5771]; but his blood[H1818] will I require[H1245] at thine hand[H3027].
9
Nevertheless, if thou warn[H2094] the wicked[H7563] of his way[H1870] to turn[H7725] from it; if he do not turn[H7725] from his way[H1870], he shall die[H4191] in his iniquity[H5771]; but thou hast delivered[H5337] thy soul[H5315].
10
Therefore, O thou son[H1121] of man[H120], speak[H559] unto the house[H1004] of Israel[H3478]; Thus ye speak[H559], saying[H559], If our transgressions[H6588] and our sins[H2403] be upon us, and we pine away[H4743] in them, how should we then live?[H2421]
11Say[H559] unto them, As I live[H2416], saith[H5002] the Lord[H136]GOD[H3069], I have no pleasure[H2654] in the death[H4194] of the wicked[H7563]; but that the wicked[H7563]turn[H7725] from his way[H1870] and live[H2421]: turn[H7725] ye, turn[H7725] ye from your evil[H7451]ways[H1870]; for why will ye die[H4191], O house[H1004] of Israel?[H3478]
12
Therefore, thou son[H1121] of man[H120], say[H559] unto the children[H1121] of thy people[H5971], The righteousness[H6666] of the righteous[H6662] shall not deliver[H5337] him in the day[H3117] of his transgression[H6588]: as for the wickedness[H7564] of the wicked[H7563], he shall not fall[H3782] thereby in the day[H3117] that he turneth[H7725] from his wickedness[H7562]; neither shall the righteous[H6662] be able[H3201] to live[H2421] for his righteousness[H6666] in the day[H3117] that he sinneth[H2398].
13
When I shall say[H559] to the righteous[H6662], that he shall surely[H2421]live[H2421]; if he trust[H982] to his own righteousness[H6666], and commit[H6213]iniquity[H5766], all his righteousnesses[H6666] shall not be remembered[H2142]; but for his iniquity[H5766] that he hath committed[H6213], he shall die[H4191] for it.
14
Again, when I say[H559] unto the wicked[H7563], Thou shalt surely[H4191]die[H4191]; if he turn[H7725] from his sin[H2403], and do[H6213] that which is lawful[H4941] and right[H6666];
15
If the wicked[H7563]restore[H7725] the pledge[H2258], give again[H7999] that he had robbed[H1500], walk[H1980] in the statutes[H2708] of life[H2416], without committing[H6213]iniquity[H5766]; he shall surely[H2421]live[H2421], he shall not die[H4191].
16
None of his sins[H2403] that he hath committed[H2398] shall be mentioned[H2142] unto him: he hath done[H6213] that which is lawful[H4941] and right[H6666]; he shall surely[H2421]live[H2421].
17
Yet the children[H1121] of thy people[H5971]say[H559], The way[H1870] of the Lord[H136] is not equal[H8505]: but as for them, their way[H1870] is not equal[H8505].
18
When the righteous[H6662]turneth[H7725] from his righteousness[H6666], and committeth[H6213]iniquity[H5766], he shall even die[H4191] thereby.
19
But if the wicked[H7563]turn[H7725] from his wickedness[H7564], and do[H6213] that which is lawful[H4941] and right[H6666], he shall live[H2421] thereby.
20
Yet ye say[H559], The way[H1870] of the Lord[H136] is not equal[H8505]. O ye house[H1004] of Israel[H3478], I will judge[H8199] you every one[H376] after his ways[H1870].
21
And it came[H935] to pass in the twelfth[H8147]year[H8141] of our captivity[H1546], in the tenth[H6224]month[H2320], in the fifth[H2568] day of the month[H2320], that one that had escaped[H6412] out of Jerusalem[H3389]came[H935] unto me, saying[H559], The city[H5892] is smitten[H5221].
22
Now the hand[H3027] of the LORD[H3068] was upon me in the evening[H6153], afore[H6440] he that was escaped[H6412]came[H935]; and had opened[H6605] my mouth[H6310], until he came[H935] to me in the morning[H1242]; and my mouth[H6310] was opened[H6605], and I was no more dumb[H481].
23
Then the word[H1697] of the LORD[H3068] came unto me, saying[H559],
24Son[H1121] of man[H120], they that inhabit[H3427] those wastes[H2723] of the land[H127] of Israel[H3478]speak[H559], saying[H559], Abraham[H85] was one[H259], and he inherited[H3423] the land[H776]: but we are many[H7227]; the land[H776] is given[H5414] us for inheritance[H4181].
25
Wherefore say[H559] unto them, Thus saith[H559] the Lord[H136]GOD[H3069]; Ye eat[H398] with the blood[H1818], and lift up[H5375] your eyes[H5869] toward your idols[H1544], and shed[H8210]blood[H1818]: and shall ye possess[H3423] the land?[H776]
26
Ye stand[H5975] upon your sword[H2719], ye work[H6213]abomination[H8441], and ye defile[H2930] every one[H376] his neighbour's wife[H802]: and shall ye possess[H3423] the land?[H776]
27Say[H559] thou thus unto them, Thus saith[H559] the Lord[H136]GOD[H3069]; As I live[H2416], surely they that are in the wastes[H2723] shall fall[H5307] by the sword[H2719], and him that is in the open[H6440]field[H7704] will I give[H5414] to the beasts[H2416] to be devoured[H398], and they that be in the forts[H4679] and in the caves[H4631] shall die[H4191] of the pestilence[H1698].
28
For I will lay[H5414] the land[H776]most[H4923]desolate[H8077], and the pomp[H1347] of her strength[H5797] shall cease[H7673]; and the mountains[H2022] of Israel[H3478] shall be desolate[H8074], that none shall pass through[H5674].
29
Then shall they know[H3045] that I am the LORD[H3068], when I have laid[H5414] the land[H776]most[H4923]desolate[H8077] because of all their abominations[H8441] which they have committed[H6213].
30
Also, thou son[H1121] of man[H120], the children[H1121] of thy people[H5971] still are talking[H1696]against[H681] thee by the walls[H7023] and in the doors[H6607] of the houses[H1004], and speak[H1696]one[H2297] to another[H259], every one[H376] to his brother[H251], saying[H559], Come[H935], I pray you, and hear[H8085] what is the word[H1697] that cometh forth[H3318] from the LORD[H3068].
31
And they come[H935] unto thee as the people[H5971]cometh[H3996], and they sit[H3427]before[H6440] thee as my people[H5971], and they hear[H8085] thy words[H1697], but they will not do[H6213] them: for with their mouth[H6310] they shew[H6213] much love[H5690], but their heart[H3820]goeth[H1980]after[H310] their covetousness[H1215].
32
And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely[H5690]song[H7892] of one that hath a pleasant[H3303]voice[H6963], and can play well[H2895] on an instrument[H5059]: for they hear[H8085] thy words[H1697], but they do[H6213] them not.
33
And when this cometh to pass,(lo, it will come[H935],) then shall they know[H3045] that a prophet[H5030] hath been among[H8432] them.