Ezekiel 33

Ezekiel as Israel’s Watchman

33Once again a message came to me from the Lord:H1697H3068H559 2“Son of man, give your people this message: ‘When I bring an army against a country, the people of that land choose one of their own to be a watchman.H1121H120H1696H1121H5971H559H935H2719H776H5971H776H3947H259H376H7097H5414H6822 3When the watchman sees the enemy coming, he sounds the alarm to warn the people.H7200H2719H935H776H8628H7782H2094H5971 4Then if those who hear the alarm refuse to take action, it is their own fault if they die.H8085H8085H6963H7782H2094H2719H935H3947H1818H7218 5They heard the alarm but ignored it, so the responsibility is theirs. If they had listened to the warning, they could have saved their lives.H8085H6963H7782H2094H1818H2094H4422H5315 6But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn’t sound the alarm to warn the people, he is responsible for their captivity. They will die in their sins, but I will hold the watchman responsible for their deaths.’H6822H7200H2719H935H8628H7782H5971H2094H2719H935H3947H5315H3947H5771H1818H1875H6822H3027 7“Now, son of man, I am making you a watchman for the people of Israel. Therefore, listen to what I say and warn them for me.H1121H120H5414H6822H1004H3478H8085H1697H6310H2094 8If I announce that some wicked people are sure to die and you fail to tell them to change their ways, then they will die in their sins, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths.H559H7563H7563H4191H4191H1696H2094H7563H1870H7563H4191H5771H1818H1245H3027 9But if you warn them to repent and they don’t repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself.H2094H7563H1870H7725H7725H1870H4191H5771H5337H5315

The Watchman’s Message

10“Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: You are saying, ‘Our sins are heavy upon us; we are wasting away! How can we survive?’H1121H120H559H1004H3478H559H559H6588H2403H4743H2421 11As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?H559H2416H5002H136H3069H2654H4194H7563H7563H7725H1870H2421H7725H7725H7451H1870H4191H1004H3478 12“Son of man, give your people this message: The righteous behavior of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will the wicked behavior of wicked people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins.H1121H120H559H1121H5971H6666H6662H5337H3117H6588H7564H7563H3782H3117H7725H7562H6662H3201H2421H3117H2398 13When I tell righteous people that they will live, but then they sin, expecting their past righteousness to save them, then none of their righteous acts will be remembered. I will destroy them for their sins.H559H6662H2421H2421H982H6666H6213H5766H6666H2142H5766H6213H4191 14And suppose I tell some wicked people that they will surely die, but then they turn from their sins and do what is just and right.H559H7563H4191H4191H7725H2403H6213H4941H6666 15For instance, they might give back a debtor’s security, return what they have stolen, and obey my life-giving laws, no longer doing what is evil. If they do this, then they will surely live and not die.H7563H7725H2258H7999H1500H1980H2708H2416H6213H5766H2421H2421H4191 16None of their past sins will be brought up again, for they have done what is just and right, and they will surely live.H2403H2398H2142H6213H4941H6666H2421H2421 17“Your people are saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right,’ but it is they who are not doing what’s right.H1121H5971H559H1870H136H8505H1870H8505 18For again I say, when righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and turn to evil, they will die.H6662H7725H6666H6213H5766H4191 19But if wicked people turn from their wickedness and do what is just and right, they will live.H7563H7725H7564H6213H4941H6666H2421 20O people of Israel, you are saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right.’ But I judge each of you according to your deeds.”H559H1870H136H8505H1004H3478H8199H376H1870

Explanation of Jerusalem’s Fall

21On January 8

, during the twelfth year of our captivity, a survivor from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has fallen!”H8147H6240H8141H1546H6224H2568H2320H6412H3389H935H559H5892H5221 22The previous evening the Lord had taken hold of me and given me back my voice. So I was able to speak when this man arrived the next morning.H3027H3068H6153H6440H6412H935H6605H6310H935H1242H6310H6605H481 23Then this message came to me from the Lord:H1697H3068H559 24“Son of man, the scattered remnants of Judah living among the ruined cities keep saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he gained possession of the entire land. We are many; surely the land has been given to us as a possession.’H1121H120H3427H2723H127H3478H559H559H85H259H3423H776H7227H776H5414H4181 25So tell these people, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You eat meat with blood in it, you worship idols

, and you murder the innocent. Do you really think the land should be yours?H559H559H136H3069H398H1818H5375H5869H1544H8210H1818H3423H776 26Murderers! Idolaters! Adulterers! Should the land belong to you?’H5975H2719H6213H8441H2930H376H7453H802H3423H776 27“Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, those living in the ruins will die by the sword. And I will send wild animals to eat those living in the open fields. Those hiding in the forts and caves will die of disease.H559H559H136H3069H2416H2723H5307H2719H6440H7704H5414H2416H398H4679H4631H4191H1698 28I will completely destroy the land and demolish her pride. Her arrogant power will come to an end. The mountains of Israel will be so desolate that no one will even travel through them.H5414H776H4923H8077H1347H5797H7673H2022H3478H8074H5674 29When I have completely destroyed the land because of their detestable sins, then they will know that I am the Lord.’H3045H3068H5414H776H4923H8077H8441H6213 30“Son of man, your people talk about you in their houses and whisper about you at the doors. They say to each other, ‘Come on, let’s go hear the prophet tell us what the Lord is saying!’H1121H120H1121H5971H1696H681H7023H6607H1004H1696H2297H259H376H251H559H935H8085H1697H3318H3068 31So my people come pretending to be sincere and sit before you. They listen to your words, but they have no intention of doing what you say. Their mouths are full of lustful words, and their hearts seek only after money.H935H5971H3996H3427H6440H5971H8085H1697H6213H6310H6213H5690H3820H1980H310H1215 32You are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say, but they don’t act on it!H5690H7892H3303H6963H2895H5059H8085H1697H6213 33But when all these terrible things happen to them—as they certainly will—then they will know a prophet has been among them.”H935H935H3045H5030H8432