1And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,

2Thou, son of man, speak to the sons of thy people, and thou shalt say to them, A land when I bring in a sword on it, and the people of the land take one man of his last men, and maketh him a beholder, either espyer, on him, (Thou, son of man, speak to the sons of thy people, and thou shalt say to them, When I bring in a sword against a land, and if the people of that land take one man of their last men, and maketh him a watchman, or a lookout, for them,)

3and (when) he seeth a sword coming on the land, and soundeth with a clarion (or and bloweth a trumpet), and telleth to the people,

4forsooth a man that heareth, whoever he is, the sound of the clarion, and keepeth not himself, and the sword cometh, and taketh him away, the blood of him shall be on the head of him. (if anyone, whoever he is, heareth the sound of the trumpet, and keepeth not himself safe, or taketh no heed, and the sword cometh, and taketh him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.)

5He heard the sound of the clarion, and kept not himself, his blood shall be in him; forsooth if he keepeth himself, he shall save his life. (He heard the sound of the trumpet, and did not keep himself safe, or did not take heed, and so his blood shall be upon him; but if he keepeth himself safe, or taketh heed, he shall save his own life.)

6That if the beholder, or the espyer, seeth a sword coming, and soundeth not with a clarion, and the people keepeth not himself, and the sword cometh, and taketh away a man of them, soothly he is taken in his wickedness; but I shall seek the blood of him of the hand of the espyer. (But if the watchman, or the lookout, seeth a sword coming, and bloweth not the trumpet, and the people do not keep themselves safe, or do not take heed, and the sword cometh, and taketh away some of them, they shall be caught in their own wickedness; but I shall seek payment for their blood at the hand of the lookout.)

7And thou, son of man, I gave thee (as) an espyer, to the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear of my mouth a word, and shalt tell to them of me. (And thou, son of man, I have made thee a lookout, or a watchman, for the house of Israel; and so thou shalt hear a word from my mouth, and shalt tell it to them for me.)

8If when I say to the wicked man, Thou, wicked man, shalt die by death, (and) thou speakest not, that the wicked man keep himself from his way, that wicked man shall die in his wickedness, but I shall seek his blood of thine hand. (If when I say to a wicked person, Thou, wicked person, shalt die, and thou speakest not, so that that wicked person keep himself from his evil ways, that wicked person shall die in his wickedness, but I shall seek payment for his blood at thy hand, or from thee.)

9Forsooth if when thou tellest to the wicked man, that he be converted from his ways, (and) he is not converted from his way(s), he shall die in his wickedness; certainly thou hast delivered thy soul. (But if thou tellest to that wicked person, so that he be converted from his evil ways, and he is not converted from his evil ways, then he shall die in his wickedness; but thou hast delivered thy own soul.)

10Therefore thou, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus ye spake, saying, Our wickednesses and our sins be [up] on us, and we fail in those; how therefore may we live?

11say thou to them, I live, saith the Lord God, I desire not the death of the wicked man, but that the wicked man be converted from his way(s), and live; be ye converted from your worst ways, and why shall ye die, the house of Israel? (say thou to them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I do not desire the death of the wicked, but that the wicked person be turned from his evil ways, and live; yea, be ye turned from your evil ways, and then why should ye die, ye house of Israel?)

12Therefore thou, son of man, say to the sons of thy people, The rightfulness of a rightful man shall not deliver him, in whatever day he doeth sin; and the wickedness of a wicked man shall not harm him, in whatever day he is converted from his wickedness; and a just man shall not be able to live in his rightfulness, in whatever day he doeth sin. (And so thou, son of man, say to thy people, The righteousness of a righteous person shall not save him, on whatever day he doeth sin; and the wickedness of a wicked person shall not harm him, on whatever day he is converted from his wickedness; and a good person shall not be able to live because of his past righteousness, on whatever day he doeth sin.)

13Also if I say to a just man, that he shall live by life, and he trusteth in his rightfulness, and doeth wickedness, all his rightfulnesses shall be given to forgetting, and in his wickedness which he wrought, in that he shall die. (And if I say to a good person, that he shall live, and he trusteth in his own righteousness, and doeth wickedness, then all his righteousnesses shall be given to forgetting, and he shall die in his wickedness, which he himself did.)

14Forsooth if I say to the wicked man, Thou shalt die by death, and he doeth penance for his sin, and doeth doom and rightfulness, (And if I say to the wicked person, Thou shalt die, and he doeth penance for his sin, and doeth justice and righteousness,)

15and if that wicked man restoreth a wed, and yieldeth raven, and goeth in the commandments of life, and doeth not any unjust thing, he shall live by life, and shall not die. (and if that wicked person restoreth a pledge, and giveth back what he hath stolen, and goeth in the commandments of life, and doeth not any unjust thing, then he shall live, and shall not die.)

