18. When I say to an evil person, ‘You will surely die,’ you must warn him. If you don’t speak out to warn the evil person to leave his evil way, he will die in his sin. But I will hold you responsible for his death.
19. You must warn the evil person. Then if he does not turn from his wickedness or his evil ways, he will die because of his sin. But you will have saved yourself.
20. “Again, a person who does right may turn away from his goodness. He may do evil. If I caused him to sin, he will die. Because you have not warned him, he will die because of his sin. And the good he did will not be remembered. But I will hold you responsible for his death.
21. But if you do warn that good person not to sin, he may not sin. Then he will surely live. This is because he was warned. And you will save yourself.”
22. Then I felt the power of the Lord there. He said to me, “Get up and go out to the plain. There I will speak to you.”
23. So I got up and went out to the plain. I saw the glory of the Lord standing there. It was like the glory I saw by the Kebar River. And I bowed facedown on the ground.
24. Then the Spirit entered me and made me stand on my feet. He spoke to me and said, “Go, shut yourself up in your house.
25. As for you, human being, the people will tie you up with ropes. They will tie you up, and you will not be able to go out among them.
26. Also, I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth. Then you will be silent. And you will not be able to argue with the people, even though they turn against me.
27. But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth. And you will say, ‘The Lord God says this.’ Whoever will listen, let him listen. Whoever refuses, let him refuse. They are a people who turn against me.