Ezekiel 33:10-20

New Catholic Bible

¹⁰ Message of Conversion.^[a] Son of man, say to the house of Israel: You continually complain, “Our crimes and our sins weigh heavily upon us, and we are wasting away because of them. How are we to go on living?” ¹¹ Say to them: As I live, says the Lord God, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather in their decision to turn from their evil ways and live. Repent and turn from your evil ways. Why should you die, O house of Israel?

¹² As for you, son of man, say to your countrymen: The virtue of a righteous man will not save him when he transgresses. Nor will the evil deeds of a wicked man cause his downfall once he renounces his wickedness, any more than the righteous will be able to live by their righteousness when they sin.

¹³ If I say to the righteous that they will surely live, but then they presume on their righteousness and commit iniquity, none of their righteous deeds will be remembered. Because of the wrong they have done, they will die.

¹⁴ Again, if I say to the wicked that they will surely die, and then they turn away from sin and do what is lawful and upright, ¹⁵ give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, adhere to the practices that ensure life, and commit no wrongful acts, they shall surely live; they shall not die. ¹⁶ None of the previous sins they committed will be remembered against them. Because they have done what is lawful and upright, they shall surely live.

¹⁷ Yet your countrymen say, “The way of the Lord is not just,” when it is their own way that is not just. ¹⁸ When a virtuous man turns away from his righteous ways and does wrong, he shall die for it. ¹⁹ And when a wicked man turns from his wicked ways and does what is lawful and right, he shall live. ²⁰ Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is not just.” I will judge each one of you according to your ways, O house of Israel.