3 And I said to them, Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot and while they stand on guard, let them shut the doors and bar you* them. And appoint watchmen of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, everyone in his watch and everyone to be opposite his house.
Bible verses about "watchman" | MLV
Nehemiah 7:3
Proverbs 8:34
34 The man who hears me is fortunate, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
Isaiah 21:11-12
Song of Songs 3:3
3 The watchmen who go about the city found me. I said, Did you* see he whom my soul loves?
Ezekiel 33:1-9
1 And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
2 Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, When I bring the sword upon a land and the people of the land take a man from among them and set him for their watchman,
3 if, when he sees the sword come upon the land, he blows the trumpet and warns the people,
4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and takes no warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be upon his own head.
5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and took no warning; his blood will be upon him. But if he had taken warning, he would have delivered his soul.
6 But if the watchman sees the sword come and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at the watchman's hand.
7 So you, son of man, I have set you a watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from me. 8 When I say to the wicked man, O wicked man, you will surely die and you do not speak to warn the wicked man from his way, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at your hand.
9 Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked man of his way to turn from it and he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your soul.
5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and took no warning; his blood will be upon him. But if he had taken warning, he would have delivered his soul.
6 But if the watchman sees the sword come and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at the watchman's hand.
7 So you, son of man, I have set you a watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from me. 8 When I say to the wicked man, O wicked man, you will surely die and you do not speak to warn the wicked man from his way, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at your hand.
9 Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked man of his way to turn from it and he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your soul.
Ezekiel 34:1-31
1 And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the sheep?
3 You* eat the fat and you* clothe yourselves with the wool. You* kill the fattened-ones, but you* do not feed the sheep. 4 You* have not strengthened the diseased, nor have you* healed what was sick, nor have you* bound up what was broken, nor have you* brought back what was driven away, nor have you* sought what was lost, but you* have ruled over them with force and with rigor.
5 And they were scattered because there was no shepherd. And they became food to all the beasts of the field and were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains and upon every high hill. Yes, my sheep were scattered upon all the face of the earth and there was none who searched or sought.
7 Therefore, you* shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah: 8 As I live, says the lord Jehovah, surely inasmuch as my sheep became a prey and my sheep became food to all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did my shepherds search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed my sheep, 9 therefore, you* shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah.
10 The lord Jehovah says thus: Behold, I am against the shepherds and I will require my sheep at their hand and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep. Neither will the shepherds feed themselves any more and I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them.
11 For thus says the lord Jehovah: Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock, in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so I will seek out my sheep and I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them upon the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them with good pasture and their fold will be upon the mountains of the height of Israel. There they will lie down in a good fold and on fat pasture they will feed upon the mountains of Israel.
15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep and I will cause them to lie down, says the lord Jehovah. 16 I will seek what was lost and will bring back what was driven away and will bind up what was broken and will strengthen what was sick, but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will feed them in justice.
17 And as for you*, O my flock, thus says the lord Jehovah: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, the rams and the male-goats.
18 Does it seem a small thing to you* to have fed upon the good pasture, but you* must tread down with your* feet the residue of your* pasture and to have drunk of the clear waters, but you* must foul the residue with your* feet? 19 And as for my sheep, they eat what you* have trodden with your* feet and they drink what you* have fouled with your* feet.
20 Therefore thus says the lord Jehovah to them: Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you* thrust with side and with shoulder and push all the diseased with your* horns, till you* have scattered them abroad, 22 therefore I will save my flock and they will no more be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep.
23 And I will set up one shepherd over them and he will feed them, even my servant David. He will feed them and he will be their shepherd. 24 And I, Jehovah, will be their God and my servant David ruler among them. I, Jehovah, have spoken it.
25 And I will make a covenant of peace with them and will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land and they will dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing and I will cause the shower to come down in its season; there will be showers of blessing.
27 And the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its increase and they will be secure in their land. And they will know that I am Jehovah when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them out of the hand of those who made bondmen of them.
