16. And it came to pass at the end of shivat yamim, that the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,
17. Ben Adam, I have made thee a tzofeh (watchman) unto the Bais Yisroel; therefore hear the word at My mouth, and give them warning from Me.
18. When I say unto the rasha, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the rasha from his derech harasha'ah, to save his life; the same rasha shall die in his avon; but I will hold accountable thine yad for his dahm.
19. Yet if thou warn the rasha, and he turn not from his resha, nor from his derech harasha'ah, he shall die in his avon; but thou hast saved thy nefesh.
20. Again, When a tzaddik doth turn from his tzedek, and commit evil, and I lay a michshol (stumbling block of temptation) before him, he shall die; because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his chattat, and his tzidkot which he hath worked shall not be remembered; but I will hold accountable thine yad for his dahm.
21. Nevertheless if thou warn the tzaddik, that the tzaddik sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast saved thy nefesh.
22. And the Yad Hashem (Hand, Power of Hashem) was there upon me; and He said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there speak with thee.
23. Then I arose, and went forth into the plain; and, hinei, the Kavod Hashem stood there, as the Kavod which I saw by the Nahar Kevar; I fell on my face.
24. Then the Ruach [Hakodesh] entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spoke with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself in the confines of thine bais.
25. But thou, O Ben Adam, hinei, they tied on thee ropes, and have bound thee with them, that thou canst not go out among them;
26. And I will make thy leshon cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be mute, and shalt not be to them an ish mokhi'ach (admonisher); for they are a bais meri.
27. But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that refuseth, let him refuse; for they are a bais meri.