¹⁷ Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he saw the company of Jehu as he came and said, “I see a company.” And Joram said, “Take a horseman and send to meet them, and let him say, ‘Is it peace?’”

⁴ Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city ^(A)came to meet him trembling and said, ^(B)“Do you come peaceably?”

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. ^28 (E)Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all ^(F)the flock, in which ^(G)the Holy Spirit has made you ^(H)overseers, ^(I)to care for ^(J)the church of God,^[a] which he ^(K)obtained ^(L)with his own blood.^{[b] 29} I ^(M)know that after my departure ^(N)fierce wolves will come in among you, ^(O)not sparing the flock; ³⁰ and ^(P)from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. ³¹ Therefore ^(Q)be alert, remembering that ^(R)for three years I did not cease night or day ^(S)to admonish every one ^(T)with tears.

⁵ Whatever house you enter, first say, ^(A)‘Peace be to this house!’ ⁶ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, ^(B)it will return to you.

^2 (A)“Son of man, speak to ^(B)your people and say to them, If ^(C)I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their ^(D)watchman, ³ and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and ^(E)blows the trumpet and warns the people, ⁴ then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, ^(F)his blood shall be upon his own head. ^5 (G)He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. ^6 (H)But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, ^(I)that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand.

^7 (J)“So you, ^(K)son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. ^(L)Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. ^8 (M)If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, ^(N)and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, ^(O)that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. ^9 (P)But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, ^(Q)that person shall die in his iniquity, ^(R)but you will have delivered your soul.

¹¹ The ^(A)oracle concerning ^(B)Dumah.