By example of a watchman, 7. God chargeth the prophet to declare whatsoever dangers he seeth imminent to the people. 10. Sinners repenting shall be saved, and if the just leave their justice they shall be damned 21. The promise made to Abraham maketh not the Jews secure: 23. but for their enormous sins they shall be carried out captives. 33. Then they shall know that the prophet said the truth.By example of a watchman, 7. God chargeth the prophet to declare whatsoeuer dangers he seeth imminent to the people. 10. Sinners repenting shal be saued, and if the iust leaue their iustice they shal be damned 21. The promise made to Abraham maketh not the Iewes secure: 23. but for their enormious sinnes they shal be caried out captiues. 33. Then they shal know that the prophet said the truth.✦
And the word of our Lord was made to me, saying:AND the word of our Lord was made to me, saying:Et factum est verbum Domini ad me, dicens :
2Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and thou shalt say to them: The land when I shall bring the sword in upon it, and the people of the land take a man, one of their novissimis: lowest / least in rank, and make him a watchman over them:Sonne of man, speake to the children of thy people, and thou shalt say to them: The land when I shal bring the sword in vpon it, and the people of the land take a man, one of their meanest, & make him a watchman ouer them:✦Fili hominis, loquere ad filios populi tui, et dices ad eos : Terra, cum induxero super eam gladium, et tulerit populus terræ virum unum de novissimis suis, et constituerit eum super se speculatorem :
3and he shall see the sword coming upon the land, and sound with the trumpet, and tell the people:and he shal see the sword coming vpon the land, and sound with the trumpet, & tel the people:✦et ille viderit gladium venientem super terram, et cecinerit buccina, et annuntiaverit populo :
4and he that heareth the sound of the trumpet, whosoever he be, and doth not look to himself, and the sword come, and take him: his blood shall be upon his head.and he that heareth the sound of the trumpet, whosoeuer he be, and doth not looke to himselfe, and the sword come, and take him: his bloud shal be vpon his head.audiens autem quisquis ille est sonitum buccinæ, et non se observaverit, veneritque gladius, et tulerit eum : sanguis ipsius super caput ejus erit.
5He heard the sound of the trumpet, and did not look to himself, his blood shall be on himself: but if he shall look to himself, he shall save his life.He heard the sound of the trumpet, and did not looke to himself, his bloud shal be on himself: but if he shal looke to himself, he shal saue his life.✦Sonum buccinæ audivit, et non se observavit : sanguis ejus in ipso erit. Si autem se custodierit, animam suam salvabit.
6And if the watchman see the sword coming, and sound not with the trumpet: and the people look not to themselves, and the sword come, and take a soul from among them: he ipse: certainly / assuredly is caught in his iniquity, but his blood I will require of the hand of the watchman.And if the watchman see the sword coming, and sound not with the trumpet: and the people looke not to them selues, and the sword come, and take a soule from among them: he certes is caught in his iniquitie, but his bloud I wil require of the hand of the watchman.✦Quod si speculator viderit gladium venientem, et non insonuerit buccina, et populus se non custodierit, veneritque gladius, et tulerit de eis animam : ille quidem in iniquitate sua captus est ; sanguinem autem ejus de manu speculatoris requiram.
7And thou son of man, I have made thee a watchman to the house of Israel: hearing therefore the word from my mouth, thou shalt tell them from me.And thou sonne of man, I haue made thee a watchman to the house of Israel: hearing therfore the word from my mouth, thou shalt tel them from me.✦Et tu, fili hominis, speculatorem dedi te domui Israël : audiens ergo ex ore meo sermonem, annuntiabis eis ex me.
8If when I say to the impious: O thou impious, dying thou shalt die: thou speak not that the impious may keep himself from his way: the impious himself shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at thy hand.If when I say to the impious: O thou impious, dying thou shalt dye: thou speake not that the impious may keepe himself from his way: the impious himself shal dye in his iniquitie, but his bloud I wil require at thy hand.Si me dicente ad impium : Impie, morte morieris : non fueris locutus ut se custodiat impius a via sua, ipse impius in iniquitate sua morietur ; sanguinem autem ejus de manu tua requiram.
