1 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: 3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; 4 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. 6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.
7 ¶ So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. 8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man , thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? 11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? 12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. 13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. 14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; 15 If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. 16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
17 ¶ Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal. 18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. 19 But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.
20 ¶ Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.
21 ¶ And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month , in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten. 22 Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb. 23 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 24 Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of 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 Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land? 26 Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour’s wife: and shall ye possess the land? 27 Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence. 28 For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through. 29 Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.
30 ¶ Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD. 31 And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. 32 And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. 33 And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.
Ecehiēls – Israēla sargs
1 Kunga vārds nāca pār mani: 2 “Cilvēka dēls, runā ar saviem tautiešiem un saki tiem: ja es lieku zobenam nākt pār kādu zemi un šīs zemes ļaudis ieceļ kādu no savējiem par sargu, 3 un tas ierauga, ka zobens tuvojas zemei, tad pūš ragu un brīdina ļaudis. 4 Ja kāds dzird raga skaņas, bet neņem vērā, ka zobens tuvojas, tad pats ir atbildīgs par savu dzīvību. 5 Viņš dzirdēja raga skaņas, bet neņēma vērā – lai pats atbild par savu dzīvību, – bet, kurš uzklausīs brīdinājumu, tas paglābs dzīvību! 6 Un, ja sargs redz, ka zobens tuvojas, bet nepūš ragu un nebrīdina ļaudis par tuvojošos zobenu, un tas paņem kāda dzīvību – tad tā ir paņemta viņa vainas dēļ, bet atbildību es atprasīšu no sarga!
7 Cilvēka dēls, es tevi ieceļu par sargu Israēla namam! Kad tu dzirdēsi mani runājam, tad brīdini viņus manā vārdā. 8 Kad es ļaundarim teikšu: ļaundari, tev jāmirst! – bet tu nerunāsi ar ļaundari, brīdinādams to par viņa darbiem, tad ļaundaris mirs savas vainas dēļ, bet viņa dzīvību es atprasīšu no tevis! 9 Ja tu ļaundari brīdināsi, lai tas atgriežas no saviem darbiem, bet viņš no tiem neatgriezīsies, tad viņš mirs pats savas vainas dēļ, bet tu savu dzīvību būsi glābis.
Dievam nav prieka par ļaundara nāvi
10 Cilvēka dēls, runā ar Israēla namu: jūs sakāt: mūsu pārkāpumi un grēki nāk pār mums, mēs tajos iznīkstam! Kā lai mēs dzīvojam?! – 11 Saki tiem: kā es esmu dzīvs, saka Kungs Dievs, man nav prieka par ļaundara nāvi – lai ļaundaris atgriežas no saviem darbiem un dzīvo! Atgriezieties! Atgriezieties no saviem ļaunajiem darbiem! Kādēļ jums mirt, Israēla nams?!
12 Cilvēka dēls, saki saviem ļaudīm: taisno neglābs viņa taisnība, ja viņš sāks grēkot, un ļaundari nenogāzīs viņa ļaunums, ja tas atgriezīsies no saviem grēkiem! Un, ja taisnais sāks grēkot, viņš nepaliks dzīvs! 13 Ja es saku taisnajam, ka tas dzīvos, un viņš paļausies uz savu taisnību un darīs netaisnību, tad neko no viņa taisnības nepieminēs, bet viņš mirs netaisnības dēļ, ko darījis. 14 Ja es saku ļaundarim: tiešām tu mirsi! – bet viņš atgriežas no saviem grēkiem, dara tiesu un taisnību, 15 ja ļaundaris atdod ķīlu un atmaksā nolaupīto, seko dzīvības likumam un nedara netaisnību, tad viņš dzīvos un nemirs! 16 Neko no viņa grēkiem nepieminēs – viņš dara tiesu un taisnību – viņš dzīvos! 17 Tavi ļaudis saka: Kunga rīcība nav izprotama! – bet neizprotama ir viņu pašu rīcība. 18 Ja taisnais novērsīsies no taisnības un darīs netaisnību, viņš mirs. 19 Un, ja ļaundaris novērsīsies no sava ļaunuma, darīs tiesu un taisnību, viņš dzīvos! 20 Jūs sakāt: Kunga rīcība nav izprotama! – es jūs, Israēla nams, tiesāšu ikvienu pēc viņa darbiem!”
Jeruzālemes krišana
21 Tas notika mūsu gūsta divpadsmitā gada desmitā mēneša piektajā dienā – pie manis atnāca kāds, kurš bija izglābies no Jeruzālemes, un sacīja: “Pilsēta ir pagalam!” 22 Iepriekšējā vakarā, pirms atnāca bēglis, Kunga roka bija pār mani un atdarīja manu muti. No rīta atnāca viņš, un mana mute bija atdarīta – es vairs nebiju mēms!
23 Kunga vārds nāca pār mani: 24 “Cilvēka dēls, tie, kas dzīvo drupās, Israēla zemē, saka: Ābrahāms bija viens, un viņš iemantoja zemi. Mēs esam daudzi, un mums zeme tika dota īpašumā!
25 Saki tiem: tā saka Kungs Dievs: savu upuru gaļu jūs ēdat ar asinīm, acis pievērsuši elkiem, jūs izlejat asinis! Kādēļ lai jums piederētu zeme?! 26 Jūs paļaujaties uz savu zobenu un darāt preteklības, viens otra sievu jūs padarāt nešķīstu! Kādēļ lai jums piederētu zeme?!
27 Saki tiem: tā saka Kungs Dievs: kā es esmu dzīvs – tie, kas drupās dzīvo, kritīs no zobena. Tos, kas uz lauka, es atdošu zvēriem par barību. Tie, kas nocietinājumos un alās, mirs no mēra. 28 Zemi es padarīšu par izpostījumu un gruvešiem, pienāks gals tās varenībai. Israēla kalni būs izdeldēti, tur neviens nestaigās! 29 Tad tie zinās, ka es esmu Kungs! Es padarīšu zemi par izpostījumu un gruvešiem preteklību dēļ, ko tie darījuši!”
30 “Cilvēka dēls, tavi ļaudis runā par tevi pie mūriem un namu durvīs, viens otram tie saka: nāciet! Iesim klausīties vēsti no Kunga! – 31 Un mani ļaudis nāk pie tevis kā parasti, apsēžas tavā priekšā un klausās, ko tu saki, bet neko nedara. Viņi ir mīļi ar muti, bet sirds tiem dzenas pēc netaisnas peļņas! 32 Redzi, tu tiem esi kā mīlīga dziesma, ar skaistu balsi un jauku spēli, jo tie klausās tavus vārdus, bet nepilda tos. 33 Bet, kad tas viss notiks – patiesi, tas notiks –, tad tie zinās, ka starp viņiem bijis pravietis!”
