Ezekiel 33:7-17

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?

11 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,)

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.)

Ezekiel 33:7-17 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.