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Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.
Ezekiel 33:20 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not equal. House of Israel, I will judge every one of you after his ways.
  • BSB Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to his ways, O house of Israel.”
  • NKJV Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways.”
  • NASB Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ I will judge each of you according to his ways, house of Israel.”
  • NLT O people of Israel, you are saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right.’ But I judge each of you according to your deeds.”

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

Despite God's clear answer, the people repeat that His way is unfair; He declares He will judge each by his own conduct. God's justice is impartial and personal.

Overview

The people persist in their complaint, but God concludes by affirming individual accountability: 'I will judge every one of you after his ways.' This closes the watchman section by stressing personal responsibility before a righteous God. Each stands or falls by his own response, undercutting both fatalism and the blaming of God.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 11

  • Matt 16:27For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
  • Ezek 18:25Yet ye say, The way of the LORD is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?
  • Ezek 18:29–30Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the LORD is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?
  • Prov 19:3The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD.
  • Ps 62:12Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.
  • Ezek 33:17Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
  • Rev 22:12And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
  • John 5:29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
  • 2 Cor 5:10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
  • Rev 20:12–15And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
  • Eccl 12:14For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Ezekiel videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Ezekiel 33:20YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on EzekielMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 33:20 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.