Ezekiel 33:4-11

33:4 but there is one who hears the sound of the trumpet yet does not heed the warning. Then the sword comes and sweeps him away. He will be responsible for his own death. ¹  33:5 He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, so he is responsible for himself. ²  If he had heeded the warning, he would have saved his life. 33:6 But suppose the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people. Then the sword comes and takes one of their lives. He is swept away for his iniquity, ³  but I will hold the watchman accountable for that person’s death.’ ⁴ 

33:7 “As for you, son of man, I have made you a watchman ⁵  for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them on my behalf. 33:8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you must certainly die,’ ⁶  and you do not warn ⁷  the wicked about his behavior, ⁸  the wicked man will die for his iniquity, but I will hold you accountable for his death. ⁹  33:9 But if you warn the wicked man to change his behavior, ¹⁰  and he refuses to change, ¹¹  he will die for his iniquity, but you have saved your own life.

33:10 “And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what you have said: “Our rebellious acts and our sins have caught up with us, ¹²  and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?”’ 33:11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but prefer that the wicked change his behavior ¹³  and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil deeds! ¹⁴  Why should you die, O house of Israel?’

[33:4]  ¹ tn Heb “his blood will be on his own head.”

[33:5]  ² tn Heb “his blood will be on him.”

[33:6]  ³ tn Or “in his punishment.” The phrase “in/for [a person’s] iniquity/punishment” occurs fourteen times in Ezekiel: here and in vv. 8 and 9; 3:18, 19; 4:17; 7:13, 16; 18: 17, 18, 19, 20; 24:23; 39:23. The Hebrew word for “iniquity” may also mean the “punishment” for iniquity or “guilt” of iniquity.

[33:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “his blood from the hand of the watchman I will seek.”

[33:7]  ⁵ sn Jeremiah (Jer 6:17) and Habakkuk (Hab 2:1) also served in the role of a watchman.

[33:8]  ⁶ tn The same expression occurs in Gen 2:17.

[33:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “and you do not speak to warn.”

[33:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “way.”

[33:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “and his blood from your hand I will seek.”

[33:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “from his way to turn from it.”

[33:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and he does not turn from his way.”

[33:10]  ¹² tn Heb “(are) upon us.”

[33:11]  ¹³ tn Heb “turn from his way.”

[33:11]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “ways.” This same word is translated “behavior” earlier in the verse.