But when I say to the wicked, ‘You will certainly die,’ and he turns from his sin and practices justice and righteousness,
Parallel translations
- WEB Again, when I say to the wicked, You shall surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;
- KJV 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;
- BSB But if I tell the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and he turns from his sin and does what is just and right—
- NKJV Again, when I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right,
- NLT And suppose I tell some wicked people that they will surely die, but then they turn from their sins and do what is just and right.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
When God warns the wicked of death, yet that person turns from sin to do what is right, mercy is offered. Genuine repentance opens the door to life.
Overview
Here God shows the hopeful side: the warned sinner who 'turns from his sin' and does 'what is lawful and right' is not abandoned. Repentance that bears fruit in changed conduct is met by God's mercy. The pattern points forward to the gospel, where turning to God in faith brings life through the righteousness Christ provides.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Ezek 18:27Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
- Isa 55:7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
- Hos 14:1Israel, return to Yahweh your God; for you have fallen because of your sin.
- Ezek 33:8When I tell the wicked, O wicked man, you shall surely die, and you don’t speak to warn the wicked from his way; that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at your hand.
- Jer 18:7–8At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it;
- Mic 6:8He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
- Prov 28:13He who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
- Isa 3:11Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them; for the deeds of his hands will be paid back to him.
- Ezek 18:21“But if the wicked turns from all his sins that he has committed, and keeps all my statutes, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live. He shall not die.
- Acts 3:19“Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord,
- Ezek 3:18–19When I tell the wicked, ‘You will surely die;’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but I will require his blood at your hand.
- Jer 4:1“If you will return, Israel,” says Yahweh, “if you will return to me, and if you will put away your abominations out of my sight; then you shall not be removed;
- Luke 13:3–5I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way.
- Matt 9:13But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 33:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.