Ezekiel the Watchman for Israel

1Againe, the woorde of the Lorde came vnto me, saying, 2Sonne of man, speake to the children of thy people, and say vnto them, When I bring the sworde vpon a lande, if the people of the lande take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, 3If when hee seeth the sworde come vpon ye land, he blow the trumpet, & warne the people, 4Then hee that heareth the sounde of the trumpet, and will not bee warned, if the sworde come, and take him away, his blood shall be vpon his owne head. 5For he heard the sound of the trumpet, and woulde not bee admonished: therefore his blood shall be vpon him: but he that receiueth warning, shall saue his life. 6But if the watchman see the sworde come, and blowe not the trumpet, and the people be not warned: if the sworde come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away for his iniquitie, but his blood will I require at the watchmans hande.

7So thou, O sonne of man, I haue made thee a watchman vnto the house of Israel: therefore thou shalt heare the woorde at my mouth, and admonish them from me. 8When I shall say vnto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt die the death, if thou doest not speake, and admonish the wicked of his way, that wicked man shall die for his iniquitie, but his blood will I require at thine hand. 9Neuerthelesse, If thou warne the wicked of his way, to turne from it, if he doe not turne from his way, he shall die for his iniquitie, but thou hast deliuered thy soule.

The Message of the Watchman

10Therefore, O thou sonne of man, speake vnto the house of Israel, Thus yee speake and say, If our transgressions and our sinnes bee vpon vs, and we are consumed because of them, howe should we then liue? 11Say vnto them, As I liue, sayeth the Lorde God, I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turne from his way & liue: turne you, turne you from your euill waies, for why will ye die, O ye house of Israel? 12Therefore thou sonne of man, saye vnto the children of thy people, The righteousnesse of the righteous shall not deliuer him in the day of his transgression, nor the wickednesse of the wicked shall cause him to fall therein, in the day that he returneth from his wickednesse, neither shal the righteous liue for his righteousnesse in the day that he sinneth. 13When I shal say vnto the righteous, that he shall surely liue, if he trust to his owne righteousnes, and commit iniquitie, all his righteousnes shal be no more remembred, but for his iniquitie that he hath committed, he shall die for the same. 14Againe when I shall say vnto the wicked, thou shalt die the death, if he turne from his sinne, and doe that which is lawfull and right, 15To wit, if the wicked restore the pledge, and giue againe that he had robbed, and walke in the statutes of life, without committing iniquitie, he shall surely liue, and not die. 16None of his sinnes that he hath comitted, shal be mentioned vnto him: because he hath done that, which is lawful, and right, he shal surely liue.

17Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equall: but their owne way is vnequall. 18When the righteous turneth from his righteousnesse, and committeth iniquitie, he shall euen die thereby. 19But if the wicked returne from his wickednesse, and doe that which is lawfull and right, hee shall liue thereby. 20Yet yee say, The way of the Lord is not equall. O ye house of Israel, I will iudge you euery one after his waies.

Word of Jerusalem’s Fall

21Also in the twelfth yere of our captiuitie, in the tenth moneth, and in the fift day of the moneth, one that had escaped out of Ierusalem, came vnto me, and said, The citie is smitten. 22Now the hand of the Lord had bene vpon me in ye euening afore hee that had escaped, came, and had opened my mouth vntill he came to me in the morning: and when hee had opened my mouth, I was no more dumme.

23Againe the worde of the Lord came vnto me, and saide, 24Sonne of man, these that dwel in the desolate places of the land of Israel, talke and say, Abraham was but one, and hee possessed the lande: but we are many, therefore the lande shall be giuen vs in possession. 25Wherefore say vnto them, Thus saieth the Lorde God, Ye eate with the blood, and lift vp your eyes towarde your idoles, and sheade blood: should ye then possesse the land? 26Ye leane vpon your swordes: ye worke abomination, and yee defile euery one his neighbours wife: should ye then possesse the land? 27Say thus vnto them, Thus saieth the Lorde God, As I liue, so surely they that are in the desolate places, shall fall by the sword: and him that is in the open field, will I giue vnto the beasts to be deuoured: and they that be in the forts and in the caues, shall die of the pestilence. 28For I will lay the land desolate and waste, and the pompe of her strength shall cease: and the moutaines of Israel shalbe desolate, and none shall passe through. 29Then shall they know that I am the Lord, when I haue laid ye land desolate & wast, because of al their abominations, that they haue committed.

30Also thou sonne of man, the children of thy people that talke of thee by the wals & in the dores of houses, and speake one to another, euery one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, & heare what is the word that commeth from the Lord. 31For they come vnto thee, as the people vseth to come: and my people sit before thee, and heare thy wordes, but they will not doe them: for with their mouthes they make iestes, and their heart goeth after their couetousnesse. 32And loe, thou art vnto them, as a iesting song of one that hath a pleasant voyce, and can sing well: for they heare thy woordes, but they doe them not. 33And when this commeth to passe (for loe, it will come) then shall they know, that a Prophet hath bene among them.