حِزْقِيال 33

١ 1 وَأَوْحَى إِلَيَّ الرَّبُّ قَائِلاً:

Yahweh gave me another message. He said,

٢ 2 «يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ، خَاطِبْ أَبْنَاءَ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَقُلْ لَهُمْ: إِذَا جَلَبْتُ سَيْفاً عَلَى أَرْضٍ كَانَ أَهْلُهَا قَدْ أَقَامُوا لَهُمْ رَقِيباً مِنْ بَيْنِهِمْ.

“You human, speak to your fellow Israelis and say this to them: ‘When I bring an enemy army [MTY] to attack a country, and the people of that country choose one of their men and appoint him to be a watchman,

٣ 3 فَإِذَا رَأَى الأَعْدَاءَ مُقْبِلِينَ لِمُهَاجَمَةِ الأَرْضِ، فَنَفَخَ بِالْبُوقِ تَحْذِيراً لِلشَّعْبِ،

if he sees the enemy army [MTY] coming to attack his country, and he blows a trumpet to warn the people,

٤ 4 فَمَنْ يَسْمَعُ دَوِيَّ الْبُوقِ وَلا يَحْتَرِسُ، ثُمَّ أَتَى السَّيْفُ وَقَتَلَهُ، فَدَمُهُ يَقَعُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ.

if anyone hears the trumpet and does not heed the warning, and as a result he is killed by the sword [of one of his enemies], he will be responsible for his own death [MTY].

٥ 5 لأَنَّهُ سَمِعَ دَوِيَّ الْبُوقِ وَلَمْ يَحْتَرِسْ. لِهَذَا يَكُونُ دَمُهُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ، إِذْ لَوِ احْتَرَسَ لأَنْقَذَ نَفْسَهُ.

If he had heeded the warning, he would have (have saved his life/still be alive). But because he heard the sound of the trumpet and did not heed that warning, his death will be his own fault.

٦ 6 وَلَكِنْ إِنْ رَأَى الرَّقِيبُ الْعَدُوَّ مُقْبِلاً وَلَمْ يَنْفُخْ بِالْبُوقِ، فَلَمْ يَحْتَرِسِ الشَّعْبُ، فَأَقْدَمَ الْعَدُوُّ وَقَتَلَ نَفْساً مِنْهُمْ، فَالْقَتِيلُ قَدْ لاقَى حَتْفَهُ جَزَاءَ ذَنْبِهِ، أَمَّا دَمُهُ فَمِنْ يَدِ الرَّقِيبِ أَطْلُبُهُ.

But if the watchman sees the enemy army [MTY] coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people, and one of his people is killed by an enemy sword, that person will die because of his sin, but I will consider that the watchman is responsible for that man’s death.’

٧ 7 وَأَنْتَ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ، قَدْ أَقَمْتُكَ رَقِيباً لِشَعْبِ إِسْرَائِيلَ، فَتَسْمَعُ قَضَائِي، وَتُحَذِّرُهُمْ مِنْ قِبَلِي.

So, you human, I have appointed you to be a watchman for the Israeli people [MTY]. So always listen to what I say and warn the people for me.

٨ 8 إِنْ قُلْتُ لِلشِّرِّيرِ: يَا شِرِّيرُ إِنَّكَ حَتْماً تَمُوتُ مِنْ أَجْلِ شَرِّكَ، وَلَمْ تَعْمَدْ إِلَى تَحْذِيرِهِ مِنْ طَرِيقِهِ، فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ الشِّرِّيرَ يَمُوتُ بِذَنْبِهِ، أَمَّا دَمُهُ فَمِنْ يَدِكَ أَطْلُبُهُ.

When I say to some wicked person, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die [because of your sins,’ you must tell him that]. If you do not speak to that person to warn him that he should turn away from his sins, that wicked person will die because of his sins, but I will say that you are responsible for his death [MTY].

٩ 9 وَلَكِنْ إِنْ حَذَّرْتَ الشِّرِّيرَ لِيَرْتَدِعَ عَنْ طَرِيقِهِ فَأَبَى فَهُوَ يَمُوتُ بِذَنْبِهِ، أَمَّا أَنْتَ فَتَكُونُ قَدْ خَلَّصْتَ نَفْسَكَ.

But if you warn that wicked person that he should turn away from his sins, and he does not do that, he will die because of his sins, but you will have saved your life.

