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Contemporary English Version

Ezekiel 33:17

Ezekiel, your people accuse me of being unfair. But they are the ones who are unfair.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Blasphemy;   Condescension of God;   God Continued...;   Infidelity;   Opportunity;   Responsibility;   Wicked (People);   Works;   The Topic Concordance - God;   Judges;   Man;   Repentance;   Turning;   Ways;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Justice of God, the;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Equal;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“‘But your people say, “The Lord’s way isn’t fair,” even though it is their own way that isn’t fair.
Hebrew Names Version
Yet the children of your people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
King James Version
Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
English Standard Version
"Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just,' when it is their own way that is not just.
New American Standard Bible
"Yet your fellow citizens say, 'The way of the Lord is not right,' when it is their own way that is not right.
New Century Version
"Your people say: ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.' But it is their own ways that are not fair.
Amplified Bible
"Yet your people [who are in exile in Babylon] say, 'The way of the Lord is not right;' but as for them, it is their own way that is not right.
World English Bible
Yet the children of your people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equall: but their owne way is vnequall.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Yet your fellow citizens say, 'The way of the Lord is not right,' when it is their own way that is not right.
Legacy Standard Bible
"Yet the sons of your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right,' when it is their own way that is not right.
Berean Standard Bible
Yet your people say, 'The way of the LORD is not just.' But it is their way that is not just.
Complete Jewish Bible
"Now your people say, ‘Adonai's way isn't fair!' But it is their way, theirs, that isn't fair!
Darby Translation
Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
Easy-to-Read Version
"But your people say, ‘That's not fair! The Lord cannot be like that!' "But they are the people who are not fair! They are the people who must change!
George Lamsa Translation
Yet your people say, The way of the LORD is not fair; but it is their own ways that are not fair.
Good News Translation
"And your people say that what I do isn't right! No, it's their way that isn't right.
Lexham English Bible
"Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair!' yet their way is not fair.
Literal Translation
Yet the sons of your people say, The way of the Lord is not fair. But they, even their way is not fair.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And yet the children off thy people saye: Tush, the waye of the LORDE is not right, where as their owne waye is rather vnright.
American Standard Version
Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
Bible in Basic English
But the children of your people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: when it is they whose way is not equal.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Yet the children of thy people say: The way of the Lord is not equal; but as for them, their way is not equal.
King James Version (1611)
Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equall: but as for them, their way is not equall.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And yet the children of thy people say, the way of the Lorde is not equall: but their owne way is rather vnequall.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Yet the children of thy people will say, The way of the Lord is not straight: whereas this their way is not straight.
English Revised Version
Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the sones of thi puple seiden, The weie of the Lord is not euene weiyte; and the weie of hem is vniust.
Update Bible Version
Yet the sons of your people say, The way of the Lord is not fair: but as for them, their way is not fair.
Webster's Bible Translation
Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
New English Translation
"Yet your people say, ‘The behavior of the Lord is not right,' when it is their behavior that is not right.
New King James Version
"Yet the children of your people say, "The way of the LORD is not fair.' But it is their way which is not fair!
New Living Translation
"Your people are saying, ‘The Lord isn't doing what's right,' but it is they who are not doing what's right.
New Life Bible
"Yet the children of your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.' But it is their way that is not right.
New Revised Standard
Yet your people say, "The way of the Lord is not just," when it is their own way that is not just.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And can the sons of thy people say, The way of The Lord will not be equal? Nay! but as for them, their way will not be equal!
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the children of thy people have said: The way of the Lord is not equitable: whereas their own way is unjust.
Revised Standard Version
"Yet your people say, 'The way of the Lord is not just'; when it is their own way that is not just.
Young's Literal Translation
And the sons of thy people have said: The way of the Lord is not pondered, As to them -- their way is not pondered.
THE MESSAGE
"‘Your people say, "The Master's way isn't fair." But it's the way they're living that isn't fair. When good people turn back from living good lives and plunge into sin, they'll die for it. And when a wicked person turns away from his wicked life and starts living a just and righteous life, he'll come alive.

Contextual Overview

10 The Lord said: Ezekiel, son of man, the people of Israel are complaining that the punishment for their sins is more than they can stand. They have lost all hope for survival, and they blame me. 11 Tell them that as surely as I am the living Lord God, I don't like to see wicked people die. I enjoy seeing them turn from their sins and live. So if the Israelites want to live, they must stop sinning and turn back to me. 12 Tell them that when good people start sinning, all the good they did in the past cannot save them from being punished. And remind them that when wicked people stop sinning, their past sins will be completely forgiven, and they won't be punished. 13 Suppose I promise good people that they will live, then later they start sinning and believe they will be saved by the good they did in the past. These people will certainly be put to death because of their sins. Their good deeds will be forgotten. 14 Suppose I warn wicked people that they will die because of their sins, and they stop sinning and start doing right. 15 For example, they need to return anything they have taken as security for a loan and anything they have stolen. Then if they stop doing evil and start obeying my Law, they will live. 16 Their past sins will be forgiven, and they will live because they have done right. 17 Ezekiel, your people accuse me of being unfair. But they are the ones who are unfair. 18 If good people start doing evil, they will be put to death, because they have sinned. 19 And if wicked people stop sinning and start doing right, they will save themselves from punishment.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ezekiel 33:20, Ezekiel 18:25, Ezekiel 18:29, Job 35:2, Job 40:8, Matthew 25:24-26, Luke 19:21, Luke 19:22

Reciprocal: Job 8:3 - God Job 34:11 - the work Psalms 17:2 - things Ezekiel 3:11 - the children Hosea 14:9 - for Romans 11:22 - otherwise

Cross-References

Exodus 12:37
The Israelites walked from the city of Rameses to the city of Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand of them, not counting women and children.
Exodus 13:20
The people of Israel left Succoth and camped at Etham at the border of Egypt near the desert.
Joshua 13:27
Gad also received the eastern half of the Jordan River valley, which had been ruled by King Sihon of Heshbon. This territory stretched as far north as Lake Galilee, and included the towns of Beth-Haram, Beth-Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon.
Judges 8:5
The town of Succoth was nearby, so he went there and asked, "Please give my troops some food. They are worn out, but we have to keep chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the two Midianite kings."
Judges 8:8
After leaving Succoth, Gideon went to Penuel and asked the leaders there for some food. But he got the same answer as he had gotten at Succoth.
Judges 8:14
he caught a young man who lived in Succoth. Gideon asked him who the town officials of Succoth were, and the young man wrote down seventy-seven names.
Judges 8:16
Gideon made a whip from thorn plants and used it to beat the town officials.
1 Kings 7:46
near the Jordan River between Succoth and Zarethan by pouring melted bronze into clay molds.
Psalms 60:6
Our God, you solemnly promised, "I would gladly divide up the city of Shechem and give away Succoth Valley piece by piece.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Yet the children of thy people say,.... "Not my people"; for surely the children of God could never say what follows; and one would think that even no man could say it, after so much had been said by the Lord concerning the righteous and the wicked, and his dealings with them, which must appear to be just and right, good and gracious; and yet such were the atheism, the perverseness and peevishness of these people, they went on to say as they had done before:

the way of the Lord is not equal: is not according to the rules of justice and equity. The Targum is,

"the ways of the goodness of the Lord are not made plain (or exposed) unto us.''

The answer to which is,

but, as for them, their way is not equal; according to the rule of the divine word; as for God, his way and methods, both of providence and grace, were right and good; :-.


 
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