Hiezechielis Prophetæ 33

1 Et factum est verbum Domini ad me, dicens:

Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

2 Fili hominis loquere ad filios populi tui, et dices ad eos: Terra cum induxero super eam gladium, et tulerit populus terræ virum unum de novissimis suis, et constituerit eum super se speculatorem:

“Son of man, declare this to your people; say to them, 'When I bring a sword against any land, then the people of that land take one man from among themselves and make him a watchman for them.

3 et ille viderit gladium venientem super terram, et cecinerit buccina, et annunciaverit populo:

He looks for the sword as it comes on the land, and he blows his horn to warn the people!

4 Audiens autem, quisquis ille est, sonitum buccinæ, et non se observaverit, veneritque gladius, et tulerit eum: sanguis ipsius super caput eius erit.

If the people hear the sound of the horn but do not pay attention, and if the sword comes and kills them, then each one's blood is on his own head.

5 Sonum buccinæ audivit, et non se observavit, sanguis eius in ipso erit: si autem se custodierit, animam suam salvabit.

If someone hears the sound of the horn and pays no attention, his blood is on him; but if he pays attention, he will save his own life.

6 Quod si speculator viderit gladium venientem, et non insonuerit buccina: et populus se non custodierit, veneritque gladius, et tulerit de eis animam: ille quidem in iniquitate sua captus est, sanguinem autem eius de manu speculatoris requiram.

However, if the watchman sees the sword as it is coming, but if he does not blow the horn, with the result that the people are not warned, and if the sword comes and takes anyone's life, then that person dies in his own sin, but I will require his blood from the watchman.'

7 Et tu fili hominis, speculatorem dedi te domui Israel: audiens ergo ex ore meo sermonem, annunciabis eis ex me.

Now you yourself, son of man! I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; you will hear the words from my mouth and warn them on my behalf.

8 Si me dicente ad impium: Impie, morte morieris: non fueris locutus ut se custodiat impius a via sua: ipse impius in iniquitate sua morietur, sanguinem autem eius de manu tua requiram.

If I say to a wicked person, 'Wicked one, you will surely die!' but if you do not announce this so as to warn the wicked about his way, then he who is wicked will die in his sin, but I will require his blood from your hand!

9 Si autem annunciante te ad impium ut a viis suis convertatur, non fuerit conversus a via sua: ipse in iniquitate sua morietur: porro tu animam tuam liberasti.

But you, if you warn the wicked about his way, so that he might turn back from it, and if he does not turn back from his way, then he will die in his sin, but you yourself will have saved your own life.

10 Tu ergo fili hominis dic ad domum Israel: Sic locuti estis, dicentes: Iniquitates nostræ, et peccata nostra super nos sunt, et in ipsis nos tabescimus: quomodo ergo vivere poterimus?

So you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, 'You are saying this, “Our transgressions and our sins are on us, and we are decaying in them! How can we live?”'

11 Dic ad eos: Vivo ego, dicit Dominus Deus: nolo mortem impii, sed ut convertatur impius a via sua, et vivat. Convertimini, convertimini a viis vestris pessimis: et quare moriemini domus Israel?

Say to them, 'As I live—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration—I do not delight in the death of the wicked, for if the wicked repents from his way, then he will live! Repent! Repent from your wicked ways! For why should you die, house of Israel?'

12 Tu itaque fili hominis dic ad filios populi tui: Iustitia iusti non liberabit eum in quacumque die peccaverit: et impietas impii non nocebit ei, in quacumque die conversus fuerit ab impietate sua: et iustus non poterit vivere in iustitia sua, in quacumque die peccaverit.

So now you, son of man, say to your people, 'The righteousness of a righteous person will not save him if he sins! The wickedness of a wicked person will not cause him to perish if he repents from his sin! For the righteous person will not be able to live because of his righteousness if he sins.

13 Etiam si dixero iusto quod vita vivat, et confisus in iustitia sua fecerit iniquitatem: omnes iustitiæ eius oblivioni tradentur, et in iniquitate sua, quam operatus est, in ipsa morietur.

If I say to the righteous, “He will surely live!” and if he trusts in his righteousness and then commits injustice, I will not call to mind any of his righteousness. He will die for the wickedness he committed.

14 Si autem dixero impio: Morte morieris: et egerit pœnitentiam a peccato suo, feceritque iudicium et iustitiam,

So if I say to the wicked, “You will surely die,” but if he then repents from his sins and does what is just and right—

15 et pignus restituerit ille impius, rapinamque reddiderit, in mandatis vitæ ambulaverit, nec fecerit quidquam iniustum: vita vivet, et non morietur.

if he restores the loan guarantee that he wickedly demanded, or if he makes restitution for what he has stolen, and if he walks in the statutes that give life and no longer commits sin—then he will surely live. He will not die.

