Ezekiel 33:12-22

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,)

15 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.)

16 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).

17 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.)

18 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;)

19 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.)

20 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.)

21 And it was done in the twelfth year, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month of our passing over, he that fled from Jerusalem came to me, and said, The city is destroyed. (And it was done in the twelfth year, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month of our exile, or of our captivity, one who had fled from Jerusalem came to me, and said, The city is destroyed.)

22 Forsooth the hand of the Lord was made to me in the eventide, before that he came that fled; and he opened my mouth, till he came to me early; and when my mouth was opened, I was no more still. (And the hand of the Lord was made upon me in the evening, before that he who had fled had come; and the Lord closed my mouth, until he who had fled came to me early in the morning; and then my mouth was opened, and I was silent no more.)

Ezekiel 33:12-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 33

This chapter treats of the prophet's duty, and the people's sins; contains a vindication of the justice of God; a threatening of destruction to those who remained in the land after the taking of the city; and a detection of the hypocrisy of the prophet's hearers. The duty of a watchman in general is declared, Eze 33:1-6, an application of this to the prophet, Eze 33:7: the sum of whose business is to warn the wicked man of his wickedness; and the consequence of doing, or not doing it, is expressed, Eze 33:8,9, an objection of the people, and the prophet's answer to it, Eze 33:10,11, who is bid to acquaint them, that a righteous man trusting to his righteousness, and sinning, should not live; and that a sinner repenting of his sins should not die, Eze 33:12-16, the people's charge of inequality in the ways of God is retorted upon them, and removed from the Lord, and proved against them, Eze 33:17-20, then follows a prophecy, delivered out after the news was brought of the taking of the city, threatening with ruin those that remained in the land, confident of safety, and that for their sins, which are particularly enumerated, Eze 33:21-29, and the chapter is closed with a discovery of the hypocrisy of those that attended the prophet's ministry, Eze 33:30-33.