28 And they will no more be a prey to the nations, nor will the beasts of the earth devour them, but they will dwell securely and none will make them afraid. 29 And I will raise up to them a plantation for renown and they will no more be consumed with famine in the land, nor bear the shame of the nations any more.
30 And they will know that I, Jehovah, their God am with them and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, says the lord Jehovah. 31 And you* my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are men and I am your* God, says the lord Jehovah.
3 You* eat the fat and you* clothe yourselves with the wool. You* kill the fattened-ones, but you* do not feed the sheep. 4 You* have not strengthened the diseased, nor have you* healed what was sick, nor have you* bound up what was broken, nor have you* brought back what was driven away, nor have you* sought what was lost, but you* have ruled over them with force and with rigor.
5 And they were scattered because there was no shepherd. And they became food to all the beasts of the field and were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains and upon every high hill. Yes, my sheep were scattered upon all the face of the earth and there was none who searched or sought.
7 Therefore, you* shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah: 8 As I live, says the lord Jehovah, surely inasmuch as my sheep became a prey and my sheep became food to all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did my shepherds search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed my sheep, 9 therefore, you* shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah.
10 The lord Jehovah says thus: Behold, I am against the shepherds and I will require my sheep at their hand and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep. Neither will the shepherds feed themselves any more and I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them.
11 For thus says the lord Jehovah: Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock, in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so I will seek out my sheep and I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them upon the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them with good pasture and their fold will be upon the mountains of the height of Israel. There they will lie down in a good fold and on fat pasture they will feed upon the mountains of Israel.
15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep and I will cause them to lie down, says the lord Jehovah. 16 I will seek what was lost and will bring back what was driven away and will bind up what was broken and will strengthen what was sick, but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will feed them in justice.
17 And as for you*, O my flock, thus says the lord Jehovah: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, the rams and the male-goats.
18 Does it seem a small thing to you* to have fed upon the good pasture, but you* must tread down with your* feet the residue of your* pasture and to have drunk of the clear waters, but you* must foul the residue with your* feet? 19 And as for my sheep, they eat what you* have trodden with your* feet and they drink what you* have fouled with your* feet.
20 Therefore thus says the lord Jehovah to them: Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you* thrust with side and with shoulder and push all the diseased with your* horns, till you* have scattered them abroad, 22 therefore I will save my flock and they will no more be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep.
23 And I will set up one shepherd over them and he will feed them, even my servant David. He will feed them and he will be their shepherd. 24 And I, Jehovah, will be their God and my servant David ruler among them. I, Jehovah, have spoken it.
25 And I will make a covenant of peace with them and will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land and they will dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing and I will cause the shower to come down in its season; there will be showers of blessing.
27 And the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its increase and they will be secure in their land. And they will know that I am Jehovah when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them out of the hand of those who made bondmen of them.
28 And they will no more be a prey to the nations, nor will the beasts of the earth devour them, but they will dwell securely and none will make them afraid. 29 And I will raise up to them a plantation for renown and they will no more be consumed with famine in the land, nor bear the shame of the nations any more.
30 And they will know that I, Jehovah, their God am with them and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, says the lord Jehovah. 31 And you* my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are men and I am your* God, says the lord Jehovah.
Hebrews 13:17
17 Obey and yield yourselves to your leaders; for they are watching out on behalf of your souls, as those who will be giving account; in order that they may do this thing with joy and not groaning; for this would be detrimental to you.
Nehemiah 4:9
9 But we made our prayer to our God and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
Isaiah 21:5-12
5 They prepare the table, they set the watch, they eat, they drink. Rise up, you* rulers, anoint the shield.
6 For thus has the Lord said to me, Go, set a watchman. Let him declare what he sees.
7 and when he sees a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of donkeys, a troop of camels, he will listen diligently with much heed.
8 And he cried out as a lion, O Lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime and am set in my confinement whole nights, 9 and behold, here comes a troop of men, horsemen in pairs. And he answered and said, Fallen, fallen is Babylon. And all the graven images of her gods are broken to the ground. 10 O my threshing and the grain of my floor! What I have heard from Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared to you*. 11 The burden of Duma.
