Ezekiel 33
New King James Version
The Watchman and His Message
33 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to (A)the children of your people, and say to them: (B)‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their (C)watchman, 3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does (D)not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, (E)his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will [a]save his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, (F)he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’
7 (G)“So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have [b]delivered your soul.
10 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we (H)pine[c] away in them, (I)how can we then live?” ’ 11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, (J)‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked (K)turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For (L)why should you die, O house of Israel?’
The Fairness of God’s Judgment
12 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: ‘The (M)righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, (N)he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.’ 13 When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, (O)but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die. 14 Again, (P)when I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ if he turns from his sin and does [d]what is lawful and [e]right, 15 if the wicked (Q)restores the pledge, (R)gives back what he has stolen, and walks in (S)the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 16 (T)None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
17 (U)“Yet the children of your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not [f]fair.’ But it is their way which is not fair! 18 (V)When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. 19 But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. 20 Yet you say, (W)‘The way of the Lord is not [g]fair.’ O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways.”
The Fall of Jerusalem
21 And it came to pass in the twelfth year (X)of our captivity, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, (Y)that one who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, (Z)“The city has been [h]captured!”
22 Now (AA)the hand of the Lord had been upon me the evening before the man came who had escaped. And He had (AB)opened my mouth; so when he came to me in the morning, my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.
The Cause of Judah’s Ruin
23 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 24 “Son of man, (AC)they who inhabit those (AD)ruins in the land of Israel are saying, (AE)‘Abraham was only one, and he inherited the land. (AF)But we are many; the land has been given to us as a (AG)possession.’
25 “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: (AH)“You eat meat with blood, you (AI)lift up your eyes toward your idols, and (AJ)shed blood. Should you then possess the (AK)land? 26 You rely on your sword, you commit abominations, and you (AL)defile one another’s wives. Should you then possess the land?” ’
27 “Say thus to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “As I live, surely (AM)those who are in the ruins shall fall by the sword, and the one who is in the open field (AN)I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and (AO)caves shall die of the pestilence. 28 (AP)For I will make the land most desolate, [i]her (AQ)arrogant strength shall cease, and (AR)the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that no one will pass through. 29 Then they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have made the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.” ’
Hearing and Not Doing
30 “As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they (AS)speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ 31 So (AT)they come to you as people do, they (AU)sit before you as My people, and they (AV)hear your words, but they do not do them; (AW)for with their mouth they show much love, but (AX)their hearts pursue their own gain. 32 Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do (AY)not do them. 33 (AZ)And when this comes to pass—surely it will come—then (BA)they will know that a prophet has been among them.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 33:5 Or deliver his soul
- Ezekiel 33:9 Or saved your life
- Ezekiel 33:10 Or waste away
- Ezekiel 33:14 justice
- Ezekiel 33:14 righteousness
- Ezekiel 33:17 Or equitable
- Ezekiel 33:20 Or equitable
- Ezekiel 33:21 Lit. struck down
- Ezekiel 33:28 Lit. pride of her strength
Ezekiel 33
Modern English Version
Renewal of Ezekiel’s Call
33 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 Son of man, speak to the children of your people and say to them: If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them and set him for their watchman, 3 and he sees the sword come upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet yet did not take warning. His blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning delivers his soul. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword come and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned and a sword comes and takes a person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity. But his blood I will require from the hand of the watchman.
7 Now as for you, son of man: I have set you a watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them from Me. 8 When I say to the wicked, “O wicked man, you shall surely die,” and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity. But his blood I will require from your hand. 9 Nevertheless, if you on your part warn the wicked to turn from his way and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity. But you have delivered your soul.
God’s Justice and Mercy
10 Therefore as for you, son of man, say to the house of Israel: Thus you have spoken, saying, “Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we pine away in them. How should we then live?” 11 Say to them: As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why will you die, O house of Israel?
