But if you do warn the evil person to change his life and stop sinning, and if he refuses to stop sinning, then he will die because he sinned. But you have saved your life.
If a person is stubborn and becomes more angry every time people tell him that he is doing wrong, then that person will be destroyed. There is no hope.
“Maybe you will warn a person and tell him to change his life and stop doing bad things. If that person refuses to listen to you, then that person will die. He will die because he sinned. But you warned him, so you saved your own life.
“But if you warn the good person and tell him to stop sinning, and he stops sinning, then he won’t die. Why? Because you warned him and he listened. In this way, you saved your own life.”
If people hear the warning but ignore it, then the enemy will capture them and take them away as prisoners. That person will be responsible for his own death.
“‘But maybe that guard sees the enemy soldiers coming, but does not blow the trumpet. That guard did not warn the people. The enemy will capture them and take them away as prisoners. That person will be taken away because he sinned. But the guard will also be responsible for that man’s death.’
“That servant knew what his master wanted him to do. But that servant did not make himself ready or try to do what his master wanted. So that servant will be punished very much!
‘Listen, you people that doubt!\par You can wonder, but then go away and die;\par because during your time,\par I (God) will do something\par that you will not believe.\par You will not believe it,\par even if someone explains it to you!’”\par \i (Habakkuk 1:5)\i0 \par
But Paul and Barnabas spoke very boldly. They said, “We must speak the message {\cf2\super [277]} of God to you Jews first. But you refuse to listen. You are making yourselves lost—not worthy of having eternal life! So we will now go to the people of other nations!
We ask you, brothers and sisters, to warn those people who don’t work. Encourage the people who are afraid. Help the people who are weak. Be patient with every person.
Be careful and don’t refuse to listen when God speaks. Those people (Israelites) refused to listen to him when he warned them on earth. And those people did not escape. Now God is speaking from heaven. So now it will be worse for those people who refuse to listen to him.
The salvation \{that was given to us\} is very great. So surely we also will be punished if we live like this salvation is not important. It was the Lord (Jesus) who first told people about this salvation. And the people who heard him proved to us that this salvation is true.