According to the duty of a watchman, in warning the people,

1 ¶ Again the wordº of the LORDº came² unto² me, saying,ºª 2 Sonº of man,º speakºª to² the childrenº of thy people,º and sayºª unto² them, When² I bringºª the swordº upon² a land,º if the peopleº of the landº takeºª aº manº of their coasts,º² and setºª him for their watchman:ºª 3 If when he seethºª² the swordº comeºª upon² the land,º he blowºª the trumpet,º and warnºª² the people;º 4 Then whosoever¹ª hearethºª² the soundº of the trumpet,º and taketh not warning;ºª² if the swordº come,ºª and take him away,ºª his bloodº shall be² upon his own head.º 5 He heardºª² the soundº of the trumpet,º and took not warning;ºª² his bloodº shall be² upon him. But he² that taketh warningºª shall deliverºª his soul.º 6 But if² the watchmanºª seeºª² the swordº come,ºª and blowºª not² the trumpet,º and the peopleº be not² warned;ºª if the swordº come,ºª and takeºª [any] personº from among² them, he² is taken awayºª in his iniquity;º but his bloodº will I requireºª at the watchman'sºª hand.º²

Ezekiel is admonished of his duty.

7 ¶ So thou,² O sonº of man,º I have setºª thee a watchmanºª unto the houseº of Israel;º therefore thou shalt hearºª the wordº at my mouth,º² and warnºª them from² me. 8 When I sayºª unto the wicked,º O wickedº [man], thou shalt surely¹ª die;ºª if thou dost not² speakºª to warnºª the wickedº from his way,º² that² wickedº [man] shall dieºª in his iniquity;º but his bloodº will I requireºª at thine hand.º² 9 Nevertheless, if² thou² warnºª the wickedº of his wayº² to turnºª from² it; if he do not² turnºª from his way,º² he² shall dieºª in his iniquity;º but thou² hast deliveredºª thy soul.º

God sheweth the justice of his ways towards the penitent, and towards revolters.

10 Therefore, O thou² sonº of man,º speakºª unto² the houseº of Israel;º Thus² ye speak,ºª saying,ºª If² our transgressionsº and our sinsº [be] upon² us, and we² pine awayºª in them, how² should we then live?ºª 11 Sayºª unto² them, [As] I² live,º saithºª the Lordº GOD,º I have no pleasureºª² in the deathº of the wicked;º but²² that the wickedº turnºª from his wayº² and live:ºª turnºª ye, turnºª ye from your evilº ways;º² for why² will ye die,ºª O houseº of Israel?º 12 Therefore, thou² sonº of man,º sayºª unto² the childrenº of thy people,º The righteousnessº of the righteousº shall not² deliverºª him in the dayº of his transgression:º as for the wickednessº of the wicked,º he shall not² fallºª thereby in the dayº that he turnethºª from his wickedness;º² neither² shall the righteousº be ableºª to liveºª for his [righteousness] in the dayº that he sinneth.ºª 13 When I shall sayºª to the righteous,º [that] he shall surely¹ª live;ºª if he² trustºª to² his own righteousness,º and commitºª iniquity,º all² his righteousnessesº shall not² be remembered;ºª but for his iniquityº that² he hath committed,ºª he shall dieºª for it. 14 Again, when I sayºª unto the wicked,º Thou shalt surely¹ª die;ºª if he turnºª from his sin,º² and doºª that which is lawfulº and right;º 15 [If] the wickedº restoreºª the pledge,º give againºª that he had robbed,º walkºª in the statutesº of life,º without² committingºª iniquity;º he shall surely¹ª live,ºª he shall not² die.ºª 16 None²² of his sinsº that² he hath committedºª shall be mentionedºª unto him: he hath doneºª that which is lawfulº and right;º he shall surely¹ª live.ºª

He maintaineth his justice.

17 ¶ Yet the childrenº of thy peopleº say,ºª The wayº of the Lordº is not equal:ºª² but as for them,² their wayº is not equal.ºª² 18 When the righteousº turnethºª from his righteousness,º² and committethºª iniquity,º he shall even dieºª thereby. 19 But if the wickedº turnºª from his wickedness,º² and doºª that which is lawfulº and right,º he² shall liveºª thereby.²

20 ¶ Yet ye say,ºª The wayº of the Lordº is not equal.ºª² O ye houseº of Israel,º I will judgeºª you every oneº after his ways.º

Upon the news of the taking of Jerusalem he prophesieth the desolations of the land.

21 ¶ And it came to pass² in the twelfthºº yearº of our captivity,º in the tenthº [month], in the fifthº [day] of the month,º [that] one that had escapedº out of Jerusalemº² cameºª unto² me, saying,ºª The cityº is smitten.ºª 22 Now the handº of the LORDº was² upon² me in the evening,º aforeº he that was escapedº came;ºª and had openedºª² my mouth,º until² he cameºª to² me in the morning;º and my mouthº was opened,ºª and I was no more dumb.ºª²² 23 Then the wordº of the LORDº came² unto² me, saying,ºª 24 Sonº of man,º they that inhabitºª those² wastesº of² the landº of Israelº speak,ºª saying,ºª Abrahamº was² one,º and he inheritedºª² the land:º but we² [are] many;º the landº is givenºª us for inheritance.º 25 Wherefore² sayºª unto² them, Thus² saithºª the Lordº GOD;º Ye eatºª with² the blood,º and lift upºª your eyesº toward² your idols,º and shedºª blood:º and shall ye possessºª the land?º 26 Ye standºª upon² your sword,º ye workºª abomination,º and ye defileºª every oneº² his neighbour'sº wife:º and shall ye possessºª the land?º 27 Sayºª thou thus² unto² them, Thus² saithºª the Lordº GOD;º [As] I² live,º surely²² they that² [are] in the wastesº shall fallºª by the sword,º and him that² [is] in² the openº fieldº will I giveºª to the beastsº to be devoured,ºª and they that² [be] in the fortsº and in the cavesº shall dieºª of the pestilence.º 28 For I will layºª² the landº most¹ desolate,º² and the pompº of her strengthº shall cease;ºª and the mountainsº of Israelº shall be desolate,ºª that none²² shall pass through.ºª 29 Then shall they knowºª that² I² [am] the LORD,º when I have laidºª² the landº most¹ desolateº² because of² all² their abominationsº which² they have committed.ºª

God's judgment upon the mockers of the prophets.

30 ¶ Also, thou² sonº of man,º the childrenº of thy peopleº still are talkingºª against¹ thee by² the wallsº and in the doorsº of the houses,º and speakºª oneº to² another,º every oneº to² his brother,º saying,ºª Come,ºª I pray you,² and hearºª what² is the wordº that cometh forthºª from²² the LORD.º 31 And they comeºª unto² thee as the peopleº cometh,º and they sitºª beforeº thee [as] my people,º and they hearºª² thy words,º but they will not² doºª them: for² with their mouthº they² shewºª much love,º [but] their heartº goethºª afterº their covetousness.º 32 And, lo,² thou [art] unto them as a very lovelyº songº of one that hath a pleasantº voice,º and can play well¹ª on an instrument:ºª² for they hearºª² thy words,º but they doºª them not.² 33 And when this cometh to pass,ºª (lo,² it will come,)ºª then shall they knowºª that² a prophetº hath been² amongº them.