Chapter 33

Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,²

Son of man, speak¹⁶ to the children of thy people, and say¹ unto them, When I bring⁵⁵ the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take¹ a man of their coasts, and set¹ him for their watchman:⁶

If when he seeth¹ the sword come⁶ upon the land, he blow¹ the trumpet, and warn⁵² the people;

Then whosoever⁶ heareth¹ the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning;¹² if the sword come,⁴ and take him away,⁴ his blood shall be upon his own head.

He heard¹ the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning;¹² his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning¹² shall deliver¹⁴ his soul.

But if the watchman⁶ see⁴ the sword come,⁶ and blow¹ not the trumpet, and the people be not warned;¹² if the sword come,⁴ and take⁴ [any] person from among them, he is taken away⁸ in his iniquity; but his blood will I require⁴ at the watchman's⁶ hand.

So thou, O son of man, I have set¹ thee a watchman⁶ unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear¹ the word at my mouth, and warn⁵² them from me.

When I say² unto the wicked, O wicked [man], thou shalt surely² die;⁴ if thou dost not speak¹⁴ to warn⁵³ the wicked from his way, that wicked [man] shall die⁴ in his iniquity; but his blood will I require¹⁷ at thine hand.

Nevertheless, if thou warn⁵² the wicked of his way to turn² from it; if he do not turn¹ from his way, he shall die⁴ in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered⁵² thy soul.

Therefore, O thou son of man, speak³ unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak,¹ saying,² If our transgressions and our sins [be] upon us, and we pine away¹² in them, how should we then live?⁴

Say³ unto them, [As] I live, saith⁷ the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure⁴ in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn² from his way and live:¹ turn³ ye, turn³ ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die,⁴ O house of Israel?

Therefore, thou son of man, say³ unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver⁵⁵ him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall¹¹ thereby in the day that he turneth² from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able⁴ to live² for his [righteousness] in the day that he sinneth.²

When I shall say² to the righteous, [that] he shall surely² live;⁴ if he trust¹ to his own righteousness, and commit¹ iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered;¹¹ but for his iniquity that he hath committed,¹ he shall die⁴ for it.

Again, when I say² unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely² die;⁴ if he turn¹ from his sin, and do¹ that which is lawful and right;

[If] the wicked restore⁵⁵ the pledge, give again¹⁷ that he had robbed, walk¹ in the statutes of life, without committing² iniquity; he shall surely² live,⁴ he shall not die.⁴

None of his sins that he hath committed¹ shall be mentioned¹¹ unto him: he hath done¹ that which is lawful and right; he shall surely² live.⁴

Yet the children of thy people say,¹ The way of the Lord is not equal:¹¹ but as for them, their way is not equal.¹¹

When the righteous turneth² from his righteousness, and committeth¹ iniquity, he shall even die¹ thereby.

But if the wicked turn² from his wickedness, and do¹ that which is lawful and right, he shall live⁴ thereby.

Yet ye say,¹ The way of the Lord is not equal.¹¹ O ye house of Israel, I will judge⁴ you every one after his ways.

And it came to pass in the twelfth ⁶²⁴⁰ year of our captivity, in the tenth [month], in the fifth [day] of the month, [that] one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came¹ unto me, saying,² The city is smitten.⁹⁰

Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came;² and had opened⁴ my mouth, until he came² to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened,¹¹ and I was no more dumb.⁸

Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,²

Son of man, they that inhabit⁶ those wastes of the land of Israel speak,⁶ saying,² Abraham was one, and he inherited⁴ the land: but we [are] many; the land is given⁸ us for inheritance.

Wherefore say³ unto them, Thus saith¹ the Lord GOD; Ye eat⁴ with the blood, and lift up⁴ your eyes toward your idols, and shed⁴ blood: and shall ye possess⁴ the land?

Ye stand¹ upon your sword, ye work¹ abomination, and ye defile¹⁴ every one his neighbour's wife: and shall ye possess⁴ the land?

Say⁴ thou thus unto them, Thus saith¹ the Lord GOD; [As] I live, surely they that [are] in the wastes shall fall⁴ by the sword, and him that [is] in the open field will I give¹ to the beasts to be devoured,² and they that [be] in the forts and in the caves shall die⁴ of the pestilence.

For I will lay¹ the land most desolate, ⁴⁹²³ and the pomp of her strength shall cease;⁸ and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate,¹ that none shall pass through.⁶

Then shall they know¹ that I [am] the LORD, when I have laid² the land most desolate ⁴⁹²³ because of all their abominations which they have committed.¹

Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking¹² against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak¹⁴ one to another, every one to his brother, saying,² Come,³ I pray you, and hear³ what is the word that cometh forth⁶ from the LORD.

And they come⁴ unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit⁴ before thee [as] my people, and they hear¹ thy words, but they will not do⁴ them: for with their mouth they shew⁶ much love, [but] their heart goeth⁶ after their covetousness.

And, lo, thou [art] unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play¹⁵ well⁵⁶ on an instrument: for they hear¹ thy words, but they do⁶ them not.

And when this cometh to pass,² (lo, it will come,)⁶ then shall they know¹ that a prophet hath been among them.