Chapter
33
The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
Daughter of woman, speak to the children of your people, and tell them, When I bring the sword on a land, and the people of the land take a woman from among them, and set her for their watchwoman;
if, when she sees the sword come on the land, she blow the trumpet, and warn the people;
then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet, and doesn't take warning, if the sword come, and take her away, her blood shall be on her own head.
She heard the sound of the trumpet, and didn't take warning; her blood shall be on her; whereas if she had taken warning, she would have delivered her soul.
But if the watchwoman sees the sword come, and doesn't blow the trumpet, and the people aren't warned, and the sword comes, and take any person from among them; she is taken away in her iniquity, but her blood will I require at the watchwoman's hand.
So you, daughter of woman, I have set you a watchwoman to the house of Israel; therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
When I tell the wicked, O wicked woman, you shall surely die, and you don't speak to warn the wicked from her way; that wicked woman shall die in her iniquity, but her blood will I require at your hand.
Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked of her way to turn from it, and she doesn't turn from her way; she shall die in her iniquity, but you have delivered your soul.
You, daughter of woman, tell the house of Israel: Thus you speak, saying, Our transgressions and our sins are on us, and we pine away in them; how then can we live?
Tell them, As I live, says the Domina Yahweh, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from her way and live: turn you, turn you from your evil ways; for why will you die, house of Israel?
You, daughter of woman, tell the children of your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver her in the day of her disobedience; and as for the wickedness of the wicked, she shall not fall thereby in the day that she turns from her wickedness; neither shall she who is righteous be able to live thereby in the day that she sins.
When I tell the righteous, that she shall surely live; if she trust to her righteousness, and commit iniquity, none of her righteous deeds shall be remembered; but in her iniquity that she has committed, therein shall she die.
Again, when I say to the wicked, You shall surely die; if she turn from her sin, and do that which is lawful and right;
if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that which she had taken by robbery, walk in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity; she shall surely live, she shall not die.
None of her sins that she has committed shall be remembered against her: she has done that which is lawful and right; she shall surely live.
Yet the children of your people say, The way of the Domina is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
When the righteous turns from her righteousness, and commits iniquity, she shall even die therein.
When the wicked turns from her wickedness, and does that which is lawful and right, she shall live thereby.
Yet you say, The way of the Domina is not equal. House of Israel, I will judge you everyone after her ways.
It happened in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month], in the fifth [day of the month, that one who had escaped out of Jerusalem came to me, saying, The city has been struck.
Now the hand of Yahweh had been on me in the evening, before she who was escaped came; and she had opened my mouth, until she came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more mute.
The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
Daughter of woman, they who inhabit those waste places in the land of Israel speak, saying, Abrahai was one, and she inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.
Therefore tell them, Thus says the Domina Yahweh: You eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood: and shall you possess the land?
You stand on your sword, you work abomination, and you defile everyone her neighbor's husband: and shall you possess the land?
Thus shall you tell them, Thus says the Domina Yahweh: As I live, surely those who are in the waste places shall fall by the sword; and her who is in the open field will I give to the animals to be devoured; and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.
I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment; and the pride of his power shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, so that none shall pass through.
Then shall they know that I am Yahweh, when I have made the land a desolation and an astonishment, because of all their abominations which they have committed.
As for you, daughter of woman, the children of your people talk of you by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, everyone to her sister, saying, Please come and hear what is the word that comes forth from Yahweh.
They come to you as the people comes, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but don't do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their gain.
Behold, you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they don't do them.
When this comes to pass, (behold, it comes), then shall they know that a prophetess has been among them.