2 The office of the gouernours and miniſters. 14 He ſtrengtheneth them that diſpaire, and boldeneth them with the promes of mercie. 30 The worde of the Lord againſt the mockers of the Prophet.

1.AGaine, the worde of the Lord came vnto me, ſaying,

2.Sonne of man, ſpeake to the children of thy people, and ſay vnto them, When I bring the ſworde vpon a land, if the people of the land take a man ^"from among them, and make him their ^awatcheman,

3.If when he ſeeth the ſworde come vpon the land, he blowe the trumpet and warne the people,

4.Then he that heareth the ſounde of the trumpet, and wil not be warned, if the ſworde come, & take him away, his blood ſhalbe vpon his owne head.

5.For he heard the ſounde of the trumpet, and wolde not be admoniſhed: therefore his blood ſhalbe vpon him: but he that receiueth warning, ſhal ſaue his life.

6.But if the watchman ſe the ſworde come, and blowe not the trumpet, and the people be not warned: if the ſworde come, and take any perſone from among them, he is taken away for his ^*iniquitie, but his blood wil I require at the watchmans hand.

7.^*So thou, ô ſonne of man, I haue made thee a watchman vnto the houſe of Iſraél: therefore thou ſhalt heare the worde at my ^cmouth, and admoniſhe them from me.

8.When I ſhal ſay vnto the wicked, O wicked man, thou ſhalt dye the death, if thou doeſt not ſpeake, and admoniſh the wicked of his way, that wicked man ſhal dye for his iniquitie, but his blood wil I ^drequire at thine hand.

9.Neuertheles, if thou warne the wicked of his way, to turne from it, if he do not turne from his way, he ſhal dye for his iniquitie, but thou haſt deliuered thy ſoule.

10.Therefore, ô thou ſonne of man, ſpeake vnto the houſe of Iſraél, Thus ye ſpeake and ſay, If our tranſgreſsions and our ſinnes be vpon vs, and we are conſumed becauſe of them, ^ehow ſhulde we then liue?

11.Say vnto them, as I liue, ſaith the Lord God, ^fI deſire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turne from his way and liue: turne you, turne you from your euil wayes, for why wil ye dye, ô ye houſe of Iſraél?

12.Therefore thou ſonne of man, ſay vnto the children of thy people, The ^grighteouſnes of the righteous ſhal not deliuer him in the day of his tranſgreſsion, nor the wickednes of the wicked ſhal cauſe him to fall therein, in the day that he returneth from his wickednes, nether ſhal the righteous liue for his righteouſnes in the day that he ſinneth.

13.When I ſhal ſay vnto the righteous, that he ſhal ſurely liue, if he truſt to his owne righteouſnes, and commit iniquitie, all his righteouſnes ſhalbe no more remembred, but for his iniquitie that he hathe cõmitted, he ſhal dye for the ſame.

14.Againe when I ſhal ſay vnto the wicked, Thou ſhalt dye the death, if he turne from his ſinne, & do that which is law ful and ^hright,

15.To wit, if the wicked reſtore the pledge, and giue againe that he had robbed, and walke in the ſtatutes of life, without committing iniquitie, he ſhal ſurely liue, and not dye.

16.None of his ſinnes that he hathe committed, ſhal be mencioned vnto him: becauſe he hathe done that, which is lawful, & right, he ſhal ſurely liue.

17.Yet the children of thy people ſay, ^*The way of the Lord is not equal: but their owne way is vnequal.

18.When the righteous turneth from his righteouſnes, and committeth iniquitie, he ſhal euen dye thereby.

19.But if the wicked returne from his wickednes, and do that which is lawful, and right, he ſhal liue thereby.

20.Yet ye ſay, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye houſe of Iſraél, I wil iudge you euerie one after his wayes.

21.ⁱAlſo in the twelfth yere of our captiuitie, in the tenth moneth, and in the fiſt day of the moneth, one that had eſcaped out of Ieruſalém, came vnto me, and ſaid, The citie is ſmitten.

22.Now the ^khand of the Lord had bene vpon me in the euening afore he that had eſcaped, came, and had opened my mouth, vntil he came to me in the morning: and when he had opened my ^lmouth, I was no more domme.

23.Againe the worde of the Lord came vnto me, and ſaid,

24.Sonne of man, theſe that dwell in the deſolate places of the land of Iſraél, talke and ſay, ^mAbrahám was but one, and he poſſeſſed y^e land: but we are many, therefore the land ſhal be giuen vs in poſſeſsion.

25.Wherefore ſay vnto them, Thus ſaith the Lord God, Ye eat with the ⁿblood, and lift vp your eyes towarde your idoles, and ſheade blood: ſhulde ye then poſſeſſe the land?

26.Ye leane vpon your ^oſwordes: ye worke abominacion, and ye defile euerie one his neighbours wife: ſhulde ye then poſſeſſe the land?

27.Say thus vnto them, Thus ſaith y^e Lord God, As I liue, ſo ſurely thei that are in the deſolate places, ſhal fall by the ſworde: and him that is in the open field, wil I giue vnto the beaſtes to be deuoured: and thei that be in the fortes and in the caues, ſhal dye of the peſtilence.

28.For I wil lay the land deſolate and waſte, and the ^*pompe of her ſtrength ſhal ceaſe: and the mountaines of Iſraél ſhalbe deſolate, and none ſhal paſſe through.

29.Then ſhal thei knowe that I am y^e Lord, when I haue laide the land deſolate and waſte, becauſe of all their abominacions, that thei haue committed.

30.Alſo thou ſonne of man, the children of thy people that ^ptalke of thee by the walles and in the dores of houſes, and ſpeake one to another, euerie one to his brother, ſaying, Come, I pray you, and heare what is the worde that commeth from the Lord.

31.For thei come vnto thee, as the people vſeth to come: and my people ſit before thee, and heare thy wordes, but thei wil not do them: for with their mouthes thei make a ieſtes, and their heart goeth after their couetouſnes.

32.And lo, thou art vnto them, as a ^q ^"ieſting ſong of one that hathe a pleaſant voice, and can ſing wel: for thei heare thy wordes, but thei do them not.

33.And when this commeth to paſſe (for lo, it wil come) then ſhal thei knowe, that a Prophet hathe bene among them.

Ezekiel 33

Notes