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Ezekiel 33:10-20
International Standard Version
Ezekiel 33:10-20
International Standard Version
God Hates the Death of the Wicked
10 “‘Now, Son of Man, tell this to the house of Israel:
‘You keep saying, “Our crimes and sins burden us so much that we’re rotting away, so how can we keep on living?”’
11 “Tell them, ‘As certainly as I’m alive and living,’ declares the Lord God, ‘I receive no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Instead, my pleasure is that the wicked repent from their behavior[a] and live. Turn back! Turn back, all of you, from your wicked behavior! Why do you have to die, you house of Israel?’”
Human Effort is Useless in Sustaining Righteousness
12 “And now, Son of Man, say this to your people: ‘The righteousness of the righteous won’t save them when they keep on committing crimes against me, the wickedness of the wicked won’t keep them from remaining away[b] when they’re turning from their wickedness, and no righteous person will keep on living by their righteousness when they sin.’
13 “If I tell the righteous person that he will certainly live, if he trusts in his own righteousness and commits evil, none of his righteousness will be remembered, and he will die because of the wrong that he commits.
14 “If I tell the wicked person that he will certainly die, if he turns from his sin and acts with justice and righteousness, 15 returning what has been placed as collateral for a loan, paying back what he has taken, following the regulations that promote life, and committing no iniquity, he will certainly live, and not die. 16 None of the sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. Since he did what is just and right, he will certainly live.
17 “Nevertheless, your people’s children keep saying, ‘Living life the Lord’s way[c] isn’t right,’ when all the while it is their way of living[d] that isn’t right. 18 When a righteous man forsakes his own righteousness and commits evil acts, he will die because of those acts, 19 and when the wicked turn away from their wickedness and do what is just and right, he will certainly live because of that. 20 “And yet you keep saying, ‘Living life[e] the Lord’s way isn’t right,’ But I will judge every one of you according to the way you live, you house of Israel!”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ezekiel 33:11 Lit. way
- Ezekiel 33:12 Lit. from stumbling
- Ezekiel 33:17 Lit. saying, ‘The way of
- Ezekiel 33:17 The Heb. lacks of living
- Ezekiel 33:20 Lit. saying, ‘The way of
Ezekiel 33:10-20
New International Version
Ezekiel 33:10-20
New International Version
10 “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away(A) because of[a] them. How then can we live?(B)”’ 11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.(C) Turn!(D) Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’(E)
12 “Therefore, son of man, say to your people,(F) ‘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.’(G) 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.(H) 14 And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just(I) and right— 15 if they give back what they took in pledge(J) for a loan, return what they have stolen,(K) follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die.(L) 16 None of the sins(M) that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.(N)
17 “Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just. 18 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil,(O) they will die for it.(P) 19 And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so.(Q) 20 Yet you Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to your own ways.”(R)
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 33:10 Or away in
Ezekiel 33:10-20
King James Version
Ezekiel 33:10-20
King James Version
10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?
11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.
13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.
14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;
15 If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.
16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
17 Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.
19 But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.
20 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.
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International Standard Version (ISV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.