₇“Now, mortal man, I am making you a watchman for the nation of Israel. You must pass on to them the warnings I give you. ₈If 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, then he will die, still a sinner, and I will hold you responsible for his death. ₉If you do warn an evil person and he doesn't stop sinning, he will die, still a sinner, but your life will be spared.”

₁₀The LORD spoke to me. “Mortal man,” he said, “repeat to the Israelites what they are saying: ‘We are burdened with our sins and the wrongs we have done. We are wasting away. How can we live?’ ₁₁Tell them that as surely as I, the Sovereign LORD, am the living God, I do not enjoy seeing sinners die. I would rather see them stop sinning and live. Israel, stop the evil you are doing. Why do you want to die?