16All his sins which he sinned, shall not be areckoned to him; he did doom and rightfulness, he shall live by life, (or he did justice and righteousness, and he shall live).

17And the sons of thy people said, The way of the Lord is not of even weight, [or (of) even charge]; and the way of them is unjust. (And thy people said, The way of the Lord is not equal, or not fair; but it is their way that is unjust, or unfair.)

18For when a just man goeth away from his rightfulness, and doeth wickednesses, he shall die in those; (For when a just, or a righteous, person goeth away from his righteousness, and doeth wickednesses, he shall die in them;)

19and when a wicked man goeth away from his wickedness, and doeth doom and rightfulness, he shall live in those. (but if a wicked person goeth away from his wickedness, and doeth justice and righteousness, he shall live in them.)

20And ye say, The way of the Lord is not rightful. I shall deem each man by his ways of you, the house of Israel. (And so ye say, The way of the Lord is not right, or not fair. But I shall judge every one of you after your own ways, ye house of Israel.)

21And it was done in the twelfth year, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month of our passing over, he that fled from Jerusalem came to me, and said, The city is destroyed. (And it was done in the twelfth year, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month of our exile, or of our captivity, one who had fled from Jerusalem came to me, and said, The city is destroyed.)

22Forsooth the hand of the Lord was made to me in the eventide, before that he came that fled; and he opened my mouth, till he came to me early; and when my mouth was opened, I was no more still. (And the hand of the Lord was made upon me in the evening, before that he who had fled had come; and the Lord opened my mouth, until he who had fled came to me early in the morning; and when my mouth was opened, I was silent no more.)

23And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,

24Thou, son of man, they that dwell in these ruinous things, either ready to fall down, on the earth of Israel, say, speaking, Abraham was one, and by heritage he had the land in possession; forsooth we be many, (and) the land is given to us into possession. (Thou, son of man, they who live in these ruined places, or in places ready to fall down, in the land of Israel, speak, saying, Abraham was but one, and he had the land in possession; and we be many, and the land is given to us by inheritance for a possession.)

25Therefore thou shalt say to them, The Lord God saith these things, Whether ye that eat in blood, and raise your eyes to your uncleannesses, and shed blood, shall have in possession the land by heritage? (And so thou shalt say to them, The Lord God saith these things, Shall ye who eat things with blood, and raise up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood, have the land in possession by inheritance?)

26Ye stood in your swords, ye did your abominations, and each man defouled the wife of his neighbour; and shall ye wield the land by heritage? (Ye trusted in your swords, ye did your abominations, and every man defiled his neighbour’s wife; and so shall ye get the land by inheritance?)

27Thou shalt say these things to them, Thus saith the Lord God, I live, for they that dwell in ruinous things, either ready to fall down, shall fall down by sword, and he that is in the field, shall be given to beasts to be devoured; but they that be in strongholds and in dens, shall die by pestilence. (Thou shalt say these things to them, Thus saith the Lord God, As I live, for they who live in ruined places, or in places ready to fall down, shall fall by the sword, and he who is in the field, shall be given to the beasts to be devoured; and they who be in strongholds and in dens, shall die by pestilence.)

28And I shall give the land into wilderness, and into desert, and the pride and the strength thereof shall fail; and the hills of Israel shall be made desolate, for none is that shall pass by those. (And I shall make the land into a wilderness, and into a desert, and its pride and its strength shall fail; and the hills of Israel shall be made desolate, and no one shall travel over them.)

29And they shall know, that I am the Lord, when I shall give their land desolate and desert (or when I shall make their land a desolate wilderness), for all their abominations which they wrought.

30And thou, son of man, the sons of thy people that speak of thee beside walls, and in the doors of houses, and say, one to another, a man to his neighbour, and speak, Come ye, and hear we, what is the word going out from the Lord; (And thou, son of man, thy people who speak of thee beside the walls, and in the doors of houses, and speak one to another, yea, a person to his neighbour, and say, Come ye, and hear we, what is the word going out from the Lord;)

31and they come to thee, as if my people entereth, and my people sit before thee, and they hear thy words, and do not those; for they turn those into the song of their mouth, and their heart followeth their avarice; (and my people come to thee, like any people entereth, and they sit before thee, and they hear thy words, but they do not do them; they turn them into the song of their mouths, but their hearts follow after their greed;)

32and it is to them as a song of music, which is sung by soft and sweet sound; and they hear thy words, and they do not those; (and it is to them like a song of music, which is sung with a soft and sweet sound; and they hear thy words, but they do not do them;)

33and when that that was before-said cometh, for lo! it cometh, then they shall know, that a prophet was among them. (and when what was foretold cometh, for behold! it shall come, then they shall know, that a prophet was among them.)