Ezekiel 33 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

Ezekiel as Israel’s Watchman

Eze 33:1Once again a message came to me from the LORD:

Eze 33:2“Son of man, give your people this message: ‘When I bring an army against a country, the people of that land choose one of their own to be a watchman.

Eze 33:3

Eze 33:3When the watchman sees the enemy coming, he sounds the alarm to warn the people.

Eze 33:4

Eze 33:4Then if those who hear the alarm refuse to take action, it is their own fault if they die.

Eze 33:5

Eze 33:5They heard the alarm but ignored it, so the responsibility is theirs. If they had listened to the warning, they could have saved their lives.

Eze 33:6

Eze 33:6But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn’t sound the alarm to warn the people, he is responsible for their captivity. They will die in their sins, but I will hold the watchman responsible for their deaths.’

Eze 33:7

Eze 33:7“Now, son of man, I am making you a watchman for the people of Israel. Therefore, listen to what I say and warn them for me.

Eze 33:8

Eze 33:8If I announce that some wicked people are sure to die and you fail to tell them to change their ways, then they will die in their sins, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths.

Eze 33:9

Eze 33:9But if you warn them to repent and they don’t repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself.

The Watchman’s Message

Eze 33:10

Eze 33:10“Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: You are saying, ‘Our sins are heavy upon us; we are wasting away! How can we survive?’

Eze 33:11

Eze 33:11As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?

Eze 33:12

Eze 33:12“Son of man, give your people this message: The righteous behavior of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will the wicked behavior of wicked people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins.

Eze 33:13

Eze 33:13When I tell righteous people that they will live, but then they sin, expecting their past righteousness to save them, then none of their righteous acts will be remembered. I will destroy them for their sins.

Eze 33:14

Eze 33:14And suppose I tell some wicked people that they will surely die, but then they turn from their sins and do what is just and right.

Eze 33:15

Eze 33:15For instance, they might give back a debtor’s security, return what they have stolen, and obey my life-giving laws, no longer doing what is evil. If they do this, then they will surely live and not die.

Eze 33:16

Eze 33:16None of their past sins will be brought up again, for they have done what is just and right, and they will surely live.

Eze 33:17

Eze 33:17“Your people are saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right,’ but it is they who are not doing what’s right.

Eze 33:18

Eze 33:18For again I say, when righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and turn to evil, they will die.

Eze 33:19

Eze 33:19But if wicked people turn from their wickedness and do what is just and right, they will live.

Eze 33:20

Eze 33:20O people of Israel, you are saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right.’ But I judge each of you according to your deeds.”

Explanation of Jerusalem’s Fall

Eze 33:21

Eze 33:21On January 8,[fn] during the twelfth year of our captivity, a survivor from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has fallen!”

Eze 33:22

Eze 33:22The previous evening the LORD had taken hold of me and given me back my voice. So I was able to speak when this man arrived the next morning.

Eze 33:23

Eze 33:23Then this message came to me from the LORD:

Eze 33:24

Eze 33:24“Son of man, the scattered remnants of Judah living among the ruined cities keep saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he gained possession of the entire land. We are many; surely the land has been given to us as a possession.’

Eze 33:25

Eze 33:25So tell these people, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: You eat meat with blood in it, you worship idols,[fn] and you murder the innocent. Do you really think the land should be yours?

Eze 33:26

Eze 33:26Murderers! Idolaters! Adulterers! Should the land belong to you?’

Eze 33:27

Eze 33:27“Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: As surely as I live, those living in the ruins will die by the sword. And I will send wild animals to eat those living in the open fields. Those hiding in the forts and caves will die of disease.

Eze 33:28

Eze 33:28I will completely destroy the land and demolish her pride. Her arrogant power will come to an end. The mountains of Israel will be so desolate that no one will even travel through them.

Eze 33:29

Eze 33:29When I have completely destroyed the land because of their detestable sins, then they will know that I am the LORD.’

Eze 33:30

Eze 33:30“Son of man, your people talk about you in their houses and whisper about you at the doors. They say to each other, ‘Come on, let’s go hear the prophet tell us what the LORD is saying!’

Eze 33:31

Eze 33:31So my people come pretending to be sincere and sit before you. They listen to your words, but they have no intention of doing what you say. Their mouths are full of lustful words, and their hearts seek only after money.

Eze 33:32

Eze 33:32You are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say, but they don’t act on it!

Eze 33:33

Eze 33:33But when all these terrible things happen to them—as they certainly will—then they will know a prophet has been among them.”

See the NLT Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

NLT Footnotes

(33:21)

Hebrew On the fifth day of the tenth month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This event occurred on January 8, 585 B.C.; also see note on 1:1.

(33:25)

The Hebrew term (literally round things) probably alludes to dung.

Full copyright information is provided here. Visit the New Living Translation website.

For more information on this translation, see the NLT Preface.

Ezekiel Chapter 33 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New International Version English Standard Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 New American Standard Bible 1995 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Westminster Leningrad Codex Septuagint Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Brenton's English Septuagint Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras

Ezekiel 33 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

NLT Footnotes

Ezekiel Chapter 33 — Additional Translations:

Did You Know BLB Is User Supported?