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Ezekiel 33
1599 Geneva Bible

33 2 The office of the governors and ministers. 14 He strengtheneth them that despair, and boldeneth them with the promise of mercy. 30 The word of the Lord against the mockers of the Prophet.

1 Again, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man [a]from among them, and make him their [b]watchman,

3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people,

4 Then he that heareth the sound of the trumpet, and will not be warned, if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.

5 For he heard the sound of the trumpet, and would not be admonished: therefore his blood shall be upon him: but he that receiveth warning, shall save his life.

6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned: if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away for his [c]iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.

7 (A)So thou, O son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore thou shalt hear the word at my [d]mouth, and admonish them from me.

8 When I shall say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt die the death, if thou dost not speak and admonish the wicked of his way, that wicked man shall die for his iniquity, but his blood will I [e]require at thine hand.

9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, if he do not turn from his way, he shall die for his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul.

10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, Thus ye speak and say, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we are consumed because of them, [f]how should we then live?

11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, [g]I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn you, turn you from your evil ways, for why will ye die, O ye house of Israel?

12 Therefore thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The [h]righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression, nor the wickedness of the wicked shall cause him to fall therein, in the day that he returneth from his wickedness, neither shall the righteous live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.

13 When I shall say unto the righteous, that he shall surely live, if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall be no more remembered, but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for the same.

14 Again when I shall say unto the wicked, Thou shalt die the death, if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and [i]right,

15 To wit, if the wicked restore the pledge, and give again that he had robbed, and walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity, he shall surely live, and not die.

16 None of his sins that he hath committed, shall be mentioned unto him: because he hath done that, which is lawful and right, he shall surely live.

17 Yet the children of thy people say, (B)The way of the Lord is not equal: but their own way is unequal.

18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.

19 But if the wicked return from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.

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

21 Also in the twelfth year of our [j]captivity, in the tenth month, and in the fifth day of the month, one that had escaped out of Jerusalem, came unto me, and said, The city is smitten.

22 Now the [k]hand of the Lord had been upon me in the evening afore he that had escaped, came, and had opened my mouth until he came to me in the morning: and when he had opened my [l]mouth, I was no more dumb.

23 Again the word of the Lord came unto me, and said,

24 Son of man, these that dwell in the desolate places of the land of Israel, talk and say, [m]Abraham was but one, and he possessed the land: but we are many, therefore the land shall be given us in possession.

25 Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Ye eat with the [n]blood, and lifted up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: should ye then possess the land?

26 Ye lean upon your [o]swords, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbor’s wife: should ye then possess the land?

27 Say thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, As I live, so surely they that are in the desolate places, shall fall by the sword: and him that is in the open field, will I give unto the beasts to be devoured: and they that be in the forts and in the caves, shall die of the pestilence.

28 For I will lay the land desolate and waste, and the (C)pomp of her strength shall cease: and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, and none shall pass through.

29 Then shall they know that I am the Lord, when I have laid the land desolate and waste, because of all their abominations, that they have committed.

30 Also thou son of man, the children of thy people that [p]talk of thee by the walls and in the doors of houses, and speak one to another, everyone to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh from the Lord.

31 For they come unto thee, as the people useth to come: and my people sit before thee, and hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouths they make [q]jests, and their heart goeth after their covetousness.

32 And lo, thou art unto them, as a [r]jesting song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can sing well: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.

