Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
33 Lord, teach me your demands.
Then I will obey them until the end.
34 Help me understand, so I can obey your teachings.
I will obey them with all my heart.
35 Help me obey your commands
because that makes me happy.
36 Help me want to obey your rules
instead of selfishly wanting riches.
37 Keep me from looking at worthless things.
Let me live by your word.
38 Keep your promise to me, your servant,
so you will be feared.
39 Take away the shame I fear.
Your laws are good.
40 How I want to follow your orders.
Give me life because of your goodness.
Ezekiel Is Watchman for Israel
33 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 2 “Human being, speak to your people. Say to them: ‘I might bring a war against a land. The people of the land may choose one of their men. They may make him their watchman. 3 This watchman might see the enemy coming to attack the land. And he blows the trumpet and warns the people. 4 A person might hear the sound of the trumpet, but do nothing. Then the enemy will come and kill him. That person will be responsible for his own death. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet. But he did not do anything. So he is to blame for his own death. If he had done something, he would have saved his own life. 6 But the watchman might see the enemy coming to attack and not blow the trumpet. So the people are not warned. Then the enemy comes and kills one of them. That person has died because of his own sin. But I will punish the watchman for the person’s death.’
29 “How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets. You show honor to the graves of people who lived good lives. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived during the time of our fathers, we would not have helped them kill the prophets.’ 31 But you give proof that you are children of those people who murdered the prophets. 32 And you will complete the sin that your fathers started!
33 “You are snakes! A family of poisonous snakes! You will not escape God. You will all be judged guilty and be sent to hell! 34 So I tell you this: I am sending to you prophets and wise men and teachers. You will kill some of these people. You will nail some of them to crosses. You will beat some of them in your synagogues. You will chase them from town to town. 35 So you will be guilty for the death of all the good people who have been killed on earth. You will be guilty for the murder of that good man Abel. And you will be guilty for the murder of Zechariah[a] son of Berakiah. He was murdered when he was between the Temple and the altar. 36 I tell you the truth. All of these things will happen to you people who are living now.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.