16 Omnia peccata eius, quæ peccavit, non imputabuntur ei: iudicium, et iustitiam fecit, vita vivet.

None of the sins that he has committed will be called to mind for him. He has acted justly and rightly, and so, he will surely live!

17 Et dixerunt filii populi tui: Non est æqui ponderis via Domini, et ipsorum via iniusta est.

But your people say, “The way of the Lord is not fair!” but it is your ways that are not fair!

18 Cum enim recesserit iustus a iustitia sua, feceritque iniquitates, morietur in eis.

When the righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits sin, then he will die in it!

19 Et cum recesserit impius ab impietate sua, feceritque iudicium, et iustitiam, vivet in eis.

When the wicked turns away from his wickedness and does what is just and righteous, he will live because of those things!

20 Et dicitis: Non est recta via Domini. Unumquemque iuxta vias suas iudicabo de vobis, domus Israel.

But you people say, “The way of the Lord is not fair!” I will judge each of you according to his way, house of Israel!'”

21 Et factum est in duodecimo anno, in decimo mense, in quinta mensis transmigrationis nostræ, venit ad me qui fugerat de Ierusalem, dicens: Vastata est civitas.

It happened in the twelfth year, on the fifth day of the tenth month of our captivity, that a fugitive came to me from Jerusalem and said, “The city has been captured!”

22 Manus autem Domini facta fuerat ad me vespere, antequam veniret qui fugerat: aperuitque os meum donec veniret ad me mane, et aperto ore meo non silui amplius.

The hand of Yahweh had been on me in the evening before the fugitive came, and my mouth was opened by the time that he came to me in the dawn. So my mouth was open; I was no longer mute!

23 Et factum est verbum Domini ad me, dicens:

Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

24 Fili hominis, qui habitant in ruinosis his super humum Israel, loquentes aiunt: Unus erat Abraham, et hereditate possedit terram: nos autem multi sumus, nobis data est terra in possessionem.

“Son of man, the ones inhabiting those ruins in the land of Israel are talking and say, 'Abraham was only one person, and he inherited the land, but we are many! The land has been given to us as a possession.'

25 Idcirco dices ad eos: Hæc dicit Dominus Deus: Qui in sanguine comeditis, et oculos vestros levatis ad immunditias vestras, et sanguinem funditis: numquid terram hereditate possidebitis?

Therefore say to them, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: You eat blood, and you lift up your eyes towards your idols, then you pour out people's blood. Should you really possess the land?

26 Stetistis in gladiis vestris, fecistis abominationes, et unusquisque uxorem proximi sui polluit: et terram hereditate possidebitis?

You have depended on your swords and have done disgusting things; each man defiles his neighbor's wife. Should you really possess the land?'

27 Hæc dices ad eos: Sic dicit Dominus Deus: Vivo ego, quia qui in ruinosis habitant, gladio cadent: et qui in agro est, bestiis tradetur ad devorandum: qui autem in præsidiis, et speluncis sunt, peste morientur.

You will say this to them, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: As I live, surely the ones in the ruins will fall by the sword, and I will give those in the fields to the living creatures as food, and those in fortresses and in caves will die of plagues.

28 Et dabo terram in solitudinem, et in desertum, et deficiet superba fortitudo eius: et desolabuntur montes Israel, eo quod nullus sit qui per eos transeat.

Then I will turn the land into a desolation and a horror, and the pride of its might will end, for the mountains of Israel will be deserted, and there will be no one to pass through them.'

29 Et scient quia ego Dominus, cum dedero terram eorum desolatam, et desertam propter universas abominationes suas, quas operati sunt.

So they will know that I am Yahweh, when I make the land a desolation and a waste because of all the abominations that they have done.

30 Et tu fili hominis: filii populi tui, qui loquuntur de te iuxta muros, et in ostiis domorum, et dicunt unus ad alterum, vir ad proximum suum loquentes: Venite, et audiamus quis sit sermo egrediens a Domino.

So now you, son of man—your people are saying things about you beside the walls and the gates of the houses, and each says to one another—each man to his brother, 'Let us go and listen to the prophet's word that comes out from Yahweh!'

31 Et veniunt ad te, quasi si ingrediatur populus, et sedent coram te populus meus: et audiunt sermones tuos, et non faciunt eos: quia in canticum oris sui vertunt illos, et avaritiam suam sequitur cor eorum.

So my people will come to you, as they often do, and will sit in front of you and listen to your words, but they will not obey them. Right words are in their mouths, but their hearts are going after unjust profit.

32 Et es eis quasi carmen musicum, quod suavi, dulcique sono canitur: et audiunt verba tua, et non faciunt ea.

For you are like a lovely song to them, a beautiful sound that is well played on a stringed instrument, so they will listen to your words, but none of them will obey them.

33 Et cum venerit quod prædictum est (ecce enim venit) tunc scient quod prophetes fuerit inter eos.

So when all of this happens—behold! it will happen!—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”