¹⁴ But Micaiah said, ^(A)“As the Lord lives, ^(B)what the Lord says to me, that I will speak.”

^13 (A)‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord, to do either good or bad ^(B)of my own will. What the Lord speaks, that will I speak’?

¹⁸ But Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, ^(A)“Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, ^(B)I could not go beyond the command of the Lord my God to do less or more.

¹⁰ For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying ^(A)to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a ^(B)servant^[a] of Christ.

² But we have renounced ^(A)disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice^[a] cunning or ^(B)to tamper with God's word, but ^(C)by the open statement of the truth ^(D)we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

¹⁷ For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

²⁶ Therefore ^(A)I testify to you this day that ^(B)I am innocent of the blood of all, ²⁷ for ^(C)I did not shrink from declaring to you ^(D)the whole counsel of God.

^17 (A)“Son of man, ^(B)I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall ^(C)give them warning from me. ^18 (D)If I say to the wicked, ^(E)‘You shall surely die,’ ^(F)and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person ^(G)shall die for^[a] his iniquity, ^(H)but his blood I will require at your hand. ^19 (I)But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, ^(J)but you ^(K)will have delivered your soul.

⁴ The descendants also are ^(A)impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ ⁵ And ^(B)whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are ^(C)a rebellious house) ^(D)they will know that a prophet has been among them. ⁶ And you, son of man, ^(E)be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, ^(F)though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on ^(G)scorpions.^[a] Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. ⁷ And you shall speak my words to them, ^(H)whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.

⁸ “But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. ^(I)Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and ^(J)eat what I give you.”