Ezekiel 33

1 Again the word [message from the Lord, divine utterance] of the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] came to me [unto me, towards me], saying [to speak, to command, to declare], word study 2 “Son of man [a human, a prophet], speak to your people [the children of your nation] and tell them: ‘Suppose I bring the sword [a cutting instrument] against a land [a country, a territory], and the people of that land [the inhabitants, the nation] choose a man [one individual] from among them, appointing him as their watchman [a guardian, one who observes and warns], word study 3 and he sees [perceives, looks after] the sword [cutting instrument] coming [approaching, advancing] against that land [country, territory] and blows [strikes, sounds] the ram’s horn [trumpet, cornet] to warn [caution, enlighten] the people [nation, community]. word study 4 Then if anyone [heareth, listens attentively] hears the sound [voice, voice of warning] of the horn [trumpet] but fails [does not take warning, is not cautious] to heed [take note of, pay attention to] the warning, and the sword [cutting instrument, weapon of war] comes and takes him away, his blood [life, vital fluid] will be on his own head [responsibility, accountability]. word study 5 Since he heard [with attention and obedience] the sound [voice] of the horn [trumpet] but failed [did not take warning] to heed [listen and obey] the warning [caution, alarm], his blood [the liquid essential for life] will be on his own head [responsibility, guilt]. If he had heeded [taken warning, been cautious] the warning, he would have saved [delivered, escaped] his life [soul, living being]. word study 6 But if the watchman [one who observes from a distance] sees the sword [a cutting instrument] coming and fails to blow the horn [trumpet] to warn the people [a nation, community], and the sword comes and takes away a life [soul], then that one will be taken away in his iniquity [moral evil, sin], but I will hold the watchman [one responsible for warning] accountable for his blood [the liquid essential for life].’ word study 7 As for you, O son [descendant, human] of man [Adam, humanity], I have made [appointed, set] you a watchman [one who observes, warns] for the house [family, nation] of Israel [Jacob’s descendants]; so hear [listen, obey] the word [message, command] from My mouth [lips, voice] and give them the warning [caution, admonition] from Me [on My behalf]. word study 8 If I say [declare, proclaim] to the wicked [morally wrong, guilty of sin], ‘O wicked [evil, unrighteous] man, you will surely die [perish, come to an end],’ but you do not speak out [warn, admonish] to dissuade [turn away, warn] him from his way [path, manner of life], then that wicked [guilty, sinful] man will die [meet his end, be punished] in his iniquity [moral evil, sin], yet I will hold you accountable [require, demand] for his blood [life, soul]. word study 9 But if you [as a watchman, a messenger of God] warn the wicked man [the morally wrong, guilty of sin] to turn from his way [path of life, manner of action], and he does not turn from it [refuse to change, rebel against], he will die [perish, cease to exist] in his iniquity [moral evil, sin], but you will have saved [rescued, delivered] your life [soul, living being]. word study 10 Now as for you, son [descendant] of man [human, Adam], tell the house [family, dwelling place] of Israel [God’s chosen people] that this is what they have said: ‘Our transgressions [rebellions, revolts] and our sins [guilt, punishment] are heavy [weighing us down] upon us, and we are wasting away [rotting, decaying] because of them! How [in what way] can we live [have life, be revived]?’ word study 11 Say to them: ‘As surely as I live [as I am the living God], declares the Lord GOD [Adonay, the sovereign Lord], I take no pleasure [do not delight] in the death [physical or spiritual demise] of the wicked [those who are morally wrong, guilty of sin], but rather that the wicked [the unrighteous] should turn [repent, change their ways] from their ways [path of life, manner of action] and live [have eternal life, be revived]. Turn [return to God, change direction]! Turn from your evil [bad, harmful] ways [path of life, manner of action]! For why [what reason, to what end] should you die [experience spiritual death, perish], O house of Israel [God’s chosen people, descendants of Jacob]?’ word study 12 Therefore, son of man [human, a mortal], say to your people [nation, community]: ‘The righteousness [justice, moral integrity] of the righteous [just, upright] man will not deliver [rescue, save] him in the day [time, period] of his transgression [rebellion, sin]; neither will the wickedness [evil, wrong] of the wicked [guilty, immoral] man cause him to stumble [fall, sin] on the day [time, period] he turns [returns, repents] from his wickedness [evil, wrong]. Nor will the righteous [just, upright] man be able [have power, capability] to survive [live, endure] by his righteousness [justice, moral integrity] on the day [time, period] he sins [misses the mark, disobeys].’ word study 13 If I tell the righteous man [the just, upright one] that he will surely live [have eternal life, remain alive], but he then trusts [has confidence, relies] in his righteousness [his own moral integrity, justice] and commits iniquity [sin, wrongdoing, unrighteousness], then none of his righteous works [deeds, actions] will be remembered [recalled, brought to mind]; he will die [perish, succumb to spiritual death] because of the iniquity [sin, evil] he has committed [done, performed]. word study 14 But if I [to say, to speak] tell the wicked [morally wrong, guilty of sin] man, ‘You will surely [certainly, without a doubt] die [to die, as a punishment],’ and he turns [to return, to turn back] from his sin [guilt, punishment for sin] and does [to make, to do] what is just [justice, righteousness] and right [righteousness, virtue]— word study 15 if he restores [gives back, returns] a pledge [security, guarantee], makes restitution [pays back, compensates] for what he has stolen [taken by robbery, plundered], and walks [lives, follows] in the statutes [laws, ordinances] of life [eternal life, spiritual vitality] without practicing [committing, doing] iniquity [wrong, injustice]—then he will surely live [have life, be revived]; he will not die [perish, succumb to death]. word study 16 None of the sins [transgressions, lawless acts] he has committed [done wrong, missed the mark] will be held [remembered, recalled] against him. He has done [performed, carried out] what is just [righteous, fair] and right [lawful, virtuous]; he will surely [certainly, undoubtedly] live [have life, be revived]. word study 17 Yet your people [the children of your nation, fellow Israelis] say, ‘The way [path, journey, or manner of life] of the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign God] is not just [equitable, fair, or balanced].’ But it is their way [road, path, or course of action] that is not just [right, or righteous]. word study 18 If a righteous [just, upright] man turns [to return, turn back] from his righteousness [moral integrity, justice] and commits [to make, do] iniquity [injustice, moral evil], he will die [to perish, come to an end] for it [as a consequence, because of his actions]. word study 19 But if a [morally wrong, guilty of sin] wicked man turns [to return, turn back] from his [guilt or wrong actions] wickedness and does what is [lawful, virtuous] just and right [righteous], he will live [have life, be revived] because of this. word study 20 Yet you say, ‘The way [path, manner of life] of the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign God] is not just [equal, fair].’ But I will judge [vindicate, govern] each of you according to his ways [actions, manner of life], O house [family, community] of Israel [God’s chosen people].” word study 21 In the twelfth year of our exile [captivity, being taken away], on the fifth [five] day of the tenth month, a fugitive [survivor, one who has escaped] from Jerusalem [the city of peace, a place of spiritual significance] came to me and reported, “The city [a place of human habitation, a community] has been taken [smitten, struck, defeated]!” word study 22 Now the evening [before sunset, at dusk] before the fugitive [survivor, escaped one] arrived, the hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] was upon me, and He opened [to engrave, carve, or loosen] my mouth [lips, edge of speech] before the man came to me in the morning [at dawn, the break of day]. So my mouth was opened [to speak freely, without restraint] and I was no longer mute [tongue-tied, unable to speak, silenced]. word study 23 Then the word [message from God, divine communication] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] came [existed, came into being] to me, saying [to speak, to command, to proclaim], word study 24 “Son of man [human, a mortal], those living in the ruins [desolate places, wastes] in the land [territory, earth] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob] are saying, ‘Abraham [the father of faith] was only one man [a single individual], yet he possessed [inherited, took control of] the land. But we are many [a large number, numerous]; surely the land has been given [granted, bestowed] to us as a possession [inheritance, heritage].’ word study 25 Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord [Adonay, the divine Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: ‘You eat meat [flesh, the product of an animal’s life] with the blood [the liquid that flows through the body] in it, lift up your eyes [the windows of the soul, the source of spiritual sight] to your idols [false gods, objects of worship], and shed blood [take life, commit violence]. Should you then possess [take control of, have dominion over] the land [the promised inheritance, the earthly territory]? word study 26 You have relied [stood firmly, depended on] on your swords [cutting instruments, tools for battle], you have committed [done, made] detestable acts [abominations, disgusting things], and each of you has defiled [made unclean, contaminated] his neighbor’s [fellow, companion’s] wife [woman, spouse]. Should you then [in this condition, with such actions] possess [take control of, inherit] the land [earth, territory]?’ word study 27 Tell them that this is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: ‘As surely as I live [am alive, have eternal life], those in the ruins [desolate places, waste lands] will fall by the sword [be killed in battle], those in the open field [countryside, rural areas] I will give to be devoured by wild animals [beasts, savage creatures], and those in the strongholds [fortresses, fortified cities] and caves [dens, hidden places] will die by plague [pestilence, disease]. word study 28 I will make the land [a wilderness] a desolate waste, and the pride [excellence, majesty] of her strength [power, might] will come to an end [cease, be stopped]. The mountains [hills, high places] of Israel [God’s chosen people] will become desolate [devastated, laid waste], so that no one [none, nothing] will pass through [cross over, transition]. word study 29 Then they will know [be certain, ascertain by seeing] that I [Emphatic’I’, the self-existent One] am the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], when I have made [laid, turned] the land [country, territory] a desolate [devastated] waste [desolation, astonishment] because of all [everything, every kind of] the abominations [disgusting things, idolatrous practices] they have committed [done, made].’ word study 30 As for you, son [a descendant] of man [Adam, the first human], your people [Amaw, a nation or community] are talking [to speak, communicate] about you near [beside, in proximity to] the city walls [a barrier or enclosure] and in the doorways [entrances, openings] of their houses [dwelling places]. One speaks to another, each [one, a single individual] saying to his brother [a close relative, friend], ‘Come [approach, draw near] and hear [listen, obey] the message [word, declaration] that has come [gone out, been revealed] from the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God, the one true God, Creator of all]!’ word study 31 So My people [the nation of Israel, My chosen ones] come to you as usual, sit [dwell, remain] before you, and hear [listen, obey] your words; but they do not put [make, practice] them into practice [action, obedience]. Although they express [show, proclaim] love [intense affection, agape] with their mouths [lips, speech], their hearts [inner beings, will] pursue [follow, seek after] dishonest gain [unjust profit, covetousness]. word study 32 Indeed, you are to them like a singer [a musician, a minstrel] of love songs [lustful, romantic ballads] with a beautiful [pleasant, lovely] voice, who skillfully [being an expert, playing well] plays an instrument [a stringed instrument, a musical device]. They hear [listen, give ear to] your words [messages, teachings] but do not put them into practice [obey, fulfill, carry out]. word study 33 So when it comes to pass [happens, is fulfilled]—and surely [behold, it is certain] it will come [arrive, take place]—then they will know [understand, perceive, recognize] that a prophet [one who speaks for God] has been [existed, was present] among them [in their midst, as a part of their community].” word study