1And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
1耶和華的話臨到我說：
2'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,
2人子啊，你要告訴本國的子民說：我使刀劍臨到哪一國，那一國的民從他們中間選立一人為守望的。
3and he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows on the trumpet and warns the people,
3他見刀劍臨到那地，若吹角警戒眾民，
4then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his [own] head.
4凡聽見角聲不受警戒的，刀劍若來除滅了他，他的罪（原文是血）就必歸到自己的頭上。
5'He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning; his blood will be on himself. But had he taken warning, he would have delivered his life.
5他聽見角聲，不受警戒，他的罪必歸到自己的身上；他若受警戒，便是救了自己的性命。
6'But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman's hand.'
6倘若守望的人見刀劍臨到，不吹角，以致民不受警戒，刀劍來殺了他們中間的一個人，他雖然死在罪孽之中，我卻要向守望的人討他喪命的罪（原文是血）。
7'Now as for you, son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel; so you will hear a message from My mouth and give them warning from Me.
7人子啊，我照樣立你作以色列家守望的人。所以你要聽我口中的話，替我警戒他們。
8'When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require from your hand.
8我對惡人說：惡人哪，你必要死！你─以西結若不開口警戒惡人，使他離開所行的道，這惡人必死在罪孽之中，我卻要向你討他喪命的罪（原文是血）。
9'But if you on your part warn a wicked man to turn from his way and he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your life.
9倘若你警戒惡人轉離所行的道，他仍不轉離，他必死在罪孽之中，你卻救自己脫離了罪。
10'Now as for you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, 'Thus you have spoken, saying, 'Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we are rotting away in them; how then can we survive?''
10人子啊，你要對以色列家說：你們常說：我們的過犯罪惡在我們身上，我們必因此消滅，怎能存活呢？
11'Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord GOD, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?'
11你對他們說，主耶和華說：我指著我的永生起誓，我斷不喜悅惡人死亡，惟喜悅惡人轉離所行的道而活。以色列家啊，你們轉回，轉回罷！離開惡道，何必死亡呢？
12'And you, son of man, say to your fellow citizens, 'The righteousness of a righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he will not stumble because of it in the day when he turns from his wickedness; whereas a righteous man will not be able to live by his righteousness on the day when he commits sin.'
12人子啊，你要對本國的人民說：義人的義，在犯罪之日不能救他；至於惡人的惡，在他轉離惡行之日也不能使他傾倒；義人在犯罪之日也不能因他的義存活。
13'When I say to the righteous he will surely live, and he [so] trusts in his righteousness that he commits iniquity, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered; but in that same iniquity of his which he has committed he will die.
13我對義人說：你必定存活！他若倚靠他的義而作罪孽，他所行的義都不被記念。他必因所作的罪孽死亡。
14'But when I say to the wicked, 'You will surely die,' and he turns from his sin and practices justice and righteousness,
14再者，我對惡人說：你必定死亡！他若轉離他的罪，行正直與合理的事：
15[if a] wicked man restores a pledge, pays back what he has taken by robbery, walks by the statutes which ensure life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
15還人的當頭和所搶奪的，遵行生命的律例，不作罪孽，他必定存活，不致死亡。
16'None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. He has practiced justice and righteousness; he shall surely live.
16他所犯的一切罪必不被記念。他行了正直與合理的事，必定存活。
17'Yet your fellow citizens say, 'The way of the Lord is not right,' when it is their own way that is not right.
17你本國的子民還說：主的道不公平。其實他們的道不公平。
18'When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, then he shall die in it.
18義人轉離他的義而作罪孽，就必因此死亡。
19'But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and practices justice and righteousness, he will live by them.
19惡人轉離他的惡，行正直與合理的事，就必因此存活。
20'Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways.'
20你們還說：主的道不公平。以色列家啊，我必按你們各人所行的審判你們。
21Now in the twelfth year of our exile, on the fifth of the tenth month, the refugees from Jerusalem came to me, saying, 'The city has been taken.'
21我們被擄之後十二年十月初五日，有人從耶路撒冷逃到我這裡，說：城已攻破。
22Now the hand of the LORD had been upon me in the evening, before the refugees came. And He opened my mouth at the time [they] came to me in the morning; so my mouth was opened and I was no longer speechless.
22逃來的人未到前一日的晚上，耶和華的靈（原文是手）降在我身上，開我的口。到第二日早晨，那人來到我這裡，我口就開了，不再緘默。
23Then the word of the LORD came to me saying,
23耶和華的話臨到我說：
24'Son of man, they who live in these waste places in the land of Israel are saying, 'Abraham was [only] one, yet he possessed the land; so to us who are many the land has been given as a possession.'
24人子啊，住在以色列荒廢之地的人說：亞伯拉罕獨自一人能得這地為業，我們人數眾多，這地更是給我們為業的。
25'Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, 'You eat [meat] with the blood [in it], lift up your eyes to your idols as you shed blood. Should you then possess the land?
25所以你要對他們說，主耶和華如此說：你們吃帶血的物，仰望偶像，並且殺人流血，你們還能得這地為業麼？
26'You rely on your sword, you commit abominations and each of you defiles his neighbor's wife. Should you then possess the land?''
26你們倚仗自己的刀劍行可憎的事，人人玷污鄰舍的妻，你們還能得這地為業麼？
27'Thus you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, 'As I live, surely those who are in the waste places will fall by the sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves will die of pestilence.
27你要對他們這樣說，主耶和華如此說：我指著我的永生起誓，在荒場中的，必倒在刀下；在田野間的，必交給野獸吞吃；在保障和洞裡的，必遭瘟疫而死。
28'I will make the land a desolation and a waste, and the pride of her power will cease; and the mountains of Israel will be desolate so that no one will pass through.
28我必使這地荒涼，令人驚駭；他因勢力而有的驕傲也必止息。以色列的山都必荒涼，無人經過。
29'Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I make the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations which they have committed.''
29我因他們所行一切可憎的事使地荒涼，令人驚駭。那時，他們就知道我是耶和華。
30'But as for you, son of man, your fellow citizens who talk about you by the walls and in the doorways of the houses, speak to one another, each to his brother, saying, 'Come now and hear what the message is which comes forth from the LORD.'
30人子啊，你本國的子民在牆垣旁邊、在房屋門口談論你。弟兄對弟兄彼此說：來罷！聽聽有甚麼話從耶和華而出。
31'They come to you as people come, and sit before you [as] My people and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires [expressed] by their mouth, [and] their heart goes after their gain.
31他們來到你這裡如同民來聚會，坐在你面前彷彿是我的民。他們聽你的話卻不去行；因為他們的口多顯愛情，心卻追隨財利。
32'Behold, you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words but they do not practice them.
32他們看你如善於奏樂、聲音幽雅之人所唱的雅歌，他們聽你的話卻不去行。
33'So when it comes to pass-- as surely it will-- then they will know that a prophet has been in their midst.'
33看哪，所說的快要應驗；應驗了，他們就知道在他們中間有了先知。