The Watchman and His Message

33 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ² “Son of man, speak to ^(A)the children of your people, and say to them: ^(B)‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their ^(C)watchman, ³ when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, ⁴ then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does ^(D)not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, ^(E)his blood shall be on his own head. ⁵ He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will ^[a]save his life. ⁶ But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, ^(F)he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’

^7 (G)“So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. ⁸ When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. ⁹ Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have ^[b]delivered your soul.

¹⁰ “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we ^(H)pine^[c] away in them, ^(I)how can we then live?” ’ ¹¹ Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ^(J)‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked ^(K)turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For ^(L)why should you die, O house of Israel?’

The Fairness of God’s Judgment

¹² “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: ‘The ^(M)righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, ^(N)he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.’ ¹³ When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, ^(O)but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die. ¹⁴ Again, ^(P)when I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ if he turns from his sin and does ^[d]what is lawful and ^[e]right, ¹⁵ if the wicked ^(Q)restores the pledge, ^(R)gives back what he has stolen, and walks in ^(S)the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. ^16 (T)None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

Jesus Walks on the Sea^(A)

²² Immediately Jesus ^[a]made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. ^23 (B)And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. ^(C)Now when evening came, He was alone there. ²⁴ But the boat was now ^[b]in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.

²⁵ Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. ²⁶ And when the disciples saw Him ^(D)walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.

²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ^[c]“Be of good ^(E)cheer! ^[d]It is I; do not be afraid.”

²⁸ And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

²⁹ So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw ^[e]that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

³¹ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of ^(F)little faith, why did you doubt?” ³² And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

³³ Then those who were in the boat ^[f]came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly ^(G)You are the Son of God.”

Many Touch Him and Are Made Well^(H)

^34 (I)When they had crossed over, they came ^[g]to the land of Gennesaret.

Christian Graces

^2 (A)Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it ^(B)with thanksgiving; ^3 (C)meanwhile praying also for us, that God would ^(D)open to us a door for the word, to speak ^(E)the ^[a]mystery of Christ, ^(F)for which I am also in chains, ⁴ that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

^5 (G)Walk in ^(H)wisdom toward those who are outside, ^(I)redeeming the time. ⁶ Let your speech always be ^(J)with grace, ^(K)seasoned with salt, ^(L)that you may know how you ought to answer each one.