Ezekiel 33:2

Easy-to-Read Version

"Son of man, speak to your people. Say to them, ‘Whenever I bring enemy soldiers to fight against a country, the people choose someone to be a watchman.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Son of man, speak to your people and tell them, ‘Suppose I bring the sword against a land, and the people of that land select a man from among them, appointing him as their watchman.

Hebrew Names Version
Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and tell them, When I bring the sword on a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and set him for their watchman;

King James Version
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:

English Standard Version
"Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman,

New American Standard Bible
"Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, 'If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman,

New Century Version
"Human, speak to your people and say to them: ‘Suppose I bring a war against a land. The people of the land may choose one of their men and make him their watchman.

Amplified Bible
"Son of man, speak to the sons of your people [who are exiled in Babylon] and say to them, 'If I bring a sword on a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman,

World English Bible
Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and tell them, When I bring the sword on a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and set him for their watchman;

Geneva Bible (1587)
Sonne of man, speake to the children of thy people, and say vnto them, When I bring the sworde vpon a lande, if the people of the lande take a man from among them, and make him their watchman,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, 'If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman,

Legacy Standard Bible
"Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, ‘If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman,

Berean Standard Bible
"Son of man, speak to your people and tell them: 'Suppose I bring the sword against a land, and the people of that land choose a man from among them, appointing him as their watchman,

Contemporary English Version
Ezekiel, son of man, warn your people by saying: Someday, I, the Lord , may send an enemy to invade a country. And suppose its people choose someone to stand watch

Complete Jewish Bible
"Human being, speak to your people; say to them, ‘Suppose I bring the sword on a country, and the people of that country take one of their men and appoint him their watchman.

Darby Translation
Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them all, and set him for their watchman:

George Lamsa Translation
Son of man, speak to your own people and say to them, When I bring the sword upon a land, let the people of the land take a man from among them and make him their watchman.

Good News Translation
"Mortal man," he said, "tell your people what happens when I bring war to a land. The people of that country choose one of their number to be a lookout.

Lexham English Bible
"Son of man, speak to your people, and you must say to them, ‘A land, if I bring over it a sword and the people of the land take a man, one from their number, and they appoint him for them as a watchman,

Literal Translation
Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them: When I bring the sword on it, on a land, and take one man from the people of the land, their borders, and set him for a watchman to them,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thou sonne off man, Speake to the childre of thy people, and tell them: When I sende a swearde vpon a londe, yf the people off the londe take a man off their countre, and set him to be their watchman:

American Standard Version
Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and set him for their watchman;

Bible in Basic English
Son of man, give a word to the children of your people, and say to them, When I make the sword come on a land, if the people of the land take a man from among their number and make him their watchman:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
'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 from among them, and set him for their watchman;

King James Version (1611)
Sonne of man, speake to the children of thy people, and say vnto them, When I bring the sword vpon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thou sonne of man, speake to the children of thy people, and tell them: When I sende a sworde vpon a lande, if the people of the lande take a man of their coastes, and set him to be their watchman:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and thou shalt say to them,

English Revised Version
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 from among them, and set him for their watchman:

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and he seide, Thou, sone of man, speke to the sones of thi puple, and thou schalt seie to hem, A lond whanne Y bringe in a swerd on it, and the puple of the lond takith o man of hise laste men, and makith hym aspiere on hym,

Update Bible Version
Son of man, speak to the sons of your people, and say to them, When I bring the sword on a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and set him for their watchman;

Webster's Bible Translation
Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say to them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their borders, and set him for their watchman:

New English Translation
"Son of man, speak to your people, and say to them, ‘Suppose I bring a sword against the land, and the people of the land take one man from their borders and make him their watchman.

New King James Version
"Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: "When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman,

New Living Translation
"Son of man, give your people this message: ‘When I bring an army against a country, the people of that land choose one of their own to be a watchman.

New Life Bible
"Son of man, speak to the children of your people. Say to them, ‘If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men to keep watch for them,

New Revised Standard
O Mortal, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one of their number as their sentinel;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Son of man Speak unto the sons of thy people and thou shalt say unto them, A land - when I bring upon it a sword, And the people of the land shall take one man out of their whole number, and appoint him for them, as watchman;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say to them: When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man, one of their meanest, and make him a watchman over them:

Revised Standard Version
"Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman;

Young's Literal Translation
`Son of man, speak unto the sons of thy people, and thou hast said unto them: A land -- when I bring in against it a sword, And the people of the land have taken one man out of their borders, And made him to them for a watchman.