He calls to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? 12 The watchman said, The morning comes and also the night. If you* will inquire, inquire; turn back; come.
8 And he cried out as a lion, O Lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime and am set in my confinement whole nights, 9 and behold, here comes a troop of men, horsemen in pairs. And he answered and said, Fallen, fallen is Babylon. And all the graven images of her gods are broken to the ground. 10 O my threshing and the grain of my floor! What I have heard from Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared to you*. 11 The burden of Duma.
He calls to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? 12 The watchman said, The morning comes and also the night. If you* will inquire, inquire; turn back; come.
Jeremiah 31:6
6 For there will be a day that the watchmen upon the hills of Ephraim will cry, Arise and let us go up to Zion to Jehovah our God.
Ezekiel 33:3-6
3 if, when he sees the sword come upon the land, he blows the trumpet and warns the people,
4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and takes no warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be upon his own head.
5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and took no warning; his blood will be upon him. But if he had taken warning, he would have delivered his soul.
6 But if the watchman sees the sword come and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at the watchman's hand.
5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and took no warning; his blood will be upon him. But if he had taken warning, he would have delivered his soul.
6 But if the watchman sees the sword come and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at the watchman's hand.
Isaiah 52:8
8 The voice of your watchmen! They lift up the voice; they sing together. For they will see eye to eye, when Jehovah returns to Zion.
Jeremiah 51:12
12 Set up a standard against the walls of Babylon. Make the watch strong. Set the watchmen. Prepare the ambushes. For Jehovah has both purposed and done what he spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.
Habakkuk 2:1-20
1 I will stand upon my watch and set myself upon the tower and will look forth to see what he will speak with me and what I will answer concerning my complaint.
2 And Jehovah answered me and said, Write the vision and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run who reads it. 3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time and it breathes-out toward the end and will not lie. Though it abide, wait for it, because it will surely come. It will not delay.
4 Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright in him. (But the righteous man will live by his faith.) 5 Yes, moreover, wine is treacherous. He is a haughty man, who does not keep at home, who enlarges his desire as Sheol and he is as death and cannot be satisfied, but gathers to him all nations and heaps to him all peoples.
6 Shall not all these take up a parable against him and a taunting proverb against him and say, Woe to him who increases what is not his (how long?) and who loads himself with pledges! 7 Shall they not rise up suddenly that will bite you and awake that will besiege you. And you will be for booty to them?
8 Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples will plunder you, because of men's blood and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all who dwell in it.
9 Woe to him who gets an evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the hand of evil! 10 You have devised shame to your house, by cutting off many peoples and have sinned against your soul. 11 For the stone will cry out of the wall and the beam out of the timber will answer it.
12 Woe to him who builds a town with blood and establishes a city by unrighteousness! 13 Behold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labor for the fire and the nations weary themselves for vanity? 14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.
15 Woe to him who gives his neighbor drink, who adds your venom and also makes him drunken, that you may look on their nakedness! 16 You are filled with shame and not glory. Drink you also and be as one uncircumcised. The cup of Jehovah's right hand will come around to you and foul shame will be upon your glory.
17 For the violence done to Lebanon will cover you and the plunder of the beasts (which made them afraid), because of men's blood and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all who dwell in it.
18 What profits the graven image, that the maker of it has engraved it, the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he who fashions its form trusts in it, to make dumb idols?
19 Woe to him who says to the wood, Awake! To the dumb stone, Arise! Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
20 But Jehovah is in his holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before him.
2 And Jehovah answered me and said, Write the vision and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run who reads it. 3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time and it breathes-out toward the end and will not lie. Though it abide, wait for it, because it will surely come. It will not delay.
4 Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright in him. (But the righteous man will live by his faith.) 5 Yes, moreover, wine is treacherous. He is a haughty man, who does not keep at home, who enlarges his desire as Sheol and he is as death and cannot be satisfied, but gathers to him all nations and heaps to him all peoples.
