²⁶ Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.^(A)

⁶ But when they opposed Paul and became abusive,^(A) he shook out his clothes in protest^(B) and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads!^(C) I am innocent of it.^(D) From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”^(E)

² “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword^(A) against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman,^{(B) 3} and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet^(C) to warn the people, ⁴ then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning^(D) and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head.^{(E) 5} Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head.^(F) If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves.^{(G) 6} But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’^(H)

⁷ “Son of man, I have made you a watchman^(I) for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.^{(J) 8} When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,^(K)’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for^[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.^{(L) 9} But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so,^(M) they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.^(N)

¹⁸ When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,^(A)’ 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.^{(B) 19} But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn^(C) from their wickedness^(D) or from their evil ways, they will die^(E) for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.^(F)

²⁰ “Again, when a righteous person turns^(G) from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block^(H) 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.^{(I) 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.^(J)”

¹⁷ Now the crowd that was with him^(A) when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word.

¹⁰ You are witnesses,^(A) and so is God,^(B) of how holy,^(C) righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. ¹¹ For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,^{(D) 12} encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy^(E) of God, who calls^(F) you into his kingdom and glory.

³ For I testify that they gave as much as they were able,^(A) and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,

Paul’s Joy Over the Church’s Repentance

² Make room for us in your hearts.^(A) We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one.

²³ I call God as my witness^(A)—and I stake my life on it—that it was in order to spare you^(B) that I did not return to Corinth.