10 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we (A)pine[a] away in them, (B)how can we then live?” ’ 11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, (C)‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked (D)turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For (E)why should you die, O house of Israel?’

The Fairness of God’s Judgment

12 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: ‘The (F)righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, (G)he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.’ 13 When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, (H)but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 33:10 Or waste away

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)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 33:10 Or away in