Old/New Testament
Ezekiel Is Watchman for Israel
33 The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me, saying: 2 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], speak to your people and say to them: ‘Suppose I bring a war against a land. The people of the land may choose one of their men and make him their watchman. 3 When he sees the ·enemy [L sword] coming ·to attack [against] the land, he will blow the trumpet and warn the people. 4 If they hear the sound of the trumpet but do ·nothing [not heed], the ·enemy [L sword] will come and ·kill them [L take them away]. ·They will be responsible for their own deaths [L Their blood will be on their own head]. 5 They heard the sound of the trumpet but didn’t ·do anything [heed the warning]. So ·they are to blame for their own deaths [L their blood will be on their own head]. If they had ·done something [taken the warning], they would have saved their own lives. 6 But if the watchman sees the ·enemy [L sword] coming to attack and does not blow the trumpet, the people will not be warned. Then if the ·enemy [L sword] comes and ·kills [L takes away] any of them, they have died because of their own sin. But I will ·punish [hold accountable] the watchman for their ·deaths [L blood].’
7 “You, ·human [T son of man; 2:1], are the one I have made a watchman for [L the house of] Israel. If you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them for me. 8 Suppose I say to the wicked: ‘Wicked people, you will surely die,’ but you don’t speak to warn the wicked to ·stop doing evil [turn from their ways]. Then they will die ·because they were sinners [for their iniquity], but I will ·punish you [hold you accountable] for their deaths. 9 But if you warn the wicked to ·stop doing evil [turn from their ways] and they do not stop, they will die ·because they were sinners [for their iniquity]. But you have saved your life.
10 “So you, ·human [T son of man; 2:1], say to [L the house of] Israel: ‘You have said: Surely our ·lawbreaking [transgressions] and sins are ·hurting [L upon] us. ·They will kill us [We are wasting/rotting away because of them]. What can we do so we will live?’ 11 Say to them: ‘The Lord God says: As surely as I live, I ·do not want any who are wicked to die [L take no pleasure in the death of the wicked]. I want them to ·stop doing evil [turn from their ways] and live. ·Stop [Turn]! ·Stop [Turn from] your wicked ways! ·You don’t want to die, do you [L Why will you die], ·people [L house] of Israel?’
12 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], say to your people: ‘The ·goodness [righteousness] of ·those who do right [the righteous] will not save them ·when they sin [L in the day of their rebellion]. The ·evil of wicked people [wickedness of the wicked] will not cause them to ·be punished [stumble] if they stop doing it. If ·good people [the righteous] sin, they will not be able to live by the ·good [righteousness] they did earlier.’ 13 If I tell ·good people [the righteous], ‘You will surely live,’ they might ·think they have done enough good [L trust in their righteousness] and then do evil. Then none of the ·good [righteous] things they did will be remembered. They will die because of the ·evil [iniquity] they have done. 14 Or, if I say to the wicked people, ‘You will surely die,’ they may stop sinning and do what is right and ·honest [just]. 15 For example, ·they [L the wicked one] may ·return what somebody gave them as a promise to repay a loan [restore the pledge], or pay back what they stole. If they live by the ·rules [statutes] that give life and do not ·sin [do evil; practice iniquity], then they will surely live, and they will not die. 16 None of the sins they have committed will be ·held [L remembered] against them. They now do what is right and ·fair [just], so they will surely live.
17 “Your people say: ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ But it is their own ways that are not ·fair [just]. 18 When the ·good people [righteous] ·stop doing good [turn from righteousness] and do evil, they will die for their evil. 19 But when the wicked ·stop doing evil [turn from sin] and do what is right and ·fair [just], they will live. 20 You still say: ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Israel, I will judge all of you ·by [according to] your own ways.”
The Fall of Jerusalem Explained
21 It was in the twelfth year [C since King Jehoiachin’s exile (1:2)], on the fifth day of the tenth month [C January 19, 585 bc]. A ·person who had escaped [survivor; refugee; fugitive] from Jerusalem came to me and said, “Jerusalem has been ·captured [struck down].” 22 Now ·I had felt the power of the Lord [L the hand of the Lord was] on me the evening before. He had ·made me able to talk again [L opened my mouth] before this person came to me. ·I could speak [L He opened my mouth]; I was not without speech anymore [C see 3:24–27].
23 Then the ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me, saying: 24 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], people who live in the ruins in the land of Israel are saying: ‘Abraham was only one person, yet he was given the land as his own. Surely the land has been given to us, who are many, as our ·very own [possession].’ 25 So say to them: ‘This is what the Lord God says: You eat meat with the blood still in it [C forbidden in the law; Lev. 19:26], you ·ask your idols for help [L raise your eyes to your idols], and you ·murder people [L shed blood]. Should you then ·have the land as your very own [possess the land]? 26 You depend on your sword and do ·terrible things that I hate [detestable/abominable things]. Each of you ·has sexual relations with [defiles] his neighbor’s wife. So should you ·have [possess] the land?’
