The warning to the Israeli people

16 After those seven days had ended, Yahweh gave me this message: 17 “You human, I am appointing youto be like a watchman [MET] for the Israeli people [MTY]. So listen to these messages that I will give you, and tell them those messages to warn them. 18 When I say about some wicked people, ‘They will surely diebecause of their sins,’ if you do not warn them or tell them that they must turn from their wicked behavior if they want to ◄save their lives/remain alive►, those wicked people will die because of the sins that they have committed, but I will consider that you are responsible for their deaths [MTY]. 19 But if you warn the wicked people and they do not turn from all their wicked behavior [DOU], they will die because of their sins, but you will have saved yourselffrom my punishing you.

20 Similarly, when righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and do evil deeds, I will cause bad things to happen [IDM] to them. But you must warn them. If you do not warn them, and if they do not stop their sinful behavior, they will die because of their sins; I will not think about the righteous things that they didpreviously, but I will consider that you are responsible for their deaths [MTY]. 21 But if you warn righteous people not to sin, and they do not sin, they will surely remain alive because they heededyour warning, and you will have saved yourselffrom my punishing you.”

22 I felt Yahweh take control [MTY] of me, and he said to me, “Get up and go outfrom the city down to the plain/valley, and there I will speak to you.” 23 So I got up and went down to the valley. And I saw the glory of Yahweh there, like the glory that I had seen along the Kebar River/Canal. And I prostrated myself on the ground.

24 Then the Spiritof God entered me and enabled me to stand up. He said to me, “Go into your house and stay inside it. 25 People will tie you with ropes, with the result that you will be unable to go out among the people. 26 Even though they are very rebellious people, I will cause your tongue to stick to the roof of your mouth, with the result that you will be unable to talk and to rebuke them. 27 Butthen when I speak to youagain, I will enable you to talk [MTY], and you will say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says,’ and you will tell them my message. Those who are willing to listento what you say will listen, butmany will refuse to listen, because they are rebellious people [MTY].”