Warnings for Watchmen

33 This message came to me from the Lord: ² “Son of Man, speak to your nation’s children and tell them: ‘If I bring war^[a] to a land, and the people of that land appoint one of their conscripted men^[b] to serve as a sentinel, ³ and if he notices that violence^[c] is approaching and sounds an alarm to warn the people, ⁴ then if anyone who hears the sound of the alarm does not heed the warning, when the sword arrives and destroys him, his shed blood will remain his own responsibility.^{[d] 5} After all, he heard the alarm sounding, but did not heed the warning, so his shed blood will remain his own responsibility.^[e] If he had heeded the warning, he would have saved himself.^{[f] 6} If that sentinel notices that violence is approaching, but does not sound an alarm, then because the nation does not take warning and the sword arrives and destroys their lives because of their guilt, I’ll seek retribution for their shed blood from the^[g] one who was acting as sentinel.’”

Warning for Ezekiel

⁷ “Now as for you, Son of Man, I’ve established you as a sentinel for the house of Israel. So whenever you hear a message from me,^[h] you are to warn the people^[i] from me. ⁸ If I should say to a certain wicked person, ‘You wicked man, you’re certainly about to die,’ but you don’t warn him to turn from his wicked behavior,^[j] he’ll die in his guilt, but I’ll seek retribution for his bloodshed from you.^{[k] 9} However, if you warn the wicked to turn from his behavior^[l] and he does not do so, he will die in his guilt, and you will have saved yourself.”^[m]