Ezekiel 33:31-33

33:31 They come to you in crowds, ¹  and they sit in front of you as ²  my people. They hear your words, but do not obey ³  them. For they talk lustfully, ⁴  and their heart is set on ⁵  their own advantage. ⁶  33:32 Realize ⁷  that to them you are like a sensual song, a beautiful voice and skilled musician. ⁸  They hear your words, but they do not obey them. ⁹  33:33 When all this comes true – and it certainly will ¹⁰  – then they will know that a prophet was among them.”

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¹ tn Heb “as people come.” Apparently this is an idiom indicating that they come in crowds. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:264.

² tn The word “as” is supplied in the translation.

³ tn Heb “do.”

⁴ tn Heb “They do lust with their mouths.”

⁵ tn Heb “goes after.”

⁶ tn The present translation understands the term often used for “unjust gain” in a wider sense, following M. Greenberg, who also notes that the LXX uses a term which can describe either sexual or ritual pollution. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:687.

⁷ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.

⁸ tn Heb “one who makes playing music well.”

⁹ sn Similar responses are found in Isa 29:13; Matt 21:28-32; James 1:22-25.

¹⁰ tn Heb “behold it is coming.”