9But if thou telling the impious, that he convertatur: change one's religion; turn back / turn away from sin from his ways, he convert not from his way: he shall die in his iniquity: but thou hast delivered thy soul.But if thou telling the impious, that he conuert from his wayes, he conuert not from his way: he shal dye in his iniquitie: but thou hast deliuered thy soule.Si autem annuntiante te ad impium ut a viis suis convertatur, non fuerit conversus a via sua, ipse in iniquitate sua morietur, porro tu animam tuam liberasti.
10Thou therefore O son of man say to the house of Israel: Thus you have spoken, saying: Our iniquities, and our sins are upon us, and in them we fade tabescimus: waste / pine away: how then can we live?Thou therfore ô sonne of man say to the house of Israel: Thus you haue spoken, saying: Our iniquities, and our sinnes are vpon vs, & in them we fade away: how then can we liue?✦Tu ergo, fili hominis, dic ad domum Israël : Sic locuti estis, dicentes : Iniquitates nostræ et peccata nostra super nos sunt, et in ipsis nos tabescimus : quomodo ergo vivere poterimus ?
11Say to them: Live I, saith our Lord God: I will not the death of the impious, but that the impious convert from his way, and live: Convert, convert ye from your most evil ways: and why will you die O house of Israel?Say to them: Liue I, sayeth our Lord God: I wil not the death of the impious, but that the impious conuert from his way, and liue: Conuert, conuert ye from your most euil wayes: and why wil you dye ô house of Israel?✦Dic ad eos : Vivo ego, dicit Dominus Deus, nolo mortem impii, sed ut convertatur impius a via sua, et vivat. Convertimini, convertimini a viis vestris pessimis, et quare moriemini, domus Israël ?
12Thou therefore son of man say to the children of thy people: The justice of the just shall not deliver him, in what day soever he shall sin: and the impiety of the impious shall not hurt him, in what day soever he shall convert from his impiety: and the just cannot live in his justice, in what day soever he shall sin.Thou therfore sonne of man say to the children of thy people: The iustice of the iust shal not deliuer him, in what day soeuer he shal sinne: and the impietie of the impious shal not hurt him, in what day soeuer he shal conuert from his impietie: and the iust can not liue in his iustice, in what day soeuer he shal sinne.✦Tu itaque, fili hominis, dic ad filios populi tui : Justitia justi non liberabit eum, in quacumque die peccaverit, et impietas impii non nocebit ei, in quacumque die conversus fuerit ab impietate sua : et justus non poterit vivere in justitia sua, in quacumque die peccaverit.
13Yea if I shall say to the just that living he shall live, and he trusting in his justice do iniquity: all his justices shall be forgotten, and in his iniquity, which he hath wrought, in the same shall he die.Yea if I shal say to the iust that liuing he shal liue, and he trusting in his iustice doe iniquitie: al his iustices shal be forgotten, and in his iniquitie, which he hath wrought, in the same shal he dye.✦Etiamsi dixero justo quod vita vivat, et confisus in justitia sua fecerit iniquitatem, omnes justitiæ ejus oblivioni tradentur, et in iniquitate sua quam operatus est, in ipsa morietur.
14And if I shall say to the impious: Dying thou shalt die: and he do penance from his sin and do judgement and justice,And if I shal say to the impious: Dying thou shalt dye: and he do penance from his sinne & do iudgement and iustice,✦Si autem dixero impio : Morte morieris : et egerit pœnitentiam a peccato suo, feceritque judicium et justitiam,
15and the same impious restore pignus: a promise / solemn undertaking; a pawn / object given as security for a debt, and render robbery, walk in the commandments of life, and do not any unjust thing: living he shall live, and shall not die.and the same impious restore pledge, and render robberie, walke in the commandments of life, and doe not anie vniust thing: liuing he shal liue, & shal not dye.✦et pignus restituerit ille impius, rapinamque reddiderit, in mandatis vitæ ambulaverit, nec fecerit quidquam injustum : vita vivet, et non morietur.
