Watchmen Warning the Wicked to Turn from their Evil Ways
Ezekiel 33:1-20
1 Again, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, 3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people, 4 Then he that heareth the sound of the trumpet, and will not be warned, if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 For he heard the sound of the trumpet, and would not be admonished; therefore his blood shall be upon him. But he that receiveth warning, shall save his life. 6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned, if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away for his iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand. 7 So thou, O son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and admonish them from me. 8 When I shall say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt die the death, if thou doest not speak, and admonish the wicked of his way, that wicked man shall die for his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thine hand. 9 Nevertheless, If thou warn the wicked of his way, to turn from it, if he do not turn from his way, he shall die for his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul. 10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, Thus ye speak and say, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we are consumed because of them, how should we then live? 11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn you, turn you from your evil ways, for why will ye die, O ye house of Israel? 12 Therefore thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression, nor the wickedness of the wicked shall cause him to fall therein, in the day that he returneth from his wickedness, neither shall the righteous live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. 13 When I shall say unto the righteous, that he shall surely live, if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall be no more remembered, but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for the same. 14 Again when I shall say unto the wicked, thou shalt die the death, if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right, 15 To wit, if the wicked restore the pledge, and give again that he had robbed, and walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity, he shall surely live, and not die. 16 None of his sins that he hath committed, shall be mentioned unto him; because he hath done that, which is lawful, and right, he shall surely live. 17 Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal, but their own way is unequal. 18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. 19 But if the wicked return from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. 20 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you everyone after his ways.
1 Corinthians 14:8
And also if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to battle?
"Let not Geneva be forgotten or despised. Religious liberty owes it most respect." John Adams, the second president of the United States