1
And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,
2
Thou, son of man, speak to the sons of thy people, and thou shalt say to them, A land when I bring in a sword on it, and the people of the land take one man of his last men, and maketh him a beholder, either espyer, on him, (Thou, son of man, speak to the sons of thy people, and thou shalt say to them, When I bring in a sword against a land, and if the people of that land take one man of their last men, and maketh him a watchman, or a lookout, for them,)
3
and (when) he seeth a sword coming on the land, and soundeth with a clarion (and bloweth a trumpet), and telleth to the people,
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forsooth a man that heareth, whoever he is, the sound of the clarion, and keepeth not himself, and the sword cometh, and taketh him away, the blood of him shall be on the head of him. (if anyone, whoever he is, heareth the sound of the trumpet, and keepeth not himself safe, or taketh no heed, and the sword cometh, and taketh him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.)
5
He heard the sound of the clarion, and kept not himself, his blood shall be in him; forsooth if he keepeth himself, he shall save his life. (He heard the sound of the trumpet, and did not keep himself safe, or did not take heed, and so his blood shall be upon him; but if he keepeth himself safe, or taketh heed, he shall save his own life.)
6
That if the beholder, or the espyer, seeth a sword coming, and soundeth not with a clarion, and the people keepeth not himself, and the sword cometh, and taketh away a man of them, soothly he is taken in his wickedness; but I shall seek the blood of him of the hand of the espyer. (But if the watchman, or the lookout, seeth a sword coming, and bloweth not the trumpet, and the people do not keep themselves safe, or do not take heed, and the sword cometh, and taketh away some of them, they shall be caught in their own wickedness; but I shall seek payment for their blood at the hand of the lookout.)
7
And thou, son of man, I gave thee (as) an espyer, to the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear of my mouth a word, and shalt tell to them of me. (And thou, son of man, I have made thee a lookout, or a watchman, for the house of Israel; and so thou shalt hear a word from my mouth, and shalt tell it to them for me.)
8
If when I say to the wicked man, Thou, wicked man, shalt die by death, (and) thou speakest not, that the wicked man keep himself from his way, that wicked man shall die in his wickedness, but I shall seek his blood of thine hand. (If when I say to a wicked person, Thou, wicked person, shalt die, and thou speakest not, so that that wicked person keep himself from his evil ways, that wicked person shall die in his wickedness, but I shall seek payment for his blood at thy hand, or from thee.)
9
Forsooth if when thou tellest to the wicked man, that he be converted from his ways, (and) he is not converted from his way(s), he shall die in his wickedness; certainly thou hast delivered thy soul. (But if thou tellest to that wicked person, so that he be converted from his evil ways, and he is not converted from his evil ways, then he shall die in his wickedness; but thou hast delivered thy own soul.)
10
Therefore thou, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus ye spake, saying, Our wickednesses and our sins be [up]on us, and we fail in those; how therefore may we live?
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say thou to them, I live, saith the Lord God, I desire not the death of the wicked man, but that the wicked man be converted from his way(s), and live; be ye converted from your worst ways, and why shall ye die, the house of Israel? (say thou to them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I do not desire the death of the wicked, but that the wicked person be turned from his evil ways, and live; yea, be ye turned from your evil ways, and then why should ye die, ye house of Israel?)
12
Therefore thou, son of man, say to the sons of thy people, The rightfulness of a rightful man shall not deliver him, in whatever day he doeth sin; and the wickedness of a wicked man shall not harm him, in whatever day he is converted from his wickedness; and a just man shall not be able to live in his rightfulness, in whatever day he doeth sin. (And so thou, son of man, say to thy people, The righteousness of a righteous person shall not save him, on whatever day he doeth sin; and the wickedness of a wicked person shall not harm him, on whatever day he is converted from his wickedness; and a good person shall not be able to live because of his past righteousness, on whatever day he doeth sin.)
13
Also if I say to a just man, that he shall live by life, and he trusteth in his rightfulness, and doeth wickedness, all his rightfulnesses shall be given to forgetting, and in his wickedness which he wrought, in that he shall die. (And if I say to a good person, that he shall live, and he trusteth in his own righteousness, and doeth wickedness, then all his righteousnesses shall be given to forgetting, and he shall die in his wickedness, which he himself did.)
14
Forsooth if I say to the wicked man, Thou shalt die by death, and he doeth penance for his sin, and doeth doom and rightfulness, (And if I say to the wicked person, Thou shalt die, and he doeth penance for his sin, and doeth justice and righteousness,)
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and if that wicked man restoreth a wed, and yieldeth raven, and goeth in the commandments of life, and doeth not any unjust thing, he shall live by life, and shall not die. (and if that wicked person restoreth a pledge, and giveth back what he hath stolen, and goeth in the commandments of life, and doeth not any unjust thing, then he shall live, and shall not die.)
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All his sins which he sinned, shall not be areckoned to him; he did doom and rightfulness, he shall live by life (he did justice and righteousness, and he shall live).
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And the sons of thy people said, The way of the Lord is not of even weight, [or (of) even charge]; and the way of them is unjust. (And thy people said, The way of the Lord is not equal, or not fair; but it is their way that is unjust, or unfair.)
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For when a just man goeth away from his rightfulness, and doeth wickednesses, he shall die in those; (For when a just, or a righteous, person goeth away from his righteousness, and doeth wickednesses, he shall die in them;)
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and when a wicked man goeth away from his wickedness, and doeth doom and rightfulness, he shall live in those. (but if a wicked person goeth away from his wickedness, and doeth justice and righteousness, he shall live in them.)
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And ye say, The way of the Lord is not rightful. I shall deem each man by his ways of you, the house of Israel. (And so ye say, The way of the Lord is not right, or not fair. But I shall judge everyone of you after your own ways, ye house of Israel.)