Ezekiel 18:29

Easy-to-Read Version

The people of Israel said, "That's not fair! The Lord isn't fair!" "I am fair! You are the ones who are not fair!

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But the house of Israel says, ‘The Lord’s way isn’t fair.’ Is it my ways that are unfair, house of Israel? Instead, isn’t it your ways that are unfair?

Hebrew Names Version
Yet says the house of Yisra'el, The way of the Lord is not equal. house of Yisra'el, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?

King James Version
Yet 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?

English Standard Version
Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.' O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?

New American Standard Bible
"But the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' Are My ways not right, house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?

New Century Version
But the people of Israel still say, ‘What the Lord does isn't fair.' People of Israel, I am fair. It is what you do that is not fair.

Amplified Bible
"Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not right!' O house of Israel, are My ways not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?

World English Bible
Yet says the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Yet saith ye house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equall. O house of Israel, are not my wayes equall? or are not your wayes vnequall?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' Are My ways not right, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?

Legacy Standard Bible
But the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.' Are My ways not right, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?

Berean Standard Bible
Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Are My ways unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

Contemporary English Version
But you still say that I am unfair. You are the ones who have done wrong and are unfair!

Complete Jewish Bible
Yet the house of Isra'el says, ‘ Adonai 's way isn't fair.' House of Isra'el, is it my ways that are unfair, or your ways that are unfair?

Darby Translation
But the house of Israel say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? Is it not your ways that are unequal?

George Lamsa Translation
Yet the house of Israel says, The ways of the LORD are not fair. O house of Israel, my ways are fair, but it is your ways that are not fair.

Good News Translation
And you Israelites say, ‘What the Lord does isn't right.' You think my way isn't right, do you? It is your way that isn't right.

Lexham English Bible
And yet they, the house of Israel, say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair!' Are not my ways fair, house of Israel? Are not your ways unfair?

Literal Translation
But the house of Israel says, The way of the Lord is not fair. Are My ways not fair, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not fair?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And yet saieth the house of Israel: Tush, the waye of the LORDE is not equall. Are my wayes vnright, o ye house of Israel? Are not youre wayes rather vnequall?

American Standard Version
Yet 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?

Bible in Basic English
But still the children of Israel say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O children of Israel, are my ways not equal? are not your ways unequal?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Yet saith the house of Israel: The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, is it My ways that are not equal? is it not your ways that are unequal?

King James Version (1611)
Yet saith the house of Israel; The way of the Lord is not equall. O house of Israel, are not my wayes equall? are not your wayes vnequall?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And yet saith the house of Israel, the way of the Lorde is not equall. Are my wayes vnequall O ye house of Israel? are not your wayes rather vnequall?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Yet the house of Israel say, The way of the Lord is not right. Is not my way right, O house of Israel? is not your way wrong?

English Revised Version
Yet 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?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the sones of Israel seien, The weie of the Lord is not euene. Whether my weies ben not euene, ye hous of Israel, and not more youre weies ben schrewid?

Update Bible Version
Yet says the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not fair. O house of Israel, are not my ways fair? are not your ways unfair?

Webster's Bible Translation
Yet 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?

New English Translation
Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The Lord's conduct is unjust!' Is my conduct unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your conduct that is unjust?

New King James Version
Yet the house of Israel says, "The way of the Lord is not fair.' O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair?

New Living Translation
And yet the people of Israel keep saying, ‘The Lord isn't doing what's right!' O people of Israel, it is you who are not doing what's right, not I.

New Life Bible
But the people of Israel say, ‘The Lord is not doing what is right.' Are My ways not right, O people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?

New Revised Standard
Yet the house of Israel says, "The way of the Lord is unfair." O house of Israel, are my ways unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Can the house of Israel then say- The way of My Lord will not be equal? Will my ways, not be equal O house of Israel? Will not your ways be unequal?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the children of Israel say: The way of the Lord is not right. Are not my ways right, O house of Israel, and are not rather your ways perverse?

Revised Standard Version
Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?

Young's Literal Translation
And the house of Israel have said, Not pondered is the way of the Lord, My ways -- are they not pondered? O house of Israel -- are not your ways unpondered?

THE MESSAGE
"And yet Israel keeps on whining, ‘That's not fair! God's not fair.' "I'm not fair, Israel? You're the ones who aren't fair.

Contextual Overview

²¹ "Now, if evil people change their lives, they will live and not die. They might stop doing all the bad things they did and begin to carefully obey all my laws. They might become fair and good. ²² God will not remember all the bad things they did. He will remember only their goodness, so they will live!" ²³ The Lord God says, "I don't want evil people to die. I want them to change their lives so that they can live! ²⁴ "Now, maybe good people might stop being good. They might change their lives and begin to do all the terrible things that evil people have done in the past. (The evil people changed, so they can live.) So if those good people change and become bad, God will not remember all the good things they did. He will remember that they turned against him and began to sin. So they will die because of their sin. ²⁵ "You people might say, ‘The Lord isn't fair!' But listen, family of Israel. I am fair. You are the ones who are not fair! ²⁶ If good people change and become evil, they must die for the bad things they do. ²⁷ And if evil people change and become good and fair, they will save their lives. They will live! ²⁸ They saw how wicked they were and came back to me. They stopped doing the evil things they did in the past. So they will live! They will not die!" ²⁹ The people of Israel said, "That's not fair! The Lord isn't fair!" "I am fair! You are the ones who are not fair!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ezekiel 18:2, Ezekiel 18:25, Proverbs 19:3

Reciprocal: Psalms 17:2 - things Isaiah 55:8 - General Ezekiel 33:17 - General Ezekiel 33:20 - Yet Romans 2:2 - judgment

Cross-References

Ephesians 6:18
Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all of God's people.

Hebrews 4:16
With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God's throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Yet saith the house of Israel, the way of the Lord is not equal,.... Though the case was put so many ways, and the thing was made so clear and plain, by the instances given; as, if a man was a just man, let his father be what he would, he should live; but, if his son was a wicked man, he should die; yet, if his son should do well, he should not die for his father's sins, his father only should suffer for his iniquity; and then again, on the one hand, if a seemingly righteous man become an apostate, he should be treated as such; but, on the other hand, if a wicked man repented and reformed, things would go well with him; by all which it most clearly appeared that God did not, and would not, punish children for the sins of their fathers, unless they themselves were guilty of the same; and that the methods of Providence in dealing with men in this world, as they were good or bad, were equal and right, and to be justified:

O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal? This is an appeal to their own consciences, upon the evidence before given.