Ezekiel 18:21-32

New American Standard Bible

²¹“But if the ^(A)wicked person turns from all his sins which he has committed and keeps all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall certainly live; he shall not die. ²²^(B)All his offenses which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his ^(C)righteousness which he has practiced, he will live. ²³^(D)Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “^[a]rather than that he would ^(E)turn from his ways and live?

²⁴“But when a righteous person ^(F)turns away from his righteousness, commits injustice and does according to all the abominations that the wicked person does, will he live? ^(G)All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his ^(H)treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die. ²⁵Yet you say, ‘^(I)The way of the Lord is not right.’ Hear now, house of Israel! Is ^(J)My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right? ²⁶When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness, commits injustice and dies because of it, for his injustice which he has committed he dies. ²⁷But when a wicked person turns away ^(K)from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life. ²⁸Since he understood and turned away from all his offenses which he had committed, he shall certainly live; he shall not die. ²⁹But the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Are My ways not right, house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?

³⁰“Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, each according to his conduct,” declares the Lord God. “^(L)Repent and turn away from all your offenses, so that wrongdoing does not become a stumbling block to you. ³¹^(M)Hurl away from you all your offenses which you have committed and make yourselves a ^(N)new heart and a new spirit! For why should you die, house of Israel? ³²For I take ^(O)no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord God. “Therefore, repent and live!”