"Mortal man," he said, "I am making you a lookout for the nation of Israel. You will pass on to them the warnings I give you.

If you do warn an evil man and he doesn't stop sinning, he will die, still a sinner, but your life will be spared.

If you do warn a good man not to sin and he listens to you and doesn't sin, he will stay alive, and your life will also be spared."

The sentries patrolling the city saw me. I asked them, "Have you found my lover?"

The sentries patrolling the city found me; they struck me and bruised me; the guards at the city wall tore off my cape.

On your walls, Jerusalem, I have placed sentries; They must never be silent day or night. They must remind the LORD of his promises And never let him forget them.

Jeremiah, test my people, as you would test metal, and find out what they are like.

Yes, the time is coming when sentries will call out on the hills of Ephraim, 'Let's go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.' "

Even the best and most honest of them are as worthless as weeds. The day has come when God will punish the people, as he warned them through their watchmen, the prophets. Now they are in confusion.

It was he who "gave gifts to people"; he appointed some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers.

Obey your leaders and follow their orders. They watch over your souls without resting, since they must give to God an account of their service. If you obey them, they will do their work gladly; if not, they will do it with sadness, and that would be of no help to you.

You will tell them whatever I tell you to say, whether they listen or not. Remember what rebels they are.

"Mortal man, listen to what I tell you. Don't be rebellious like them. Open your mouth and eat what I am going to give you."

But Micaiah answered, "By the living LORD I promise that I will say what he tells me to!"

But Ahab replied, "When you speak to me in the name of the LORD, tell the truth! How many times do I have to tell you that?"

Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you that he never prophesies anything good for me? It's always something bad!"

The LORD asked, 'Who will deceive Ahab so that he will go and be killed at Ramoth?' Some of the angels said one thing, and others said something else,

'How?' the LORD asked. The spirit replied, 'I will go and make all of Ahab's prophets tell lies.' The LORD said, 'Go and deceive him. You will succeed.' "

Then the prophet Zedekiah went up to Micaiah, slapped his face, and asked, "Since when did the LORD's spirit leave me and speak to you?"

Then King Ahab ordered one of his officers, "Arrest Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Prince Joash.

"If you return safely," Micaiah exclaimed, "then the LORD has not spoken through me!" And he added, "Listen, everyone, to what I have said!"

Whenever your fellow citizens from any of the cities bring before you a case of homicide or any other violation of a law or commandment, you must instruct them carefully how to conduct themselves during the trial, so that they do not become guilty of sinning against the LORD. Unless you do, you and your fellow citizens will feel the force of the LORD's anger. But if you do your duty, you will not be guilty.

Get ready, Jeremiah; go and tell them everything I command you to say. Do not be afraid of them now, or I will make you even more afraid when you are with them.

The prophet who has had a dream should say it is only a dream, but the prophet who has heard my message should proclaim that message faithfully. What good is straw compared with wheat?

the LORD said to me, "Stand in the court of the Temple and proclaim all I have commanded you to say to the people who come from the towns of Judah to worship there. Do not leave out anything.

"Go and stand in the Temple, and tell the people all about this new life."

You know that I did not hold back anything that would be of help to you as I preached and taught in public and in your homes.

So I solemnly declare to you this very day: if any of you should be lost, I am not responsible.

For I have not held back from announcing to you the whole purpose of God.

For I received from the Lord the teaching that I passed on to you: that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took a piece of bread,

I passed on to you what I received, which is of the greatest importance: that Christ died for our sins, as written in the Scriptures;

So we preach Christ to everyone. With all possible wisdom we warn and teach them in order to bring each one into God's presence as a mature individual in union with Christ.

To get this done I toil and struggle, using the mighty strength which Christ supplies and which is at work in me.

Finally, our friends, you learned from us how you should live in order to please God. This is, of course, the way you have been living. And now we beg and urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to do even more.

For you know the instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.