16 Now (A)at the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 17 “Son of man, I have appointed you as a (B)watchman for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, (C)warn them from Me. 18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You will certainly die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way so that he may live, that wicked person shall die for wrongdoing, but his (D)blood I will require from your hand. 19 However if you have (E)warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die for wrongdoing, but you have (F)saved yourself. 20 Again, (G)when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits sin, and I place an (H)obstacle before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require from your hand. 21 However, if you have (I)warned [a]the righteous person that the righteous is not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall certainly live because he took warning; and you have saved yourself.”

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 3:21 Lit him, the righteous

Ezekiel as a Watchman

16 Now 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 over the house of Israel.(B) When you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me.(C) 18 If I say to the wicked person,(D) ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him—you don’t speak out to warn him about his wicked way in order to save his life—that wicked person will die for his iniquity. Yet I will hold you responsible for his blood. 19 But if you warn a wicked person and he does not turn from his wickedness or his wicked way, he will die for his iniquity, but you will have saved your life.(E) 20 Now if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity,(F) and I put a stumbling block in front of him, he will die.(G) If you did not warn him, he will die because of his sin and the righteous acts he did will not be remembered. Yet I will hold you responsible for his blood. 21 But if you warn the righteous person that he should not sin, and he does not sin, he will indeed live because he listened to your warning, and you will have saved your life.”

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