Ezekiel 33

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

Once more, I felt the divine whisper of the LORD speaking to me, saying,

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 of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:

Human child, tell your people this: When I bring the sword against a land, and the people choose someone from among them to be their watchman:

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

When he sees danger approaching the land, he sounds the alarm to alert the people, filled with fear and urgency.

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

If you hear the trumpet's call and ignore it, when danger strikes and you fall, it's your own fault.

He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.

He ignored the trumpet's call, choosing not to heed its warning; his fate is his own doing. But the one who listens and takes caution will save himself.

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 in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.

If the watchman sees the sword coming but doesn't sound the alarm, and the people aren't warned, and the sword comes and takes someone's life, that person dies in their own sin, but I will hold the watchman responsible for their death.

So 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.

Listen, my child, I've chosen you as a guardian for the people of Israel. So, heed my words and guide them away from danger on my behalf.

When 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 in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

If I tell a wicked person, 'You will surely die,' and you don't warn them to change their ways, they will die because of their wrongdoings. But I will hold you responsible for their blood.

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

If you warn a wrongdoer to change their ways and they choose not to, they will die in their sin. But you've done your part and saved your own life.

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

Hey, you human, talk to the people of Israel. This is what they're saying: 'Our wrongs and our sins weigh on us, and we're wasting away because of them. How can we possibly live?'

Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

God passionately declares, "I don't rejoice in the downfall of the wicked. I'd rather they change their ways and live. So please, change your harmful ways. Why choose death, O people of Israel?"

Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.

So, my friend, tell your people this: Even the good person's past goodness won't save them when they do wrong. Similarly, the bad person's past sins won't cause their downfall when they decide to do right. No one can rely on their past actions to save them when they mess up.

When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

When I promise a good person life, but they trust in their own goodness and choose to sin, their past virtues will be forgotten. They will die for the sin they chose.

Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;

When I tell a wrongdoer, 'You will surely die,' but they choose to abandon their sins and start living rightly,

If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.

If a wrongdoer makes amends, returns what they've stolen, and chooses to live righteously, free from sin, they will indeed find life and escape death.

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

No one will remind him of his past wrongs; he has chosen the path of righteousness and justice. He will undoubtedly thrive.

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

Despite your people's claims that God's ways are unfair, it's their actions that are truly unjust.

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

When a good person abandons their goodness and chooses to do wrong, they will die for it.

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

If someone evil changes their ways, choosing to do good and follow the law, they will find life in this transformation.

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.

You question, claiming God's path isn't fair. But listen, people of Israel, God will judge each of you based on your actions.

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 exile, on the fifth day of the tenth month, a survivor from Jerusalem came to me and said, "The city has fallen."

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

In the evening, before the one who had fled arrived, I felt the Lord's hand upon me. He opened my mouth before the man reached me in the morning. My mouth was opened, and I was no longer silent.

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

Then, I felt a profound message from the Lord resonate within me, saying,

Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.

People living in the barren lands of Israel often say, "Abraham was alone, yet he was given the land. We are many, so surely the land is ours to inherit."

Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land?

So tell them, "This is what the Lord God says: You eat meat with the blood still in it, you look to your idols, and you shed blood. Do you really think you can claim this land as your own?"

Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour’s wife: and shall ye possess the land?

You rely on violence, commit terrible acts, and each of you sleeps with his neighbor's wife. Do you really think you'll inherit the land with such behavior?

Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.

Tell them this: God says, "I swear, those living among the ruins will die by the sword. Those in open fields I will give to wild animals to be devoured. And those hiding in forts and caves will succumb to disease."

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

I will leave the land utterly barren, its pride and power will end; the hills of Israel will be so desolate, no one will dare to cross.

Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.

They will truly realize I am the Lord, when I've left their land in ruins due to their terrible actions.

Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD.

Hey, they're still gossiping about you, my friend. They whisper about you in their homes and on the streets, urging each other to listen to God's message that you're sharing.

And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.

People come to you and sit before you as if they are your followers. They listen to your words, but they don't act on them. They express love with their words, but their hearts are filled with greed.

And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.

You're like a beautiful song to them, sung by a talented musician with a soothing voice. They listen to your words, but they don't put them into action.

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

When this happens, as surely it will, they will realize that a prophet has indeed been in their midst.