Ezekiel

Contains visions and prophecies of judgment and restoration for Israel and the nations.

Chapter 33

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

*Once more, God's message came to 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 of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:

*Son, tell your people's kids: When I bring a sword to a place, if the people choose a guard from their borders to watch over them:

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

*If he sees a sword coming to the land, he blows the trumpet and tells the people.

4 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.

*Then whoever hears the trumpet's sound but doesn't listen, if the sword attacks and hurts him, it's his own fault for not being cautious.

5 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 heard the trumpet's noise but didn't listen; it's his fault. But those who pay attention will save their lives.

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

*But if the watchman sees danger coming and doesn't blow the trumpet to warn people, and someone gets hurt or killed, the watchman will be held responsible for their death because they didn't give a warning.

7 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.

*So you, human child, I've made you a watchman for Israel's home. Now listen to my words and pass on the warnings to them from me.

8 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.

*When I tell a bad person they will die, if you don't warn them, they will die for their wrongdoing. But their blood is on your hands for not warning them.

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 in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

*However, if you warn the bad person about their path and tell them to change, if they don't change, they will die because of their wrongdoing. But, you will have saved your own life.

10 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?

*So, you - the son of a human - tell the people of Israel this: You say, "If our wrong actions and mistakes are on us, and we're suffering because of them, how can we keep living?"

11 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?

*The Lord says, "I don't want bad people to die, but I wish they would change their ways. So, you all should stop doing wrong things. Why do you want to die, people of Israel?"

12 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, you tell the people's children: Righteous actions won't save someone on a bad day, and being wicked won't cause a fall if they change their ways. Also, doing good won't help when someone misbehaves, and being righteous won't let them live when they do wrong.

13 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 tell the righteous person they will definitely live, if they rely on their own goodness but still do wrong, none of their good deeds will matter. Instead, they'll be remembered for the bad things they did, and they will die because of them.

14 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;

*Again, when I tell the bad person they will die for their actions, if they stop doing wrong things and start doing what's right and fair instead.

15 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 bad person returns what they stole, follows good rules for living, and doesn't do wrong things, they will live a long life and won't face death.

16 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.

*Don't talk about his mistakes; he did what's right and proper. He will definitely live.

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

*However, your people's children say that God's path isn't fair, but they believe their own way is unequal too.

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

*When someone good does something wrong, they may die because of it.

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

*But if bad people change their bad ways and do what's right and fair, they will live better lives.

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.

*"But you say that God's ways aren't fair. O Israel family, I will judge each person according to their actions."

21 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 12th year we were captured, during the tenth month's fifth day, someone who escaped from Jerusalem told me: "The city is in trouble."

22 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, God's power came to me before the person who escaped arrived. He made it possible for me to speak again, and when the person came to me in the morning, I could finally talk without any problems.

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

*Then God spoke to me through his message, saying,

24 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.

*Son of man, people living in the empty areas of Israel say, "Abraham had only one child and got the land." But now, we have many people, so the land belongs to all of us as an inheritance.

25 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, the Lord God says, you eat using blood, look to your idols, and spill blood. How can you own the land then?

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

*You stand on your swords, commit terrible acts, and impure everyone by sleeping with their neighbors' wives. Do you think you should own the land?

27 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 in the wilderness will be killed by swords, those in open fields will be eaten by animals, and those in forts and caves will die from sickness."

28 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.

*For I will make the land very empty and take away its power; the big mountains in Israel will be empty too, so no one can go through them.

29 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.

*Then they will understand I am God, when I make the land very empty due to all the bad things they did.

30 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.

*Additionally, son of man, your people's children are still discussing you near walls and house doors. They talk to each other and say, "Please come and listen to the message coming from the Lord."

31 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 like others visiting, they sit and listen to your words, but won't follow them. They say they love you, but their hearts are really focused on their desire for more things.

32 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.

*And indeed, you are like a beautiful song played by someone with a nice voice and skill on their instrument. People listen to your words, but they don't follow them.

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

*When this happens, (it will indeed happen), people will realize that a prophet has been with them.

read summary

Back to Chapters

Back to Books

* work in progress, there will be mistakes