Ezekiel Appointed as a Watchman and His Responsibility

33 And the word of Yahweh came to me, ⌊saying⌋,a 2 “Son of man,b speak to ⌊your people⌋,c and you must say to them, ‘A land, if I bring over it a sword and the people of the land take a man, one from their number, and they appoint him for them as a watchman, 3 and he sees the sword coming against the land, and he blows on the horn and he warns the people, 4 and ⌊anyone who listens⌋d hears the sound of the horn and ⌊he does not take warning⌋e and the sword comes and it takes him, his blood will be on his own head. 5 For he heard the sound of the horn and he did not take warning; his blood will be on him. But if he took warning, he saved his life. 6 And as for the watchman, if he sees the sword coming and ⌊he does not blow⌋f the horn, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and it takes ⌊their lives⌋,g he will be taken through his guilt, but his blood from the hand of the watchman I will seek.’

7 “And you, son of man,h I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; if you hear a word from my mouth, then you must warn them from me. 8 ⌊When I say⌋i to the wicked, ‘Wicked one, you will certainly die,’ and you ⌊did not speak⌋j to warn the wicked from his way, he, the wicked, will die by his guilt, but his blood I will seek from your hand. 9 But, you, if you warn the wicked from his way, to turn from it, and ⌊he does not turn⌋k from his way, he will die by his guilt, and you will have saved your life.

10 “And you, son of man,l say to the house of Israel, ⌊saying⌋,m ‘So you said, ⌊saying⌋,n “Indeed, our transgressions and our sins are on us, and because of them we are rotting, and how can we live?” ’ 11 Say to them, ‘⌊As I live⌋,’o ⌊declares⌋p the Lord Yahweh, ‘⌊Surely I have no delight⌋q in the death of the wicked, ⌊except⌋r in the wicked returning from his way, and he lives. Turn back! Turn back from your ways, O evil ones, for why should you die, house of Israel?’

12 “Sos you, son of man,t say to ⌊your people⌋u that the righteousness of the righteous shall not save him in the day of his transgression, and the wickedness of the wicked ⌊will not cause him to stumble⌋v on the day of his returning from his wickedness; and the righteous will not be able to live by it on the day when he returns to his sin. 13 When I say to the righteous, ‘Certainly he will live,’ and he trusted inw his righteousness, and he turns and he does injustice, all of his righteousnessx will not be remembered, and because of his injustice that he did, because of it he will die. 14 And when I say to the wicked, ‘Certainly you will die,’ buty he returns from his sin and he does justice and righteousness— 15 for example, the wicked returns a pledge for a loan, he restores ⌊stolen property⌋,z he goes in the statutes of life so as not to do injustice—certainly he will live; he will not die. 16 All of his ⌊sins that he committed⌋,a they will not be remembered againstb him, and he did justice and righteousness; certainly he will live.

17 “Yetc ⌊your people⌋d say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair!’ yet their way is not fair. 18 When the righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice, then he will die ⌊because of it⌋.e 19 And when the wicked turns from his wickedness, and he does justice and righteousness, because of itf ⌊he will certainly live⌋!g 20 Yet you said, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair!’ I will judge you, house of Israel, each person according to his ways.”