16 After the seven days had passed, the Lord spoke to me.
17 “Mortal man,” he said, “I am making you a watchman for the nation of Israel. You will pass on to them the warnings I give you.
18 If I announce that an evil person is going to die but you do not warn him to change his ways so that he can save his life, he will die, still a sinner, and I will hold you responsible for his death.
19 If you do warn an evil man and he doesn't stop sinning, he will die, still a sinner, but your life will be spared.
20 “If a truly good person starts doing evil and I put him in a dangerous situation, he will die if you do not warn him. He will die because of his sins — I will not remember the good he did — and I will hold you responsible for his death.
21 If you do warn a good man not to sin and he listens to you and doesn't sin, he will stay alive, and your life will also be spared.”
22 I felt the powerful presence of the Lord and heard him say to me, “Get up and go out into the valley. I will talk to you there.”