^3 (A)As I live, declares the Lord God, ^(B)this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel.

¹¹ Say to them, ^(A)As I live, declares the Lord God, ^(B)I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; ^(C)turn back, turn back from your evil ways, ^(D)for why will you die, O house of Israel?

^12 (E)“And you, son of man, say to ^(F)your people, ^(G)The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, ^(H)and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, ^(I)and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness^[a] when he sins. ¹³ Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet ^(J)if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die. ¹⁴ Again, ^(K)though I say to the wicked, ^(L)‘You shall surely die,’ yet ^(M)if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, ¹⁵ if the wicked ^(N)restores the pledge, ^(O)gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks ^(P)in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die. ^16 (Q)None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live.

¹⁷ “Yet ^(R)your people say, ^(S)‘The way of the Lord is not just,’ when it is their own way that is not just. ^18 (T)When the righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it. ¹⁹ And ^(U)when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he shall live by this. ²⁰ Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, ^(V)I will judge each of you according to his ways.”

³⁰ “Therefore ^(A)I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. ^(B)Repent and turn from all your transgressions, ^(C)lest iniquity be your ruin.^[a]

¹⁹ “Yet you say, ^(A)‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done ^(B)what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, ^(C)he shall surely live. ^20 (D)The soul who sins shall die. ^(E)The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. ^(F)The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, ^(G)and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever ^(A)the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, ^(B)so that every mouth may be stopped, and ^(C)the whole world may be held accountable to God.

³¹ Then ^(A)you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. ^32 (B)It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord God; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.