Contextual Overview

¹ The word of the Lord came to me. He said, ² "Son of man, speak to your people. Say to them, ‘Whenever I bring enemy soldiers to fight against a country, the people choose someone to be a watchman. ³ If this guard sees enemy soldiers coming, he blows the trumpet and warns the people. ⁴ If people hear the warning but ignore it, the enemy will capture them and take them away as prisoners. They will be responsible for their own death. ⁵ They heard the trumpet, but they ignored the warning. So they are responsible for their own deaths. If they had paid attention to the warning, they could have saved their own lives. ⁶ "‘But what if the guard sees the enemy soldiers coming, but does not blow the trumpet? Since he doesn't warn the people, the enemy will capture them and take them away as prisoners. They will be taken away because they sinned, but the guard will also be responsible for their deaths.' ⁷ "Now, son of man, I am choosing you to be a watchman for the family of Israel. If you hear a message from my mouth, you must warn the people for me. ⁸ I might say to you, ‘These evil people will die.' Then you must go warn them for me. If you don't warn them and tell them to change their lives, those evil people will die because they sinned. But I will make you responsible for their deaths. ⁹ But if you do warn the evil people to change their lives and stop sinning, and if they refuse to stop, they will die because they sinned. But you have saved your life.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

speak: Ezekiel 33:17, Ezekiel 33:30, Ezekiel 3:11, Ezekiel 3:27

When I bring the sword upon a land: Heb. A land when I bring a sword upon her, Ezekiel 6:3, Ezekiel 11:8, Ezekiel 14:17, Ezekiel 14:21, Ezekiel 21:9-16, Leviticus 26:25, Jeremiah 12:12, Jeremiah 15:2, Jeremiah 15:3, Jeremiah 25:31, Jeremiah 47:6, Jeremiah 47:7, Zechariah 13:7

set: Ezekiel 33:7, 2 Samuel 18:24-27, 2 Kings 9:17-20, Isaiah 21:6-9, Isaiah 56:9, Isaiah 56:10, Isaiah 62:6, Jeremiah 51:12, Hosea 9:8

Reciprocal: Psalms 127:1 - the watchman Song of Solomon 3:3 - watchmen Jeremiah 4:5 - Blow Jeremiah 6:17 - I Jeremiah 31:6 - a day Ezekiel 3:17 - I have Ezekiel 33:12 - say Mark 13:34 - and commanded Acts 20:26 - that 2 Timothy 4:5 - watch Hebrews 13:17 - watch

Cross-References

Genesis 29:30
So Jacob had sexual relations with Rachel also. And Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. Jacob worked for Laban for another seven years.

Genesis 37:3
Joseph was born at a time when his father Israel was very old, so Israel loved him more than he loved his other sons. Jacob gave him a special coat, which was long and very beautiful.

Malachi 3:17
The Lord said, "They belong to me. I will be kind to them. Parents are very kind to their children who obey them. In the same way I will be kind to my followers.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Son of man, speak to the children of thy people,.... The Jews, of whom the prophet was; and designs those who were with him in the captivity; and who, having behaved so ill, the Lord will not own them for his people, but calls them the prophet's people, and the children of them:

and say unto them, when I bring the sword upon a land; a foreign enemy with an army to invade it, or any other judgment; for there is no public calamity whatever that comes upon a people, but what is by the order, direction, or permission of the Lord. The Targum is,

"those that kill with the sword;''

an army of men that enter into a land sword in hand, with an intent to conquer and destroy: if the people of the land take a man of their coasts: that lives upon their borders, and so is acquainted with all the places where it is most likely an enemy should enter; or a man out of the midst of them, as the Targum; so this phrase sometimes signifies, Genesis 47:2, one of their own people, who might be thought to have their good and safety at heart, and might be trusted:

and set him for their watchman: on some place of eminence; on the walls, or in a tower of a frontier town, from whence he might descry the enemy coming at a distance.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 33:2. Son of man - if the people of the land take a man — The first ten verses of this chapter are the same with Ezekiel 3:17-22; and to what is said there on this most important and awful subject I must refer the reader. Here the PEOPLE choose the watchman; there, the Lord appoints him. When God chooses, the people should approve.