²⁴ “But if a righteous person turns^(A) from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness^(B) they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.^(C)

¹⁸ If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil,^(A) they will die for it.^(B)

⁸ Watch out that you do not lose what we^[a] have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.^(A)

¹² “Therefore, son of man, say to your people,^(A) ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’^{(B) 13} If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done.^(C)

⁴ Have you experienced^[a] so much in vain—if it really was in vain?

²⁶ If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die.

¹⁹ They went out from us,^(A) but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.^(B)

The Wickedness of Joash

¹⁷ After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. ¹⁸ They abandoned^(A) the temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols.^(B) Because of their guilt, God’s anger^(C) came on Judah and Jerusalem. ¹⁹ Although the Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.^(D)

²⁰ Then the Spirit^(E) of God came on Zechariah^(F) son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper.^(G) Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken^(H) you.’”

²¹ But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned^(I) him to death^(J) in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple.^{(K) 22} King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, “May the Lord see this and call you to account.”^(L)