“ 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.

“人子啊，你要告诉本国的子民说：我使刀剑临到哪一国，那一国的民从他们中间选立一人为守望的。

“人子啊，你要吩咐本国的百姓，对他们说：我使刀剑临到哪一国，哪一国的百姓从他们中间选立一人，作为守望者。

“人子啊，你要吩咐本国的百姓，对他们说：我使刀剑临到哪一国，哪一国的百姓从他们中间选立一人，作为守望者。

“人子啊，你要告诉你的同胞，‘我若使战争降临某地，那地方的百姓就应选一人做守望者。

“人子啊！你要告诉你本国的人，说：‘我使刀剑临到一地，那地的人民从他们中间选出一个人，作他们的守望者；

「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。

「人子啊，你要吩咐本國的百姓，對他們說：我使刀劍臨到哪一國，哪一國的百姓從他們中間選立一人，作為守望者。

「人子啊，你要吩咐本國的百姓，對他們說：我使刀劍臨到哪一國，哪一國的百姓從他們中間選立一人，作為守望者。

「人子啊，你要告訴你的同胞，『我若使戰爭降臨某地，那地方的百姓就應選一人做守望者。

“人子啊！你要告訴你本國的人，說：‘我使刀劍臨到一地，那地的人民從他們中間選出一個人，作他們的守望者；

『人子啊，你要向你本國的子民講話，對他們說：我若使刀劍攻擊哪一地，而那一地的人民從他們範圍內選取了一個人，立為他們的守望者；

人子歟、謂爾民族曰、我若使刃臨於一邦、是邦之民、簡其中一人、立為戍卒、

人子、當告民曰、如我於邦國、降以鋒刃之災、則民簡境內一人、置為戍卒、

人子、當言與爾民、告之曰、如我使一國遭兵刃之災、其國之民、於其中選一人、置為守望者、

“ Son of man, speak to your people and say to them:‘ When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman,

“ Son of man, speak to your people. Tell them,‘ Suppose I send enemies against a land. And its people choose one of their men to stand guard.

“ 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,

“ 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.

“ 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.

“ 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,

“ 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,

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;

“ 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,

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:

“ 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;

Go to the exiles, to your fellow countrymen, and speak to them– say to them,‘ This is what the sovereign LORD says,’ whether they pay attention or not.”

“ Yet your people say,‘ The behavior of the Lord is not right,’ when it is their behavior that is not right.

“ But as for you, son of man, your people( who are talking about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses) say to one another,‘ Come hear the word that comes from the LORD.’

“ Awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is my associate,” says the LORD who rules over all. Strike the shepherd that the flock may be scattered; I will turn my hand against the insignificant ones.

But when I speak with you, I will loosen your tongue and you must say to them,‘ This is what the sovereign LORD says.’ Those who listen will listen, but the indifferent will refuse, for they are a rebellious house.

“ Or suppose I were to bring a sword against that land and say,‘ Let a sword pass through the land,’ and I were to kill both people and animals.

How long will you cry out,‘ Oh, sword of the LORD, how long will it be before you stop killing? Go back into your sheath! Stay there and rest!’But how can it rest when I, the LORD, have given it orders? I have ordered it to attack the people of Ashkelon and the seacoast.

The prophet is a watchman over Ephraim on behalf of God, yet traps are laid for him along all of his paths; animosity rages against him in the land of his God.

A destructive army will come marching over the hilltops in the desert. For the LORD will use them as his destructive weapon against everyone from one end of the land to the other. No one will be safe.

You fear the sword, so the sword I will bring against you,’ declares the sovereign LORD.

