The Lord said,“ Son of man, I have appointed you as a prophet to warn the people of Israel. So listen to my message. Give them a warning from me.

“人子啊，我立你作以色列家守望的人，所以你要听我口中的话，替我警戒他们。

“人子啊，我立你作以色列家的守望者，所以你要听我口中的话，替我警戒他们。

“人子啊，我立你作以色列家的守望者，所以你要听我口中的话，替我警戒他们。

“人子啊，我立你做以色列人的守望者，你要把我告诫他们的话告诉他们。

“人子啊，我立了你作以色列家守望的人，所以你要聆听我口中的话，替我警告他们。

「人子啊，我立你作以色列家守望的人，所以你要聽我口中的話，替我警戒他們。

「人子啊，我立你作以色列家的守望者，所以你要聽我口中的話，替我警戒他們。

「人子啊，我立你作以色列家的守望者，所以你要聽我口中的話，替我警戒他們。

「人子啊，我立你做以色列人的守望者，你要把我告誡他們的話告訴他們。

“人子啊，我立了你作以色列家守望的人，所以你要聆聽我口中的話，替我警告他們。

『人子啊，我立了你做以色列家的守望人；你若從我口中聽到話語，總要替我警告他們。

人子歟、我立爾為以色列家戍卒、宜聽我口所言、代我戒之、

我令爾為戍卒、稽察以色列家、爾聽我言、代我示民。

人子歟、我為以色列人立爾為守望者、爾由我口聽言、代我示之以警戒、

“ Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.

“ Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.

“ Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel. Whenever you receive a message from me, warn people immediately.

“ Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the house of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, give them a warning from me.

“ Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me.

“ Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me:

Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

“ Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the house of Israel. When you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me.

Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

“ Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you must give them a warning from me.

“ Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore hear the word from my mouth, and warn them from me.

Cases will come to you from your people who live in the other cities. The cases might be about murder or other matters dealt with by the law, commands, directions and rules. Warn the people not to sin against the Lord. If you don’t warn them, he will be angry with you and your people. Do what I say. Then you won’t sin.

Listen! Those on guard duty are shouting out the message. With their own eyes they see the Lord returning to Zion. So they shout for joy.

I appointed prophets to warn you. I said,‘ Listen to the sound of the trumpets!’ But you said,‘ We won’t listen.’

Here is a prophecy against Edom that the Lord gave me. Someone is calling out to me from the land of Seir. He says,“ Guard, when will the night be over? Guard, how soon will it end?”The guard answers,“ Morning is coming, but the night will return. If you want to ask again, come back and ask.”

Brothers and sisters, we are asking you to warn certain people. These people don’t want to work. Instead, they make trouble. We are also asking you to encourage those who have lost hope. Help those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

I will go up to the lookout tower. I’ll station myself on the city wall. I’ll wait to see how the Lord will reply to me. Then I’ll try to figure out how his reply answers what I’ve complained about.

Israel’s prophets are blind. They don’t know the Lord. All of them are like watchdogs that can’t even bark. They just lie around and dream. They love to sleep.

Jerusalem, I have stationed guards on your walls. They must never be silent day or night. You who call out to the Lord must not give yourselves any rest.

The Lord told me,“ Shout out loud. Do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Tell my people that they have refused to obey me. Tell the family of Jacob how much they have sinned.

We know what it means to have respect for the Lord. So we try to help other people to understand it. What we are is plain to God. I hope it is also plain to your way of thinking.

First, God has placed apostles in the church. Second, he has placed prophets in the church. Third, he has placed teachers in the church. Then he has given to the church miracles and gifts of healing. He also has given the gift of helping others and the gift of guiding the church. God also has given the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages.

“ Son of man, speak to your people. Tell them,‘ Suppose I send enemies against a land. And its people choose one of their men to stand guard.He sees the enemies coming against the land. He blows a trumpet to warn the people.Someone hears the trumpet. But they do not pay any attention to the warning. The enemies come and kill them. Then what happens to them will be their own fault.They heard the sound of the trumpet. But they did not pay any attention to the warning. So what happened to them was their own fault. If they had paid attention, they would have saved themselves.But suppose the guard sees the enemies coming. And he does not blow the trumpet to warn the people. The enemies come and kill one of them. Then their life has been taken away from them because they sinned. But I will hold the guard responsible for their death.’“ Son of man, I have appointed you as a prophet to warn the people of Israel. So listen to my message. Give them a warning from me.Suppose I say to a sinful person,‘ You can be sure that you will die.’ And suppose you do not try to get them to change their ways. Then they will die because they have sinned. And I will hold you responsible for their death.But suppose you do warn that sinful person. You tell them to change their ways. But they do not change. Then they will die because they have sinned. But you will have saved yourself.

Trust in your leaders. Put yourselves under their authority. Do this, because they keep watch over you. They know they are accountable to God for everything they do. Do this, so that their work will be a joy. If you make their work a heavy load, it won’t do you any good.

Keep watch over yourselves. Keep watch over all the believers. The Holy Spirit has made you leaders over them. Be shepherds of God’s church. He bought it with his own blood.I know that after I leave, wild wolves will come in among you. They won’t spare any of the sheep.Even men from your own people will rise up and twist the truth. They want to get the believers to follow them.So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning you. Night and day I warned each of you with tears.

So we are Christ’s official messengers. It is as if God were making his appeal through us. Here is what Christ wants us to beg you to do. Come back to God!

Christ is the one we preach about. With all the wisdom we have, we warn and teach everyone. When we bring them to God, we want them to be like Christ. We want them to be grown up as people who belong to Christ.

I am not writing this to shame you. You are my dear children, and I want to warn you.

The Lord said to me,“ Go. Put a guard on duty on Jerusalem’s walls. Have him report what he sees.

Those on guard duty found me as they were walking around in the city. They beat me. They hurt me. Those on guard duty at the walls took my coat away from me.

There will be a day when those on guard duty will cry out. They will stand on the hills of Ephraim. And they will shout,‘ Come! Let’s go up to Zion. Let’s go up to where the Lord our God is.’ ”

Who can I speak to? Who can I warn? Who will even listen to me? Their ears are closed so they can’t hear. The Lord’ s message displeases them. They don’t take any delight in it.

Those on guard duty found me as they were walking around in the city.‘ Have you seen the one my heart loves?’ I asked.

“ My master!” the guard shouts back.“ Day after day I stand here on the lookout tower. Every night I stay here on duty.

John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing. He said to them,“ You are like a nest of poisonous snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming of God’s anger?