Ezekiel 33:10-20

New Catholic Bible

¹⁰Message 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?” ¹¹Say 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?

¹²As 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.

¹³If 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.

¹⁴Again, 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, ¹⁵give 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. ¹⁶None of the previous sins they committed will be remembered against them. Because they have done what is lawful and upright, they shall surely live.

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

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Footnotes

Ezekiel 33:10 We find here, in fuller form and as an invitation to a fullness of life, the great idea of personal retribution that has already been stated in Ezek 18:1-32 and will be repeated in chapter 36.

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)”’ ¹¹Say 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) ¹³If 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) ¹⁴And 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— ¹⁵if 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) ¹⁶None 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. ¹⁸If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil,^(O) they will die for it.^(P) ¹⁹And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so.^(Q) ²⁰Yet you Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to your own ways.”^(R)