“ 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.

“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, 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 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.

“ 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;

Then go to your people in exile and say to them,‘ This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Do this whether they listen to you or not.”

“ Your people are saying,‘ The Lord isn’t doing what’s right,’ but it is they who are not doing what’s right.

“ Son of man, your people talk about you in their houses and whisper about you at the doors. They say to each other,‘ Come on, let’s go hear the prophet tell us what the Lord is saying!’

“ Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, the man who is my partner,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.“ Strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn against the lambs.

But when I give you a message, I will loosen your tongue and let you speak. Then you will say to them,‘ This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Those who choose to listen will listen, but those who refuse will refuse, for they are rebels.

“ Or suppose I were to bring war against the land, and I sent enemy armies to destroy both people and animals.

“ Now, O sword of the Lord, when will you be at rest again? Go back into your sheath; rest and be still.“ But how can it be still when the Lord has sent it on a mission? For the city of Ashkelon and the people living along the sea must be destroyed.”

The prophet is a watchman over Israel for my God, yet traps are laid for him wherever he goes. He faces hostility even in the house of God.

On all the bare hilltops, destroying armies can be seen. The sword of the Lord devours people from one end of the nation to the other. No one will escape!

I will bring on you the sword of war you so greatly fear, says the Sovereign Lord.

“ Son of man, give the people this message from the Lord:“ A sword, a sword is being sharpened and polished.It is sharpened for terrible slaughter and polished to flash like lightning! Now will you laugh? Those far stronger than you have fallen beneath its power!Yes, the sword is now being sharpened and polished; it is being prepared for the executioner.“ Son of man, cry out and wail; pound your thighs in anguish, for that sword will slaughter my people and their leaders— everyone will die!It will put them all to the test. What chance do they have? says the Sovereign Lord.“ Son of man, prophesy to them and clap your hands. Then take the sword and brandish it twice, even three times, to symbolize the great massacre, the great massacre facing them on every side.Let their hearts melt with terror, for the sword glitters at every gate. It flashes like lightning and is polished for slaughter!O sword, slash to the right, then slash to the left, wherever you will, wherever you want.

“ Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How terrible it will be when all four of these dreadful punishments fall upon Jerusalem— war, famine, wild animals, and disease— destroying all her people and animals.

“ Now, son of man, I am making you a watchman for the people of Israel. Therefore, listen to what I say and warn them for me.

While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates of the town, the watchman climbed to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked, he saw a lone man running toward them.He shouted the news down to David, and the king replied,“ If he is alone, he has news.” As the messenger came closer,the watchman saw another man running toward them. He shouted down,“ Here comes another one!” The king replied,“ He also will have news.”“ The first man runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok,” the watchman said.“ He is a good man and comes with good news,” the king replied.

I will send armies against you to carry out the curse of the covenant you have broken. When you run to your towns for safety, I will send a plague to destroy you there, and you will be handed over to your enemies.

Meanwhile, the Lord said to me,“ Put a watchman on the city wall. Let him shout out what he sees.He should look for chariots drawn by pairs of horses, and for riders on donkeys and camels. Let the watchman be fully alert.”Then the watchman called out,“ Day after day I have stood on the watchtower, my lord. Night after night I have remained at my post.Now at last— look! Here comes a man in a chariot with a pair of horses!” Then the watchman said,“ Babylon is fallen, fallen! All the idols of Babylon lie broken on the ground!”

His cry of judgment will reach the ends of the earth, for the Lord will bring his case against all the nations. He will judge all the people of the earth, slaughtering the wicked with the sword. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”

O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray day and night, continually. Take no rest, all you who pray to the Lord.

“ Son of man, give your people this message: The righteous behavior of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will the wicked behavior of wicked people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins.

The watchman on the tower of Jezreel saw Jehu and his company approaching, so he shouted to Joram,“ I see a company of troops coming!”“ Send out a rider to ask if they are coming in peace,” King Joram ordered.So a horseman went out to meet Jehu and said,“ The king wants to know if you are coming in peace.” Jehu replied,“ What do you know about peace? Fall in behind me!” The watchman called out to the king,“ The messenger has met them, but he’s not returning.”So the king sent out a second horseman. He rode up to them and said,“ The king wants to know if you come in peace.” Again Jehu answered,“ What do you know about peace? Fall in behind me!”The watchman exclaimed,“ The messenger has met them, but he isn’t returning either! It must be Jehu son of Nimshi, for he’s driving like a madman.”

Come, wild animals of the field! Come, wild animals of the forest! Come and devour my people!For the leaders of my people— the Lord’s watchmen, his shepherds— are blind and ignorant. They are like silent watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes. They love to lie around, sleeping and dreaming.

And if they say to you,‘ But where can we go?’ tell them,‘ This is what the Lord says:“‘ Those who are destined for death, to death; those who are destined for war, to war; those who are destined for famine, to famine; those who are destined for captivity, to captivity.’“ I will send four kinds of destroyers against them,” says the Lord.“ I will send the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, the vultures to devour, and the wild animals to finish up what is left.

Proclaim this message from the Sovereign Lord against the mountains of Israel. This is what the Sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills and to the ravines and valleys: I am about to bring war upon you, and I will smash your pagan shrines.

Raise the battle flag against Babylon! Reinforce the guard and station the watchmen. Prepare an ambush, for the Lord will fulfill all his plans against Babylon.

When your people ask you what your actions mean,