16All his sins, which he hath sinned, shall not be imputed to him: he hath done judgement and justice, living he shall live.Al his sinnes, which he hath sinned, shal not be imputed to him: he hath done iudgment and iustice, liuing he shal liue.Omnia peccata ejus quæ peccavit, non imputabuntur ei : judicium et justitiam fecit : vita vivet.
17And the children of thy people, have said: The way of our Lord is not of equal weight, and their own way is unjust.And the children of thy people, haue said: The way of our Lord is not of equal weight, & their owne way is vniust.✦Et dixerunt filii populi tui : Non est æqui ponderis via Domini : et ipsorum via injusta est.
18For when the just shall depart from his justice, and do iniquities, he shall die in them.For when the iust shal depart frō his iustice, and doe iniquities, he shal dye in them.✦Cum enim recesserit justus a justitia sua, feceritque iniquitates, morietur in eis.
19And when the impious shall depart from his impiety, and shall do judgements, and justice: he shall live in them.And when the impious shal depart from his impietie, and shal doe iudgements, and iustice: he shal liue in them.Et cum recesserit impius ab impietate sua, feceritque judicium et justitiam, vivet in eis.
20And you say: The way of our Lord is not right, every one according to his ways will I judge of you, O house of Israel.And you say: The way of our Lord is not right, euery one according to his wayes wil I iudge of you, ô house of Israel.Et dicitis : Non est recta via Domini. Unumquemque juxta vias suas judicabo de vobis, domus Israël.
21And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the tenth month, in the fifth of the month of our transmigration, there came to me one that was fled from Jerusalem, saying: The city is made waste.And it came to passe in the twelfth yeare, in the tenth moneth, in the fifth of the moneth of our transmigration, there came to me one that was fled from Ierusalem, saying: The citie is made waste.✦Et factum est in duodecimo anno, in decimo mense, in quinta mensis transmigrationis nostræ, venit ad me qui fugerat de Jerusalem, dicens : Vastata est civitas.
22And the hand of our Lord had been made to me in the evening, before he came that was fled: and he opened my mouth till he came to me in the morning, and my mouth being opened I was silent no more.And the hand of our Lord had bene made to me in the euening, before he came that was fled: and he opened my mouth til he came to me in the morning, and my mouth being opened I was silent no more.✦Manus autem Domini facta fuerat ad me vespere, antequam veniret qui fugerat : aperuitque os meum donec veniret ad me mane : et aperto ore meo, non silui amplius.
23And the word of our Lord was made to me, saying:And the word of our Lord was made to me, saying:✦Et factum est verbum Domini ad me, dicens :
24Son of man: They that dwell in these ruinous places, upon the ground of Israel, speaking do say: Abraham was one, and by inheritance he possessed the land: but we be many, the land is given us in possession.Sonne of man: They that dwel in these ruinous places, vpon the ground of Israel, speaking doe say: Abraham was one, and by inheritance he possessed the land: but we be manie, the land is geuen vs in possession.✦Fili hominis, qui habitant in ruinosis his super humum Israël, loquentes aiunt : Unus erat Abraham, et hæreditate possedit terram : nos autem multi sumus : nobis data est terra in possessionem.
25Therefore thou shalt say to them: Thus saith our Lord God: Ye that eat in blood, and lift up your eyes to your uncleannesses, and shed blood: what shall you possess the land by inheritance?Therfore thou shalt say to them: Thus saith our Lord God: Ye that eate in bloud, & lift vp your eyes to your vncleanes, & shed bloud: what shal you possesse the land by inheritance?Idcirco dices ad eos : Hæc dicit Dominus Deus : Qui in sanguine comeditis, et oculos vestros levatis ad immunditias vestras, et sanguinem funditis, numquid terram hæreditate possidebitis ?
26You stood on your swords, you have done abominations, and every one hath polluted his neighbour's wife: and you will possess the land by inheritance?You stood on your swords, you haue done abominations, and euerie one hath polluted his neighbours wife: and you wil possesse the land by inheritance?✦stetistis in gladiis vestris, fecistis abominationes, et unusquisque uxorem proximi sui polluit : et terram hæreditate possidebitis ?
27Thus thou shalt say to them: Thus saith our Lord God: Live I, that they which dwell in the ruinous places, shall fall by the sword: and he that is in the field, shall be delivered to beasts to be devoured: and they that are in præsidiis: strongholds / fortresses, and caves, shall die of the pestilence.Thus thou shalt say to them: Thus saith our Lord God: Liue I, that they which dwel in the ruinous places, shal fal by the sword: and he that is in the filde, shal be deliuered to beastes to be deuoured: and they that are in holdes, and caues, shal dye of the pestilence.✦Hæc dices ad eos : Sic dicit Dominus Deus : Vivo ego, quia qui in ruinosis habitant, gladio cadent : et qui in agro est, bestiis tradetur ad devorandum : qui autem in præsidiis et speluncis sunt, peste morientur.
28And I will give the land into a wilderness, and into a desert, and the proud strength thereof shall fail, and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, because there is none to pass by them.And I wil geue the land into a wildernes, & into a desert, and the proude strength therof shal faile, and the mountaines of Israel shal be desolate, because there is none to passe by them.Et dabo terram in solitudinem et in desertum, et deficiet superba fortitudo ejus : et desolabuntur montes Israël, eo quod nullus sit qui per eos transeat :
29And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall give their land desolate and desert for all their abominations, which they have wrought.And they shal know that I am the Lord, when I shal geue their land desolate and desert for al their abominations, which they haue wrought.et scient quia ego Dominus, cum dedero terram eorum desolatam et desertam, propter universas abominationes suas quas operati sunt.
30And thou son of man: the children of thy people, which speak of thee by the walls, and in the doors of houses, and one saith to another, a man to his neighbour, speaking: Come, and let us hear what is the word that proceedeth from our Lord.And thou sonne of man: the children of thy people, which speake of thee by the walles, and in the doores of houses, and one saith to an other, a man to his neighbour, speaking: Come, and let vs heare what is the word that procedeth from our Lord.✦Et tu, fili hominis, filii populi tui, qui loquuntur de te juxta muros et in ostiis domorum, et dicunt unus ad alterum, vir ad proximum suum, loquentes : Venite, et audiamus quis sit sermo egrediens a Domino.
31And they come to thee, as if a people should go in, and my people sit before thee: and they hear thy words, and do them not: because they turn them into a song of their mouth, and their heart followeth their avarice.And they come to thee, as if a people should goe in, and my people sitte before thee: and they heare thy wordes, and doe them not: because they turne them into a song of their mouth, and their hart foloweth their auarice.✦Et veniunt ad te, quasi si ingrediatur populus, et sedent coram te populus meus : et audiunt sermones tuos, et non faciunt eos : quia in canticum oris sui vertunt illos, et avaritiam suam sequitur cor eorum.
32And thou art unto them as a musical song which is sung with sweet and pleasant sound: and they hear thy words, and do them not.And thou art vnto them as a musical song which is sung with swete and pleasant sound: and they heare thy wordes, and doe them not.✦Et es eis quasi carmen musicum, quod suavi dulcique sono canitur : et audiunt verba tua, et non faciunt ea.
33And when it shall come to pass which was told before (for behold it cometh) then shall they know that there was a prophet among them.And when it shal come to passe which was told before (for behold it cometh) then shal they know that there was a prophet among them.Et cum venerit quod prædictum est (ecce enim venit), tunc scient quod prophetes fuerit inter eos.
The reading text follows the 1582 first edition.