6 Shall not all these take up a parable against him and a taunting proverb against him and say, Woe to him who increases what is not his (how long?) and who loads himself with pledges! 7 Shall they not rise up suddenly that will bite you and awake that will besiege you. And you will be for booty to them?
8 Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples will plunder you, because of men's blood and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all who dwell in it.
9 Woe to him who gets an evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the hand of evil! 10 You have devised shame to your house, by cutting off many peoples and have sinned against your soul. 11 For the stone will cry out of the wall and the beam out of the timber will answer it.
12 Woe to him who builds a town with blood and establishes a city by unrighteousness! 13 Behold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labor for the fire and the nations weary themselves for vanity? 14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.
15 Woe to him who gives his neighbor drink, who adds your venom and also makes him drunken, that you may look on their nakedness! 16 You are filled with shame and not glory. Drink you also and be as one uncircumcised. The cup of Jehovah's right hand will come around to you and foul shame will be upon your glory.
17 For the violence done to Lebanon will cover you and the plunder of the beasts (which made them afraid), because of men's blood and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all who dwell in it.
18 What profits the graven image, that the maker of it has engraved it, the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he who fashions its form trusts in it, to make dumb idols?
19 Woe to him who says to the wood, Awake! To the dumb stone, Arise! Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
20 But Jehovah is in his holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before him.
Isaiah 62:6
6 I have set watchmen upon your walls, O Jerusalem. They will never keep silent day nor night. You* who are Jehovah's reminders, take no rest,
Ezekiel 3:17
17 Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from me.
Ezekiel 33:6
6 But if the watchman sees the sword come and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at the watchman's hand.
Ezekiel 33:1-33
1 And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
2 Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, When I bring the sword upon a land and the people of the land take a man from among them and set him for their watchman,
3 if, when he sees the sword come upon the land, he blows the trumpet and warns the people,
4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and takes no warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be upon his own head.
5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and took no warning; his blood will be upon him. But if he had taken warning, he would have delivered his soul.
6 But if the watchman sees the sword come and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at the watchman's hand.
7 So you, son of man, I have set you a watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from me. 8 When I say to the wicked man, O wicked man, you will surely die and you do not speak to warn the wicked man from his way, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at your hand.
9 Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked man of his way to turn from it and he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your soul.
10 And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, You* speak thus, saying, Our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we pine away in them. How then can we live?
11 Say to them, As I live, says the lord Jehovah, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, but that the wicked man turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your* evil ways, for why will you* die, O house of Israel?
12 And you, son of man, say to the sons of your people, The righteousness of the righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression. And as for the wickedness of the wicked man, he will not fall by it in the day that he turns from his wickedness, nor will he who is righteous be able to live by it in the day that he sins.
13 When I say to the righteous man, that he will surely live, if he trusts his righteousness and commits unrighteousness, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered, but in his unrighteousness that he has committed, in it he will die.
14 Again, when I say to the wicked man, You will surely die, if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right, 15 if the wicked man restores the pledge, gives again what he had taken by robbery, walks in the statutes of life, committing no unrighteousness, he will surely live; he will not die.
16 None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is lawful and right; he will surely live.
17 Yet the sons of your people say, The way of the Lord is not equitable. But as for them, their way is not equitable. 18 When the righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits unrighteousness, he will even die in it. 19 And when the wicked man turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he will live by it.
20 Yet you* say, The way of the Lord is not equitable. O house of Israel, I will judge you* everyone according to his ways.
21 And it happened in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that a man who had escaped out of Jerusalem came to me, saying, The city is struck.
22 Now the hand of Jehovah had been upon me in the evening, before he who escaped came. And he had opened my mouth until he came to me in the morning. And my mouth was opened and I was no more mute.
23 And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, 24 Son of man, those who inhabit those waste places in the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one and he inherited the land, but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance
25 Therefore say to them, The lord Jehovah says thus: You* eat with the blood and lift up your* eyes to your* idols and shed blood. And will you* possess the land? 26 You* stand upon your* sword, you* work abomination and you* defile every man his neighbor's wife. And will you* possess the land?