“ Son of man, prophesy and say:‘ This is what the Lord says:“‘ A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also polished.It is sharpened for slaughter, it is polished to flash like lightning!“‘ Should we rejoice in the scepter of my son? No! The sword despises every tree!“‘ He gave it to be polished, to be grasped in the hand– the sword is sharpened, it is polished– giving it into the hand of the executioner.Cry out and moan, son of man, for it is wielded against my people; against all the princes of Israel. They are delivered up to the sword, along with my people. Therefore, strike your thigh.“‘ For testing will come, and what will happen when the scepter, which the sword despises, is no more? declares the sovereign LORD.’“ And you, son of man, prophesy, and clap your hands together. Let the sword strike twice, even three times! It is a sword for slaughter, a sword for the great slaughter surrounding them.So hearts melt with fear and many stumble. At all their gates I have stationed the sword for slaughter. Ah! It is made to flash, it is drawn for slaughter!Cut sharply on the right! Swing to the left, wherever your edge is appointed to strike.

“ For this is what the sovereign LORD says: How much worse will it be when I send my four terrible judgments– sword, famine, wild animals, and plague– to Jerusalem to kill both people and animals!

“ As for you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them on my behalf.

Now David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate at the wall. When he looked, he saw a man running by himself.So the watchman called out and informed the king. The king said,“ If he is by himself, he brings good news.” The runner came ever closer.Then the watchman saw another man running. The watchman called out to the gatekeeper,“ There is another man running by himself.” The king said,“ This one also is bringing good news.”The watchman said,“ It appears to me that the first runner is Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” The king said,“ He is a good man, and he comes with good news.”

I will bring on you an avenging sword, a covenant vengeance. Although you will gather together into your cities, I will send pestilence among you and you will be given into enemy hands.

For this is what the sovereign master has told me:“ Go, post a guard! He must report what he sees.When he sees chariots, teams of horses, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, he must be alert, very alert.”Then the guard cries out:“ On the watchtower, O sovereign master, I stand all day long; at my post I am stationed every night.Look what’s coming! A charioteer, a team of horses.” When questioned, he replies,“ Babylon has fallen, fallen! All the idols of her gods lie shattered on the ground!”

The sounds of battle will resound to the ends of the earth. For the LORD will bring charges against the nations. He will pass judgment on all humankind and will hand the wicked over to be killed in war.’ The LORD so affirms it!

I post watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they should keep praying all day and all night. You who pray to the LORD, don’t be silent!

“ And you, son of man, say to your people,‘ The righteousness of the righteous will not deliver him if he rebels. As for the wicked, his wickedness will not make him stumble if he turns from it. The righteous will not be able to live by his righteousness if he sins.’

Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel and saw Jehu’s troops approaching. He said,“ I see troops!” Jehoram ordered,“ Send a rider out to meet them and have him ask,‘ Is everything all right?’”So the horseman went to meet him and said,“ This is what the king says,‘ Is everything all right?’” Jehu replied,“ None of your business! Follow me.” The watchman reported,“ The messenger reached them, but hasn’t started back.”So he sent a second horseman out to them and he said,“ This is what the king says,‘ Is everything all right?’” Jehu replied,“ None of your business! Follow me.”The watchman reported,“ He reached them, but hasn’t started back. The one who drives the lead chariot drives like Jehu son of Nimshi; he drives recklessly.”

All you wild animals in the fields, come and devour, all you wild animals in the forest!All their watchmen are blind, they are unaware. All of them are like mute dogs, unable to bark. They pant, lie down, and love to snooze.

If they ask you,‘ Where should we go?’ tell them the LORD says this:“ Those who are destined to die of disease will go to death by disease. Those who are destined to die in war will go to death in war. Those who are destined to die of starvation will go to death by starvation. Those who are destined to go into exile will go into exile.”“ I will punish them in four different ways: I will have war kill them. I will have dogs drag off their dead bodies. I will have birds and wild beasts devour and destroy their corpses.

Say,‘ Mountains of Israel, Hear the word of the sovereign LORD! This is what the sovereign LORD says to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys: I am bringing a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places.

Give the signal to attack Babylon’s wall! Bring more guards! Post them all around the city! Put men in ambush! For the LORD will do what he has planned. He will do what he said he would do to the people of Babylon.

When your people say to you,‘ Will you not tell us what these things mean?’