Good News Translation inserts a section break here with the title “The Results of the Prophet’s Message.” Contemporary English Version provides a clearer heading for verses 30-33, which is “The People Listen, but Don’t Change.” Since Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version have a section break here, they also begin this verse with the quote frame “The LORD said” to clarify who is speaking here. Other languages may find this addition helpful.

As for you, son of man: In verses 25-29 God addressed the people still living in Israel through the prophet Ezekiel. Here he speaks directly to Ezekiel again. For son of man, see Ezek 33.2.

Your people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses: Your people refers to the exiles who were living in Babylonia with Ezekiel. Revised English Bible has “your fellow-countrymen.” Who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses (literally “who talk about you beside the walls and in the doorways of the houses”) means Ezekiel was the topic of discussion as his people met outside their houses by the walls and in the doorways. They did not meet in the middle of the street, so that others could pass by freely. There is no reason to assume that they were secretly whispering about Ezekiel (so New Living Translation) or that their comments were directed against him (so New Century Version). They simply were talking about him.

Say to one another, each to his brother: The Hebrew says the same thing twice here, and many translations delete one of these phrases; for example, New International Reader’s Version has “They are saying to one another,” and New Century Version says “They say to each other.”

Come, and hear what the word is that comes forth from the LORD: The people were interested in what message Ezekiel would bring them from God. In view of verses 31-33 some translations think that they were not seriously looking to hear from God; for example, New Living Translation (1996) has “Come on, let’s have some fun! Let’s go hear the prophet tell us what the LORD is saying!” Although it is true that the people were not seriously listening to the LORD, it is going too far to translate their words here in this way. The Hebrew expression here is the normal way that two people would talk about going to listen to someone speaking. Good News Translation renders it well by saying “Let’s go and hear what word has come from the LORD now.” The word … that comes forth from the LORD may be translated “what the LORD has said today” (Contemporary English Version) or simply “the LORD’s message” (New International Reader’s Version).

Here is one way to translate this verse:

• The LORD said to me, “Human being, your fellow countrymen gather together by the walls outside their houses and in the doorways and talk about you. They say to each other, ‘Let’s go hear what the LORD has said.’

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 .