27 “Say to them: ‘This is what the Lord God says: As surely as I live, those who are among the city ruins in Israel will ·be killed in war [L fall by the sword]. I will cause those who live in the ·country [open field] to be eaten by wild animals. People ·hiding in [L in] the strongholds and caves will die of ·disease [plague; pestilence]. 28 I will make the land an ·empty desert [desolate wasteland]. ·The people’s pride in the land’s power [L …and her confident pride] will end. The mountains of Israel will become ·empty [desolate] so that no one will pass through them. 29 They will know that I am the Lord when I make the land an ·empty desert [desolate wasteland] because of the things they have done that ·I hate [are detestable/abominable].’
30 “But as for you, ·human [T son of man; 2:1], your people are talking about you by the walls and in the doorways of houses. They say to each other: ‘Come now, and hear the message from the Lord.’ 31 So they come to you in crowds as ·if they were really ready to listen [or they usually do; or people do]. They sit in front of you as if they were my people and hear your words, but they will not ·obey [do] them. With their mouths they ·tell me they love me [or talk lustfully], ·but [or and] their hearts ·desire [pursue] their selfish profits. 32 [L Look; T Behold] To your people you are nothing more than a singer who sings ·love [or sensual; lustful] songs and has a beautiful voice and plays a musical instrument well. They hear your words, but they will not ·obey [do] them.
33 “When this comes true, and it surely will happen, then the people will know that a prophet has been among them.”
The Leaders Are like Shepherds
34 The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me, saying: 2 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], prophesy against the shepherds of Israel [C the leaders]. Prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Lord God says: ·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] the shepherds of Israel who feed only themselves! ·Why don’t [Shouldn’t] the shepherds feed the flock? 3 You eat the ·milk curds [or fat], and you clothe yourselves with the wool. You kill the ·fat sheep [choice/fat ones], but you do not feed the flock. 4 You have not ·made the weak strong [strengthened the weak]. You have not healed the sick or put bandages on those that were hurt. You have not brought back those who strayed away or searched for the lost [Matt. 18:12; Luke 15:4]. But you have ruled the sheep with ·cruel force [violence and harshness]. 5 The sheep were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for every wild animal. 6 My flock wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered all over the face of the earth, and no one searched or looked for them.
7 “‘So, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord God says: 8 As surely as I live, my flock has ·been caught [become prey] and eaten by all the wild animals, because the flock has no shepherd. The shepherds did not search for my flock. No, they fed themselves instead of my flock. 9 So, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. 10 This is what the Lord God says: [L Look; T Behold] I am against the shepherds. I will ·blame them for what has happened to my sheep [hold them accountable; L demand my sheep from their hand] and will not let them tend the flock anymore. Then the shepherds will stop feeding themselves, and I will ·take [rescue] my flock from their mouths so they will no longer be their food.
11 “‘This is what the Lord God says: I, myself, will search for my sheep and ·take care of [look after; or look for] them. 12 As a shepherd ·take care of [looks after; or looks for] his scattered flock when ·it is found [or they are with him], I will ·take care of [look after; or look for] my sheep. I will ·save [rescue] them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. 13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries. I will bring them to their own land and ·pasture [feed] them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in all the places where people live in the land. 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and they will ·eat grass [graze] on the ·high mountains [mountain heights] of Israel. They will lie down on good ·ground where they eat grass [pasture], and they will eat in rich grassland on the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed my flock and ·lead them to rest [have them lie down], says the Lord God [Ps. 23; Is. 40:11]. 16 I will search for the lost, bring back those that strayed away [v. 4], put bandages on those that were hurt, and make the weak strong. But I will destroy those sheep that are fat and strong. I will ·tend [shepherd; feed] the sheep with ·fairness [justice].
17 “‘This is what the Lord God says: As for you, my flock, I will judge between one sheep and another, between the ·male sheep [rams] and the male goats [Matt. 25:32–33]. 18 Is it not enough for you to eat grass in the good ·land [pasture]? Must you ·crush [trample] the rest of the grass with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you make the rest of the water muddy with your feet? 19 Must my flock eat what you ·crush [trample], and must they drink what you make muddy with your feet?
20 “‘So this is what the Lord God says to them: [L Look; T Behold] I, myself, will judge between the fat sheep and the thin sheep. 21 You push with your side and with your shoulder, and you ·knock down [butt; thrust at] all the weak sheep with your horns until you have ·forced them away [or scattered them abroad]. 22 So I will save my flock; they will ·not be hurt anymore [L no longer be prey]. I will judge between one sheep and another. 23 Then I will put over them one shepherd, my servant David [Is. 11:1; Jer. 30:9; Hos. 3:5; Mic. 5:2; C the Messiah envisioned as a new David]. He will feed them and tend them and be their shepherd. 24 Then I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be a ·ruler [prince] among them. I, the Lord, have spoken.
25 “‘I will make an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] of peace with ·my sheep [L them] and will remove ·harmful animals [wild beasts] from the land. Then the sheep will live safely in the ·desert [wilderness] and sleep in the woods. 26 I will ·bless them and let them live around my hill [or make them and the regions around my hill a blessing]. I will cause ·the rains [showers] to come ·when it is time [in their season]; there will be showers to bless them. 27 Also the trees ·in the countryside [L of the field] will ·give [yield] their fruit, and the land will give its ·harvest [produce; increase]. And the sheep will ·be safe [live securely] on their land. Then they will know that I am the Lord when I break the bars of their ·captivity [L yoke] and ·save [rescue] them from the ·power [L hand] of those who made them slaves. 28 They will not be ·led captive by [prey for] the nations again. The wild animals will not ·eat [devour] them, but they will live safely, and no one will make them afraid. 29 I will give them a place famous for its good crops, so they will no longer ·suffer from hunger [be victims of famine] in the land. They will not suffer the insults of other nations anymore. 30 Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them. The nation [L house] of Israel will know that they are my people, says the Lord God. 31 You, my sheep, are the human sheep ·I care for [L of my pasture; Ps. 95:7; 100:3], and I am your God, says the Lord God.’”
The Flock of God
5 ·Now [L Therefore] I ·have something to say to [exhort; appeal to] the elders in your group. I also am an elder. I ·have seen [was a witness to] ·Christ’s [or the Messiah’s] sufferings [Matt. 16:13–23; Mark 8:27–33; Luke 9:18–22], and I will share in the glory that will be ·shown [revealed] to us. I ·beg [exhort; urge] you to 2 ·shepherd [tend] God’s flock [John 21:15–19], ·for whom you are responsible [which is under your care]. ·Watch over [Oversee] them because you want to, not because you are forced. That is how God wants it. Do it because you are ·happy [eager] to serve, not because ·you want money [of greed]. 3 Do not ·be like a ruler over people [T lord it over those; dominate those; Matt. 20:25–27; Mark 10:42–45; Luke 22:25–27] ·you are responsible for [under your care; L those allotted (to you)], but be good examples to ·them [L the flock]. 4 Then when the Chief Shepherd [C Christ] ·comes [L appears], you will get a glorious crown that will never ·lose its beauty [fade away; C crowns for athletic success made from flowers wilted quickly; 1 Cor. 9:25].
5 In the same way, younger people should be willing to ·be under [submit/be subject to] ·older people [or the elders]. And all of you should ·be very humble with each other [L clothe yourselves with humility toward one another]. [L Because:]
“God ·is against [resists; opposes] the proud,
but he gives grace to the humble [Prov. 3:34].”
6 Be humble [L therefore] under God’s powerful hand so he will ·lift you up [exalt you] ·when the right time comes [in due time]. 7 ·Give all your worries to him [Cast all your anxiety on him], because he cares about you.
8 ·Control [Discipline] yourselves and be ·careful [alert]! The devil, your enemy, ·goes around [prowls] like a roaring lion looking for someone to ·eat [devour]. 9 ·Refuse to give in to [Resist] him, by standing strong in your faith. You know that your ·Christian family [community of believers; L brotherhood] all over the world is having the same kinds of suffering.
10 And after you suffer ·for a short time [or a little], God, who gives all grace, will ·make everything right [L restore you]. He will make you strong and support you and keep you from falling. He called you ·to share in his glory in Christ, a glory that will continue forever [L into his eternal glory in Christ]. 11 ·All power is his [or To him be the power] forever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings
12 I wrote this short letter ·with the help of Silas [L through Silvanus; C a variant of Silas; he either helped write the letter or carried it], who I know is a faithful brother in Christ. I wrote to ·encourage [exhort] you and to ·tell [testify/witness to] you that this is the true grace of God. Stand strong in that grace.
13 ·The church in Babylon [L She who is in Babylon; C “Babylon” is probably a veiled (and negative) name for Rome], who was chosen like you, sends you greetings. Mark, ·my son in Christ [L my son; C but probably a spiritual rather than a physical relationship], also greets you. 14 ·Give each other a kiss of Christian love when you meet [L Greet one another with a kiss of love].
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
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