12 Therefore you, son of man, say to the sons of your people: The righteousness of a righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression. As for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it in the day that he turns from his wickedness. Nor shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sins. 13 When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live and he so trusts in his righteousness that he commits iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered. But for that iniquity of his that he has committed, he shall die. 14 Again, when I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,” and he turns from his sin and does that which is lawful and right, 15 if the wicked man restores a pledge, gives back what he had robbed, walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live. He shall not die. 16 None of his sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is lawful and right. He shall surely live.
17 Yet the sons of your people say, “The way of the Lord is not right,” when their way is not right. 18 When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die by it. 19 But if the wicked turns from his wickedness and does that which is lawful and right, he shall live by them. 20 Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is not right.” O house of Israel, I will judge you, every one according to his ways.
The Fall of Jerusalem
21 In the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, one who had escaped out of Jerusalem came to me, saying, “The city is taken.” 22 Now the hand of the Lord was upon me in the evening, before those who escaped came. And He opened my mouth at the time they came to me in the morning. Therefore my mouth was opened and I was speechless no more.
23 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 24 Son of man, those who inhabit these wastes in the land of Israel are saying, “Abraham was one, yet he inherited the land. But to us who are many, the land has been given for an inheritance.” 25 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord God: You eat meat with the blood in it and lift up your eyes toward your idols as you shed blood. Should you then possess the land? 26 You rely upon your sword, you work abominations, and every one of you defiles his neighbor’s wife. Should you then possess the land?
27 Thus you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord God: As I live, surely those who are in the ruins shall fall by the sword, and him who is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in the forts and in the caves shall die of pestilence. 28 For I will make the land a desolation and a waste, and the pomp of her strength shall cease. And the mountains of Israel shall be desolate so that none shall pass through. 29 Then shall they know that I am the Lord, when I make the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations which they have committed.
30 As for you, son of man, the sons of your people are talking about you by the walls and in the doorways of the houses; and they speak to one another, each saying to his brother, “Come now, and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.” 31 They come to you as people come, and they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words; but they will not do them. For they do the lustful desires in their mouth, and their heart goes after their covetousness. 32 You are to them as a sensual song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument. For they hear your words, but they do not do them.
33 When this comes to pass, and it is coming to pass, then shall they know that a prophet has been among them.
Ezequiel 33
Reina Valera Contemporánea
El deber del atalaya(A)
33 La palabra del Señor vino a mí, y me dijo:
2 «Hijo de hombre, ve y diles a los hijos de tu pueblo que, cuando yo haga venir la espada sobre algún país, si la gente de ese país pone como atalaya a uno de los suyos 3 y éste ve la espada venir sobre el país y toca la trompeta para prevenir a su gente, 4 quien oiga el toque de la trompeta y no se prevenga será el responsable de su muerte, si la espada lo hiere. 5 Puesto que oyó el toque de la trompeta y no se previno, será el responsable de su muerte; por el contrario, el que se prevenga pondrá a salvo su vida.
6 »En cambio, si al venir la espada el atalaya no toca la trompeta para prevenir a la gente, cuando la espada llegue y hiera de muerte a alguien, éste morirá por causa de su pecado, pero yo haré responsable de su muerte al atalaya.
7 »Es a ti, hijo de hombre, a quien yo he puesto como atalaya para el pueblo de Israel. Tú oirás de mí mismo la advertencia, y les advertirás para que se prevengan. 8 Cuando yo le diga a algún impío que está en peligro de muerte, si tú no le adviertes que se aparte de su mal camino, el impío morirá por causa de su pecado, pero yo te haré responsable de su muerte. 9 Por el contrario, si tú le adviertes al impío que se aparte de su mal camino, y éste no te hace caso, morirá por causa de su pecado, pero tú habrás puesto a salvo tu vida.
Dios actúa con justicia(B)
10 »Tú, hijo de hombre, dile al pueblo de Israel: “Ustedes se disculpan y dicen: ‘Pesan sobre nosotros nuestras rebeliones y nuestros pecados, y por eso somos consumidos. ¿Cómo vamos a vivir así?’ 11 Pues yo, su Señor y Dios, juro que no quiero la muerte del impío, sino que éste se aparte de su mal camino y viva. ¿Por qué ustedes, pueblo de Israel, quieren morir? ¡Apártense, apártense de su mal camino!”
