Ezekiel 3:16-21
Contemporary English Version
The Lord Appoints Ezekiel To Stand Watch
(Ezekiel 33.1-9)
16 Seven days after I had seen the brightness of the Lord's glory, the Lord said:
17 Ezekiel, son of man, I have appointed you to stand watch for the people of Israel. So listen to what I say, then warn them for me. 18 When I tell wicked people they will die because of their sins, you must warn them to turn from their sinful ways so they won't be punished. If you refuse, you are responsible for their death. 19 However, if you do warn them, and they keep on sinning, they will die because of their sins, and you will be innocent.
20 Now suppose faithful people start sinning, and I decide to put stumbling blocks in their paths to make them fall. They deserve to die because of their sins. So if you refuse to warn them, I will forget about the times they were faithful, and I will hold you responsible for their death. 21 But if you do warn them, and they listen to you and stop sinning, I will let them live. And you will be innocent.
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Ezekiel 3:16-21
New International Version
Ezekiel’s Task as Watchman
16 At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me:(A) 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman(B) for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.(C) 18 When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,(D)’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.(E) 19 But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn(F) from their wickedness(G) or from their evil ways, they will die(H) for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.(I)
20 “Again, when a righteous person turns(J) from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block(K) before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.(L) 21 But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.(M)”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 3:18 Or in; also in verses 19 and 20
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