١٠ 10 وَأَنْتَ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ، قُلْ لِشَعْبِ إِسْرَائِيلَ: أَنْتُمْ تَقُولُونَ: حَقّاً إِنَّ مَعَاصِينَا وَخَطَايَانَا وَاقِعَةٌ عَلَيْنَا، وَبِهَا نَحْنُ هَالِكُونَ، فَكَيْفَ إِذاً نَحْيَا؟

You human, say to the Israeli people, ‘This is what you all are saying: “[The guilt that we have for] disobeying God’s laws and sinning is like a heavy weight on us, and it is hurting us, and we are slowly dying. So what can we do to continue to remain alive?”’

١١ 11 قُلْ لَهُمْ: حَيٌّ أَنَا يَقُولُ السَّيِّدُ الرَّبُّ، إِنِّي لَا أَبْتَهِجُ بِمَوْتِ الشِّرِّيرِ بَلْ بِأَنْ يَرْتَدِعَ عَنْ غِيِّهِ وَيَحْيَا. ارْجِعُوا، ارْجِعُوا عَنْ طُرُقِكُمِ الرَّدِيئَةِ! لِمَاذَا تَمُوتُونَ يَا شَعْبَ إِسْرَائِيلَ؟

Say to them, ‘Yahweh the Lord says, “As surely as I am alive, I am not happy when wicked people die; I would prefer that they turn away from their wicked behavior and continue to live. So repent! Turn away from your evil behavior! You Israeli people, do you really want to die [RHQ]?”’

١٢ 12 وَأَنْتَ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ، قُلْ لأَبْنَاءِ شَعْبِكَ: لَا يَنْجُو الْبَارُّ بِبِرِّهِ فِي يَوْمِ مَعْصِيَتِهِ، وَلا يَعْثُرُ الشِّرِّيرُ بِشَرِّهِ فِي يَوْمِ تَوْبَتِهِ. كَذَلِكَ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُ الْبَارُّ أَنْ يَحْيَا بِبِرِّهِ فِي يَوْمِ اقْتِرَافِهِ لِخَطِيئَتِهِ.

Therefore, you human, say to your fellow Israelis, ‘If righteous people start to disobey me, their being righteous previously will not save them [from being punished]. And if wicked people turn away from their wicked behavior, they will not die because of the sins that they committed [previously]. And if righteous people start to sin, they will not be allowed to remain alive because of their formerly being righteous.’

١٣ 13 وَإِنْ قُلْتَ لِلْبَارِّ إِنَّكَ لَا مَحَالَةَ تَحْيَا، فَاعْتَمَدَ عَلَى بِرِّهِ وَأَثِمَ، فَإِنَّ بِرَّهُ كُلَّهُ لَا يُذْكَرُ لَهُ، بَلْ يَمُوتُ بِمَا ارْتَكَبَ مِنْ إِثْمٍ.

If I tell righteous people that they will surely remain alive, but then they trust/think that because they have been righteous previously, they can start to do evil [and not be punished], I will not think about the righteous things that they did previously; they will die because of the evil things that they are doing.

١٤ 14 وَإذَا قُلْتَ لِلشِّرِّيرِ إِنَّكَ لَا مَحَالَةَ مَائِتٌ: فَارْتَدَعَ عَنْ خَطِيئَتِهِ وَمَارَسَ الْعَدْلَ وَالْحَقَّ،

And if I say to some wicked person, ‘You will surely die [because of your sins],’ that person may turn away from his sinful behavior and do what is just and right [DOU].

١٥ 15 وَرَدَّ الرَّهْنَ، وَعَوَّضَ عَمَّا اغْتَصَبَهُ، وَسَلَكَ فِي الْفَرَائِضِ الَّتِي تُؤَمِّنُ لَهُ الْحَيَاةَ، مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَرْتَكِبَ إِثْماً، فَإِنَّهُ لَا مَحَالَةَ يَحْيَا وَلا يَمُوتُ فِي خَطَايَاهُ،

For example, he may return what he took from another person to guarantee [that that person would pay back what he owes], or he may return things that he has stolen, and he may obey the laws that will enable [those who obey them] to remain alive, and he will not continue to do evil things. If that happens, he will surely remain alive; he will not die [because of the sins that he committed previously].

١٦ 16 وَلا تُذْكَرُ كُلُّ خَطِيئَةٍ ارْتَكَبَهَا، لأَنَّهُ عَادَ فَمَارَسَ الْعَدْلَ وَالْحَقَّ. إِنَّهُ حَيَاةً يَحْيَا!

I will not think about the sins that he has committed; he will surely remain alive.

١٧ 17 وَمَعَ ذَلِكَ يَدَّعِي أَبْنَاءُ شَعْبِكَ أَنَّ طَرِيقَ الرَّبِّ مُعْوَجَّةٌ. بَلْ إِنَّ طَرِيقَهُمْ هُمْ هِيَ الْمُعْوَجَّةُ.

Your fellow Israelis say, ‘What Yahweh does is not fair.’ But it is your behavior that is not fair.

١٨ 18 فَعِنْدَ ارْتِدَادِ الْبَارِّ عَنْ بِرِّهِ وَارْتِكَابِهِ الإِثْمَ فَإِنَّهُ بِهِ يَمُوتُ.

If a righteous person turns away from doing what is righteous and starts to do what is evil, [it is fair that] he die because of his sins.

١٩ 19 وَعِنْدَ ارْتِدَاعِ الشِّرِّيرِ عَنْ غِيِّهِ، وَمُمَارَسَتِهِ الْعَدْلَ وَالْحَقَّ، فَإِنَّهُ بِهِمَا يَحْيَا.

And if a wicked person turns away from his wicked behavior and does what is right and fair [DOU], [it is fair] for him to remain alive because of doing that.

٢٠ 20 وَأَنْتُمْ مَعَ ذَلِكَ تَقُولُونَ إِنَّ طَرِيقَ الرَّبِّ مُعْوَجَّةٌ. إِنَّنِي أَدِينُ كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْكُمْ بِمُقْتَضَى طُرُقِهِ يَا شَعْبَ إِسْرَائِيلَ».

But you Israeli people still say, ‘What Yahweh does is not fair.’ But I will judge each of you for what you do.”

٢١ 21 وَفِي الْيَوْمِ الْخَامِسِ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ الْعَاشِرِ مِنَ السَّنَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ عَشْرَةَ مِنْ سَبْيِنَا، أَقْبَلَ إِلَيَّ نَاجٍ مِنْ أُورُشَلِيمَ وَقَالَ: «قَدْ تَمَّ تَدْمِيرُ الْمَدِينَةِ».

Almost twelve years [after we had been taken to Babylonia], on the fifth day of the tenth month [of that year], a man who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me [in Babylon] and said, “Jerusalem has been captured!”

٢٢ 22 وَكَانَتْ يَدُ الرَّبِّ عَلَيَّ فِي الْمَسَاءِ قُبَيْلَ مَجِيءِ النَّاجِي، وَفَتَحَ الرَّبُّ فَمِي فِي الصَّبَاحِ عِنْدَ وُصُولِهِ، فَانْفَكَّتْ عُقْدَةُ لِسَانِي وَلَمْ أَعُدْ أَبْكَمَ.

The evening before that man arrived, Yahweh took control [MTY] of me, and when that man arrived, Yahweh enabled me to speak again; I was no longer forced to be silent.

٢٣ 23 فَأَوْحَى إِلَيَّ الرَّبُّ بِكَلِمَتِهِ قَائِلاً:

Then Yahweh gave a message to me. He said,

٢٤ 24 «يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ، إِنَّ الْمُقِيمِينَ فِي خَرَائِبِ أَرْضِ إِسْرَائِيلَ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ كَانَ فَرْداً وَاحِداً وَمَعَ ذَلِكَ وَرِثَ الأَرْضَ، وَهَكَذَا نَحْنُ كَثِيرُونَ، وَقَدْ وُهِبَتْ لَنَا الأَرْضُ مِيرَاثاً.

“You human, the people who are living in the ruins in Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one person, but Yahweh [promised him that he and his descendants] would possess this land. But we are many; so surely this land has been given to us [by Yahweh] to continue to possess.’

٢٥ 25 لِذَلِكَ قُلْ لَهُمْ: أَتَأْكُلُونَ اللَّحْمَ بِالدَّمِ وَتَتَعَلَّقُ عُيُونُكُمْ بِأَصْنَامِكُمْ وَتَسْفِكُونَ الدَّمَ، ثُمَّ تَرِثُونَ الأَرْضَ؟

So send a message to them. Say, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: You eat meat that still has the animal’s blood in it. You still worship idols. And you still murder others [MTY]. So, (should this land belong to you?/this land should certainly not belong to you!) [RHQ]

٢٦ 26 اعْتَمَدْتُمْ عَلَى سُيُوفِكُمْ، وَارْتَكَبْتُمُ الْمُوبِقَاتِ، وَزَنَى كُلٌّ مِنْكُمْ مَعَ امْرَأَةِ صَاحِبِهِ. فَهَلْ تَرِثُونَ الأَرْضَ؟