27 Thus you will say to them. The lord Jehovah says thus: As I live, surely those who are in the waste places will fall by the sword and he who is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves will die of the pestilence.
28 And I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment. And the pride of her power will cease. And the mountains of Israel will be desolate, so that none will pass through.
29 Then they will know that I am Jehovah when I have made the land a desolation and an astonishment, because of all their abominations which they have committed.
30 And as for you, son of man, the sons of your people talk of you by the walls and in the doors of the houses and speak one to another, each one to his brother, saying, Come, I beseech you* and hear what is the word that comes forth from Jehovah.
31 And they come to you as the people come and they sit before you as my people. And they hear your words, but do not do them. For with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their gain.
32 And behold, you are to them as a very lovely song of he who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument. For they hear your words, but they do not do them.
33 And when this occurs, (behold, it comes), then they will know that a prophet has been among them.
5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and took no warning; his blood will be upon him. But if he had taken warning, he would have delivered his soul.
6 But if the watchman sees the sword come and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at the watchman's hand.
7 So you, son of man, I have set you a watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from me. 8 When I say to the wicked man, O wicked man, you will surely die and you do not speak to warn the wicked man from his way, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at your hand.
9 Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked man of his way to turn from it and he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your soul.
10 And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, You* speak thus, saying, Our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we pine away in them. How then can we live?
11 Say to them, As I live, says the lord Jehovah, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, but that the wicked man turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your* evil ways, for why will you* die, O house of Israel?
12 And you, son of man, say to the sons of your people, The righteousness of the righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression. And as for the wickedness of the wicked man, he will not fall by it in the day that he turns from his wickedness, nor will he who is righteous be able to live by it in the day that he sins.
13 When I say to the righteous man, that he will surely live, if he trusts his righteousness and commits unrighteousness, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered, but in his unrighteousness that he has committed, in it he will die.
14 Again, when I say to the wicked man, You will surely die, if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right, 15 if the wicked man restores the pledge, gives again what he had taken by robbery, walks in the statutes of life, committing no unrighteousness, he will surely live; he will not die.
16 None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is lawful and right; he will surely live.
17 Yet the sons of your people say, The way of the Lord is not equitable. But as for them, their way is not equitable. 18 When the righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits unrighteousness, he will even die in it. 19 And when the wicked man turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he will live by it.
20 Yet you* say, The way of the Lord is not equitable. O house of Israel, I will judge you* everyone according to his ways.
21 And it happened in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that a man who had escaped out of Jerusalem came to me, saying, The city is struck.
22 Now the hand of Jehovah had been upon me in the evening, before he who escaped came. And he had opened my mouth until he came to me in the morning. And my mouth was opened and I was no more mute.
23 And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, 24 Son of man, those who inhabit those waste places in the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one and he inherited the land, but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance
25 Therefore say to them, The lord Jehovah says thus: You* eat with the blood and lift up your* eyes to your* idols and shed blood. And will you* possess the land? 26 You* stand upon your* sword, you* work abomination and you* defile every man his neighbor's wife. And will you* possess the land?
27 Thus you will say to them. The lord Jehovah says thus: As I live, surely those who are in the waste places will fall by the sword and he who is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves will die of the pestilence.
28 And I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment. And the pride of her power will cease. And the mountains of Israel will be desolate, so that none will pass through.
29 Then they will know that I am Jehovah when I have made the land a desolation and an astonishment, because of all their abominations which they have committed.
30 And as for you, son of man, the sons of your people talk of you by the walls and in the doors of the houses and speak one to another, each one to his brother, saying, Come, I beseech you* and hear what is the word that comes forth from Jehovah.
31 And they come to you as the people come and they sit before you as my people. And they hear your words, but do not do them. For with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their gain.
32 And behold, you are to them as a very lovely song of he who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument. For they hear your words, but they do not do them.
33 And when this occurs, (behold, it comes), then they will know that a prophet has been among them.