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)”