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Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man, that the righteous not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning; and you have delivered your soul.”
Ezekiel 3:21 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.
  • BSB But if you warn the righteous man not to sin, and he does not sin, he will indeed live because he heeded your warning, and you will have saved yourself.”
  • NKJV Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.”
  • NASB However, if you have warned the righteous person that the righteous is not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall certainly live because he took warning; and you have saved yourself.”
  • NLT But if you warn righteous people not to sin and they listen to you and do not sin, they will live, and you will have saved yourself, too.”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

If Ezekiel warns the righteous and they heed it, they live, and he has saved his own soul. Heeded warning leads to life for both.

Overview

When the righteous take the warning and do not sin, they are preserved. Ezekiel's faithful warning delivers his own soul as well. This highlights the life-giving power of heeding God's word. It encourages both messenger and hearer to take God's warnings seriously unto life.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 22

  • 1 Tim 4:16Pay attention to yourself, and to your teaching. Continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
  • 1 Cor 4:14I don’t write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
  • Prov 9:9Instruct a wise man, and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
  • Jas 5:20let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
  • Titus 2:15Say these things and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no man despise you.
  • Ezek 3:19–20Yet if you warn the wicked, and he doesn’t turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.”
  • Gal 1:6–10I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”;
  • Ps 19:11Moreover by them is your servant warned. In keeping them there is great reward.
  • 1 Jn 3:6–9Whoever remains in him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins hasn’t seen him and doesn’t know him.
  • Acts 20:31Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn’t cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears.
  • 1 Th 4:6–8that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified.
  • Col 3:5–8Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry;
  • Prov 17:10A rebuke enters deeper into one who has understanding than a hundred lashes into a fool.
  • 1 Th 5:14We exhort you, brothers, admonish the disorderly, encourage the faint-hearted, support the weak, be patient toward all.
  • Gal 5:2–7Behold, I, Paul, tell you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing.
  • Rev 3:19As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent.
  • Col 1:28whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus;
  • Gal 2:11–13But when Peter came to Antioch, I resisted him to his face, because he stood condemned.
  • Eph 5:5–6Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.
  • Matt 24:24–25For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.
  • Eph 4:17–21This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,
  • 1 Cor 10:12Therefore let him who thinks he stands be careful that he doesn’t fall.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Ezekiel videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Ezekiel 3:21YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on EzekielMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.

How Ezekiel 3:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.