Ezekiel 3:16-21

Good News Translation

The Lord Appoints Ezekiel as a Lookout^(A)

¹⁶ After the seven days had passed, the Lord spoke to me. ¹⁷ “Mortal man,” he said, “I am making you a lookout for the nation of Israel. You will pass on to them the warnings I give you. ¹⁸ If I announce that someone evil is going to die but you do not warn him to change his ways so that he can save his life, he will die, still a sinner, but I will hold you responsible for his death. ¹⁹ If you do warn an evil man and he doesn't stop sinning, he will die, still a sinner, but your life will be spared.

²⁰ “If someone truly good starts doing evil and I put him in a dangerous situation, he will die if you do not warn him. He will die because of his sins—I will not remember the good he did—and I will hold you responsible for his death. ²¹ If you do warn a good man not to sin and he listens to you and doesn't sin, he will stay alive, and your life will also be spared.”