Ezekiel 33:1–9

Ezekiel as Israel’s Watchman

33The word of the Lord came to me: ²“Son of man, speak to your people and tell them: Suppose I bring the sword against a land, and the people of that land select a man from among them, appointing him as their watchman, ³and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows his trumpet ^fto warn the people. ⁴Then, if anyone hears the sound of the trumpet but ignores the warning, ^gand the sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. ⁵Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but ignored the warning, his blood is on his own hands. ^hIf he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. ⁶However, if the watchman sees the sword coming but doesn’t blow the trumpet, so that the people aren’t warned, and the sword comes and takes away their lives, then they have been taken away because of their iniquity, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.

⁷“As for you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. ⁱWhen you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me. ⁸If I say to the wicked, ‘Wicked one, you will surely die,’ ^jbut you do not speak out to warn him about his way, that wicked person will die for his iniquity, yet I will hold you responsible for his blood. ⁹But if you warn a wicked person to turn from his way and he doesn’t turn from it, he will die for his iniquity, but you will have saved your life.