“‘Again,
If the righteous ones
Turn
From their righteousness,
If they commit iniquity,
I will lay
A stumbling block
Before them.
They shall die.
Because you have not
Warned them,
They shall die
For their sin.
Their righteous deeds
That they have done
Shall not be remembered.
But I will require
Their blood
At your hand.
If however,
You warn
The righteous ones
Not to sin,
Then they do not sin,
They shall surely live.
Because they took
The warning,
You will have saved
Your life.’”
What was true about the wicked was also true about the righteous. If these righteous ones would turn away from their righteousness, it they committed iniquity, Yahweh was going to lay a stumbling block before them. They would die. If Ezekiel had not warned them, they would die for their sins anyway. Any righteous deeds that they had done would be forgotten. However, the blood of these fallen away righteous one would be on the hands of Ezekiel. On the other hand, if Ezekiel had warned the righteous ones not to sin, and then they did not sin, they would live. They had taken the warning words from Ezekiel seriously. On top of that, Ezekiel’s life would be saved.
