1. The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:
2. “Human, speak to your people and say to them: ‘Suppose I bring a war against a land. The people of the land may choose one of their men and make him their watchman.
3. When he sees the enemy coming to attack the land, he will blow the trumpet and warn the people.
4. If they hear the sound of the trumpet but do nothing, the enemy will come and kill them. They will be responsible for their own deaths.
5. They heard the sound of the trumpet but didn’t do anything. So they are to blame for their own deaths. If they had done something, they would have saved their own lives.
6. But if the watchman sees the enemy coming to attack and does not blow the trumpet, the people will not be warned. Then if the enemy comes and kills any of them, they have died because of their own sin. But I will punish the watchman for their deaths.’
7. “You, human, are the one I have made a watchman for Israel. If you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them for me.
8. Suppose I say to the wicked: ‘Wicked people, you will surely die,’ but you don’t speak to warn the wicked to stop doing evil. Then they will die because they were sinners, but I will punish you for their deaths.
9. But if you warn the wicked to stop doing evil and they do not stop, they will die because they were sinners. But you have saved your life.
10. “So you, human, say to Israel: ‘You have said: Surely our law-breaking and sins are hurting us. They will kill us. What can we do so we will live?’