You rely on using your swords [to obtain things that you want]. You do many detestable things. Each of you has sex with other men’s wives. So (why should you continue to possess the land of Israel?/you should not continue to possess this land!) [RHQ]’

٢٧ 27 قُلْ لَهُمْ، هَذَا مَا يُعْلِنُهُ السَّيِّدُ الرَّبُّ: حَيٌّ أَنَا، إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ فِي الْخَرَائِبِ يُقْتَلُونَ بِالسَّيْفِ، وَالَّذِينَ يَسْكُنُونَ فِي الْعَرَاءِ أَبْذِلُهُمْ قُوتاً لِلْوُحُوشِ، وَالْمُتَمَنِّعُونَ فِي الْحُصُونِ وَالْمَغَاوِرِ يَمُوتُونَ بِالْوَبَاءِ.

Send this message to them: ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: As surely as I am alive, those who are left in the ruins [in Jerusalem] will also be killed by [their enemies’] swords, and those who are living in the countryside will be killed by wild animals, and those who are living in forts and caves will die from a plague.

٢٨ 28 فَأَجْعَلُ الأَرْضَ أَطْلالاً مُقْفِرَةً وَتَبْطُلُ كِبْرِيَاءُ عِزَّتِهَا، وَتُصْبِحُ جِبَالُ إِسْرَائِيلَ جَرْدَاءَ لَا يَجْتَازُ بِها عَابِرٌ.

I will cause your country to become a desolate wasteland. You will no longer be proud of being a strong country. The mountains of Israel will become very desolate, with the result that no one will walk across them.

٢٩ 29 فَيُدْرِكُونَ أَنِّي أَنَا الرَّبُّ حِينَ أَجْعَلُ الأَرْضَ خَرِبَةً مُقْفِرَةً مِنْ جَرَّاءِ مَا ارْتَكَبُوهُ مِنْ رَجَاسَاتٍ.

Then, when I have caused your country to become a desolate wasteland because of all the detestable things that you have done, you will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].’

٣٠ 30 أَمَّا أَنْتَ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ فَإِنَّ أَبْنَاءَ شَعْبِكَ يَتَحَدَّثُونَ عَنْكَ بِجُوَارِ الْجُدْرَانِ وَفِي مَدَاخِلِ أَبْوَابِ الْبُيُوتِ، وَيُخَاطِبُ أَحَدُهُمُ الآخَرَ، وَالرَّجُلُ أَخَاهُ قَائِلِينَ: هَيَّا تَعَالَوْا اسْمَعُوا كَلامَ الْوَحْيِ الصَّادِرِ مِنْ عِنْدِ الرَّبِّ.

As for you, you human, your fellow Israelis [here in Babylon] are talking about you along the city walls and at the doors of their houses. They are saying to each other, ‘Come and listen to the message that has come from Yahweh!’

٣١ 31 وَيُقْبِلُونَ إِلَيْكَ مِثْلَ سَائِرِ الشَّعْبِ وَيَجْلِسُونَ فِي حَضْرَتِكَ نَظِيرَ شَعْبِي، وَيُصْغُونَ إِلَى كَلامِكَ وَلا يَعْمَلُونَ بِهِ. إِنَّهُمْ يُعْرِبُونَ عَنْ أَشْوَاقِهِمْ بِكَلامِهِمْ، أَمَّا قَلْبُهُمْ فَقَدْ غَوَى وَرَاءَ مَكْسَبِهِمْ.

My people come to you as they often have done, and they sit in front of you to listen to what you say. But they do not do what you tell them that they must do. With their mouths they say that they love me, but in their inner beings they are eager to acquire things by doing what is unjust.

٣٢ 32 وَهَا أَنْتَ لَهُمْ كَقَصِيدَةِ حُبٍّ يَتَغَنَّى بِها ذُو صَوْتٍ عَذْبٍ، يُحْسِنُ الْعَزْفَ، فَيُصْغُونَ إِلَى كَلامِكَ وَلا يَعْمَلُونَ بِهِ.

To them, you are only a man who sings love songs with a beautiful voice, and you play a musical instrument well. They hear what you say, but they do not do what you tell them to do.

٣٣ 33 وَإذَا تَحَقَّقَ هَذَا، وَهُوَ لابُدَّ أَنْ يَتِمَّ، يُدْرِكُونَ أَنَّ نَبِيًّا كَانَ بَيْنَهُمْ».

The terrible things that I have said will happen to them will surely happen. And then they will know that a prophet has been among them, [and that you are that prophet].”