12 »Tú, hijo de hombre, di a los hijos de tu pueblo que al justo no lo salvarán sus buenas acciones, si éste se rebela; ni tampoco será un impedimento para el impío su impiedad, si éste se aparta de su impiedad. En cambio, si el justo peca, sus buenas acciones no le salvarán la vida. 13 Si a un hombre justo le aseguro que vivirá, y éste, confiado en su justicia, actúa inicuamente, de nada le valdrán todas sus buenas acciones, sino que morirá por sus acciones inicuas. 14 En cambio, si a un malvado lo condeno a morir, y éste se aparta de su maldad y actúa con justicia y rectitud, 15 y devuelve la prenda recibida, y restituye lo robado, y deja de hacer lo malo y sigue los estatutos de vida, de ninguna manera morirá, sino que vivirá. 16 No se le tomarán en cuenta los pecados que haya cometido, sino que vivirá por haber actuado con justicia y rectitud.
17 »Los hijos de tu pueblo van a decir: “El Señor no está actuando con justicia.” Lo cierto es que son ellos los que no actúan con justicia. 18 Si el hombre justo se aparta de la justicia y comete acciones inicuas, por causa de sus malas acciones morirá. 19 Pero si el impío se aparta de su impiedad y actúa con justicia y rectitud, entonces vivirá. 20 Pueblo de Israel, ustedes dicen que yo no actúo con justicia, pero yo juzgo a cada uno según su manera de actuar.»
La caída de Jerusalén
21 El día cinco del mes décimo del año duodécimo de nuestro cautiverio, un fugitivo vino a darme la noticia de que Jerusalén había sido conquistada.(C) 22 La tarde antes de que el fugitivo llegara, el Señor había puesto su mano sobre mí y me había quitado el habla, pero al día siguiente vino a mí y me devolvió el habla, y ya no estuve mudo. 23 Entonces la palabra del Señor vino a mí, y me dijo:
24 «Hijo de hombre, los que habitan los sitios en ruinas de la tierra de Israel andan diciendo: “Abrahán era uno solo, y tomó posesión de la tierra, así que a nosotros, que somos muchos, se nos debe dar la tierra en posesión.” 25 Por lo tanto, ve y diles que yo, su Señor y Dios, he dicho: “Ustedes comen sangre, dirigen la mirada a sus ídolos, y además derraman sangre. ¿Y así quieren tomar posesión de la tierra? 26 Se apoyan en sus espadas, cometen actos repugnantes, pecan cometiendo adulterio con la mujer de su prójimo, ¿Y así quieren tomar posesión de la tierra?” 27 Ve y diles que yo, su Señor y Dios, he dicho: “Les juro que los que están en sitios desolados caerán a filo de espada, y que a los que andan por los campos los entregaré a las fieras, para que se los devoren, y que los que están en las fortalezas y en las cuevas morirán de peste. 28 Yo convertiré la tierra en desierto y soledad. Los montes de Israel quedarán asolados, y nadie volverá a pasar por ellos. La soberbia de sentirse poderosos llegará a su fin. 29 Cuando por causa de todos los actos repugnantes que han cometido yo convierta la tierra en desierto y soledad, sabrán que yo soy el Señor.”
30 »Hijo de hombre, por las paredes y las puertas de las casas tu pueblo va burlándose de ti. Unos a otros se dicen, cada uno con su hermano: “Vengan ahora; vamos a escuchar lo que el Señor nos va a decir.” 31 Y se acercan a ti en grupo, y delante de ti se sientan, como pueblo mío, para escuchar tus palabras, ¡pero no las ponen en práctica! Al contrario, se deshacen en elogios, pero su corazón sólo busca satisfacer su codicia. 32 Para ellos, tú no eres más que un trovador romántico, de melodiosa voz y bien entonado. Oyen tus palabras, pero no las practican. 33 Pero cuando todo esto se cumpla (y ya está por cumplirse), sabrán que entre ellos hubo un profeta.»
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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