Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

 2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their ^awatchman:

 3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and ^awarn the people;

 4 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his ^ablood shall be upon his ^bown head.

 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.

 6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not ^awarned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I ^brequire at the watchman's hand.

 7 So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a ^awatchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.

 8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

 9 Nevertheless, if thou ^awarn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his ^biniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

 10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?

 11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no ^apleasure in the ^bdeath of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye ^cdie, O house of Israel?

 12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his ^atransgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.

 13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he ^atrust to his own righteousness, and commit ^biniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

 14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely ^adie; if he ^bturn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;

 15 If the wicked ^arestore the ^bpledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the ^cstatutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.

 16 None of his ^asins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.