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Ezekiel 33:1-9
New English Translation

Ezekiel Israel’s Watchman

33 The Lord’s message came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people,[a] and say to them, ‘Suppose I bring a sword against the land, and the people of the land take one man from their borders and make him their watchman. 3 He sees the sword coming against the land, blows the trumpet,[b] and warns the people,[c] 4 but there is one who hears the sound of the trumpet yet does not heed the warning. Then the sword comes and sweeps him away. He will be responsible for his own death.[d] 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, so he is responsible for himself.[e] If he had heeded the warning, he would have saved his life. 6 But suppose the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people. Then the sword comes and takes one of their lives. He is swept away for his iniquity,[f] but I will hold the watchman accountable for that person’s death.’[g]

7 “As for you, son of man, I have made you a watchman[h] for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them on my behalf. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you must certainly die,’[i] and you do not warn[j] the wicked about his behavior,[k] the wicked man will die for his iniquity, but I will hold you accountable for his death.[l] 9 But if you warn the wicked man to change his behavior,[m] and he refuses to change,[n] he will die for his iniquity, but you have saved your own life.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 33:2 tn Heb “sons of your people.”
  2. Ezekiel 33:3 tn Heb “shofar,” a ram’s horn rather than a brass instrument (so throughout the chapter).
  3. Ezekiel 33:3 tn Sounding the trumpet could warn of imminent danger (Neh 4:18-20; Jer 4:19; Amos 3:6).
  4. Ezekiel 33:4 tn Heb “his blood will be on his own head.”
  5. Ezekiel 33:5 tn Heb “his blood will be on him.”
  6. Ezekiel 33:6 tn Or “in his punishment.” The phrase “in/for [a person’s] iniquity/punishment” occurs fourteen times in Ezekiel: here and in vv. 8 and 9; 3:18, 19; 4:17; 7:13, 16; 18:17, 18, 19, 20; 24:23; 39:23. The Hebrew word for “iniquity” may also mean the “punishment” for iniquity or “guilt” of iniquity.
  7. Ezekiel 33:6 tn Heb “his blood from the hand of the watchman I will seek.”
  8. Ezekiel 33:7 sn Jeremiah (Jer 6:17) and Habakkuk (Hab 2:1) also served in the role of a watchman.
  9. Ezekiel 33:8 tn The same expression occurs in Gen 2:17.
  10. Ezekiel 33:8 tn Heb “and you do not speak to warn.”
  11. Ezekiel 33:8 tn Heb “way.”
  12. Ezekiel 33:8 tn Heb “and his blood from your hand I will seek.”
  13. Ezekiel 33:9 tn Heb “from his way to turn from it.”
  14. Ezekiel 33:9 tn Heb “and he does not turn from his way.”
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Ezekiel 33:1-9
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Ezekiel, Israel’s Sentry

33 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 O Mortal, speak to your people and say to them: If I bring the sword upon a land and the people of the land take one of their number as their sentinel,(A) 3 and if the sentinel sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people,(B) 4 then if any who hear the sound of the trumpet do not take warning and the sword comes and takes them away, their blood shall be upon their own heads.(C) 5 They heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; their blood shall be upon themselves. But if they had taken warning, they would have saved their lives.(D) 6 But if the sentinel sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any of them, they are taken away in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at the sentinel’s hand.(E)

7 So you, mortal, I have made a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.(F) 8 If I say to the wicked, “O wicked ones, you shall surely die,” and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at your hand. 9 But if you warn the wicked to turn from their ways and they do not turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but you will have saved your life.(G)

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