33 And when this cometh to pass (for lo, it will come) then shall they know, that a Prophet hath been among them.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 33:2 Or, of their coasts.
  2. Ezekiel 33:2 He showeth that the people ought to have continually governors and teachers which may have a care over them, and to warn them ever of the dangers which are at hand.
  3. Ezekiel 33:6 Signifying, that the wicked shall not escape punishment though the watchman be negligent: but if the watchman blow the trumpet, and then he will not obey, he shall deserve double punishment.
  4. Ezekiel 33:7 Which teacheth that he that receiveth not his charge at the Lord’s mouth, is a spy, and not a true watchman.
  5. Ezekiel 33:8 The watchman must answer for the blood of all that perish through his negligence.
  6. Ezekiel 33:10 Thus the wicked when they hear God’s judgments for their sins, despair of his mercies, and murmur.
  7. Ezekiel 33:11 Read Ezek. 18:23.
  8. Ezekiel 33:12 Read of this righteousness, Ezek. 18:21, 24.
  9. Ezekiel 33:14 Hereby he condemneth all them of hypocrisy, which pretend to forsake wickedness, and yet declare not themselves such by their fruits, that is, in obeying God’s commandments, and by godly life.
  10. Ezekiel 33:21 When the Prophet was led away captive with Jeconiah.
  11. Ezekiel 33:22 I was endued with the Spirit of prophecy, Ezek. 8:1.
  12. Ezekiel 33:22 Whereby is signified that the ministers of God cannot speak till God give them courage, and open their mouths, Ezek. 24:27 and 29:21; Eph. 6:19.
  13. Ezekiel 33:24 Thus the wicked think themselves more worthy to enjoy God’s promises than the Saints of God, to whom they were made: and would bind God to be subject to them, though they would not be bound to him.
  14. Ezekiel 33:25 Contrary to the Law, Lev. 17:14.
  15. Ezekiel 33:26 As they that are ready still to shed blood.
  16. Ezekiel 33:30 In derision.
  17. Ezekiel 33:31 This declareth that we ought to hear God’s word with such zeal and affection, that we should in all points obey it, else we abuse the word to our own condemnation, and make of his ministers, as though they were jests to serve men’s foolish fantasies.
  18. Ezekiel 33:32 Or, pleasant, and love song.
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Ezekiel 33
New International Version

Renewal of Ezekiel’s Call as Watchman

33 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword(A) against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman,(B) 3 and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet(C) to warn the people, 4 then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning(D) and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head.(E) 5 Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head.(F) If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves.(G) 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’(H)

7 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman(I) for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.(J) 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,(K)’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.(L) 9 But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so,(M) they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.(N)

10 “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away(O) because of[b] them. How then can we live?(P)”’ 11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.(Q) Turn!(R) Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’(S)

12 “Therefore, son of man, say to your people,(T) ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’(U) 13 If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done.(V) 14 And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just(W) and right— 15 if they give back what they took in pledge(X) for a loan, return what they have stolen,(Y) follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die.(Z) 16 None of the sins(AA) that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.(AB)

17 “Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just. 18 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil,(AC) they will die for it.(AD) 19 And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so.(AE) 20 Yet you Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to your own ways.”(AF)

Jerusalem’s Fall Explained

21 In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month on the fifth day, a man who had escaped(AG) from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has fallen!(AH)” 22 Now the evening before the man arrived, the hand of the Lord was on me,(AI) and he opened my mouth(AJ) before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened and I was no longer silent.(AK)

23 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 24 “Son of man, the people living in those ruins(AL) in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many;(AM) surely the land has been given to us as our possession.’(AN) 25 Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you eat(AO) meat with the blood(AP) still in it and look to your idols and shed blood, should you then possess the land?(AQ) 26 You rely on your sword, you do detestable things,(AR) and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife.(AS) Should you then possess the land?’

27 “Say this to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, those who are left in the ruins will fall by the sword, those out in the country I will give to the wild animals to be devoured, and those in strongholds and caves will die of a plague.(AT) 28 I will make the land a desolate waste, and her proud strength will come to an end, and the mountains(AU) of Israel will become desolate so that no one will cross them.(AV) 29 Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have made the land a desolate(AW) waste because of all the detestable things they have done.’(AX)

30 “As for you, son of man, your people are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the Lord.’ 31 My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before(AY) you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy(AZ) for unjust gain.(BA) 32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs(BB) with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.(BC)

33 “When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.(BD)”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 33:8 Or in; also in verse 9
  2. Ezekiel 33:10 Or away in
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1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)

Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.

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