Chapter 33: The Lookout

Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Chapter 33 : verses 1 - 12, 30 - 31, 33

CEB Study Bible (published 2013)

The Lord's word came to me:

Human one, speak to your

people and say to them

Suppose I bring a sword against

a country, and the people of the

land take a certain person from 

their assembly and make him 

their lookout.  When he sees the

sword coming against the land

he blows the trumpet (shofar) 

and warns the people.  If they

hear the sound of the trumpet

but don't heed the warning, when

the sword comes and they are

taken away, they are responsible for

their blood.  They heard the sound

of the trumpet but didn't heed the

warning, so their blood is on them.

If they had paid attention to the

warning, they would have saved their

lives.  If the lookout sees the sword

coming but doesn't blow the trumpet

to warn the people, when the sword

comes and takes away any of them,

they are taken away in their sin, but

I'll hold the lookout responsible for their

blood.

You, human one, I've made you a

lookout for the house of Israel.  When-

ever you hear me speaking, you must

give them warning from me.  If I

pronounce a death sentence on

wicked people, and you don't warn

them to turn from their way, they

will die in their guilt, but I will hold

you responsible for their blood.  But

suppose you do warn the wicked of their 

ways so that they might turn from them.

If they don't turn from their ways, they

will die in their guilt, but you will save

your life.

You, human one, say to the house of

Israel: This what all of you are saying:

'How our transgressions and our sins weigh

on us!  We waste away because of them. How

can we live?"

Say to them, This is what the Lord God says:

As surely as I live, do I take pleasure in the

death of the wicked?  If the wicked turn

from their ways, they will live.  Turn,

completely turn from your wicked ways!

Why should you die, house of Israel?

You, human one, say to your people:

The righteousness of the righteous doesn't

rescue them when they begin to sin.  Nor

does the wickedness of the wicked make them

stumble if they turn from their wickedness.

If the righteous sin, their righteousness won't

protect them. . . As for you, human one, your

people talk about you beside the walls and

in their doorways.  One by one, they say to

each other, 'Let's go hear what sort of message

has come from the Lord.'  So they come to you

as people do, and they sit before you as my

people.  They listen to your words, but they

refuse to do them.  Though they speak of 

their longing / love songs for me, they act

out of their own interests and opinions.  To

them you are like a singer of love sons with

a lovely voice and skilled technique.  They

listen to your words, but no one does them.

When this comes -- and it is certainly coming

-- they will know that a prophet has been

among them.