Ezekiel 33:17-33

17“Yet 1your fellow citizens say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right,’ when it is their own way that is not right. 18When the righteous turns from his righteousness and 2commits iniquity, then he shall die in 3it. 19But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and practices justice and righteousness, he will live by them. 20Yet you say, ‘4The way of the Lord is not right.’ O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways.”

21Now 5in the 6twelfth year of our exile, on the fifth of the tenth month, the 7refugees from Jerusalem came to me, saying, “8The city has been 9taken.” 22Now the 10hand of the Lord had been upon me in the evening, before the 11refugees came. And He 12opened my mouth 13at the time they came to me in the morning; so my mouth was 14opened and I was no longer 15speechless.

23Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, 24“Son of man, they who 16live in these waste places in the land of Israel are saying, ‘17Abraham was only one, yet he possessed the land; so to 18us who are many the land has been given as a possession.’ 25Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “You eat meat with the 19blood in it, lift up your eyes to your idols as you shed blood. 20Should you then possess the land? 26You 2122rely on your sword, you commit abominations and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife. Should you then possess the land?”’ 27Thus you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “As I live, surely those who are in the waste places will 23fall by the sword, and whoever is in the 24open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and in the 25caves will die of pestilence. 28I will 26make the land a desolation and a waste, and the 27pride of her power will cease; and the mountains of Israel will be desolate so that no one will pass through. 29Then 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.”’

30“But as for you, son of man, 28your 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, ‘29Come now and hear what the 30message is which comes forth from the Lord.’ 31They 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 31mouth, and their heart goes after their 32gain. 32Behold, you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a 33beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words but they do not practice them. 33So when it 34comes to pass--35as surely it will--then they will know that a prophet has been in their midst.”