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)”

⁸ But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”^[a](A) that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: ⁹ If you declare^(B) with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,”^(C) and believe^(D) in your heart that God raised him from the dead,^(E) you will be saved.^{(F) 10} For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ¹¹ As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”^{[b](G) 12} For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile^(H)—the same Lord is Lord of all^(I) and richly blesses all who call on him, ¹³ for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord^(J) will be saved.”^[c](K)

¹⁴ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”^[d](L)

¹⁶ But not all the Israelites accepted the good news.^(M) For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”^{[e](N) 17} Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message,^(O) and the message is heard through the word about Christ.^{(P) 18} But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:

John’s Disciples Follow Jesus^(A)

³⁵ The next day John^(B) was there again with two of his disciples. ³⁶ When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”^(C)

³⁷ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi”^(D) (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

³⁹ “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. ⁴¹ The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).^{(E) 42} And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called^(F) Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter^[a]).^(G)