The conditional (“if”) clauses continue in these two verses.

And if he sees the sword coming upon the land: New Century Version renders this clause well, saying “When he sees the enemy coming to attack the land.”

And blows the trumpet and warns the people: The watchman blows a horn to warn his people about the approaching enemy. The Hebrew word for trumpet refers to a wind instrument made from the horn of an animal, usually a male sheep. It was not the same as the modern metal trumpet. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “horn.” In ancient Israel this animal horn was used to call people to worship, to war, or to any communal activity. Translators may use a local equivalent if one is available (for example, “conch shell”), provided it is an instrument that someone blows into to make a noise and it is used to gain people’s attention or to warn them of danger. If there is no real equivalent, then translators may use a very generic expression for these two clauses, such as “and sounds the instrument that warns the people,” “and sounds the alarm to warn the people” (similarly New Living Translation), or “and sounds a warning signal” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

Then if any one who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning: This conditional clause refers to someone who ignores the sound of the horn warning the people of the attack. New Century Version says “If they hear the sound of the trumpet but do nothing,” Contemporary English Version has “If any of these people hear the signal and ignore it,” and New International Reader’s Version translates “Someone hears the trumpet. But he does not pay any attention to the warning.”

And the sword comes and takes him away means the enemy attacks and kills those who ignore the warning. New International Reader’s Version says “The enemies come and kill him.”

His blood shall be upon his own head means those who ignore the warning will be responsible for their own deaths. New International Reader’s Version says “Then what happens to him will be his own fault” (similarly Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation). This clause is the final result of the long conditional sentence. As noted above, translators may break up the sentence to avoid the string of conditional clauses (so Good News Translation). A model that does this for verse 4 is:

• Anyone who hears the warning but ignores it, when the enemies come and kill him, it will be his own fault.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .