Ezekiel 18:25

JPS Old Testament

Yet ye say: The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel: Is it My way that is not equal? is it not your ways that are unequal?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“But you say, ‘The Lord’s way isn’t fair.’ Now listen, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair? Instead, isn’t it your ways that are unfair?

Hebrew Names Version
Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, house of Yisra'el: Is my way not equal? Aren't your ways unequal?

King James Version
Yet 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?

English Standard Version
"Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?

New American Standard Bible
"Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' Hear now, house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?

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

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

World English Bible
Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, house of Israel: Is my way not equal? Aren't your ways unequal?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Yet ye say, The way of the Lorde is not equall: heare now, O house of Israel. Is not my way equall? or are not your wayes vnequall?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?

Legacy Standard Bible
Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.' Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?

Berean Standard Bible
Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear now, O house of Israel: Is it My way that is unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

Contemporary English Version
You people of Israel accuse me of being unfair! But listen—I'm not unfair; you are!

Complete Jewish Bible
"So now you say, ‘ Adonai 's way isn't fair.' Listen, house of Isra'el! Is it my way that is unfair? or your ways that are unfair?

Darby Translation
And ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear then, house of Israel. Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?

Easy-to-Read Version
"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!

George Lamsa Translation
Yet you say, The ways of the LORD are not fair. Hear now, O house of Israel; my ways are fair, but it is your ways that are not fair.

Good News Translation
"But you say, ‘What the Lord does isn't right.' Listen to me, you Israelites. Do you think my way of doing things isn't right? It is your way that isn't right.

Lexham English Bible
"Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair!' Listen, now, house of Israel, is my way not fair? Is it not your ways that are not fair?

Literal Translation
Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not fair. Hear now, O house of Israel. Is My way not fair? Are your ways not unfair?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And yet ye saye: Tush, the waye of ye LORDE is not indifferet. Heare therfore ye house of Israel: Is not my waye right? Or, are not youre wayes rather wicked?

American Standard Version
Yet 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?

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

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

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And yet ye say, the way of the Lorde is not indifferent. Heare therefore ye house of Israel, is not my way equall? or are not your wayes rather vnequall?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Yet ye have said, The way of the Lord is not straight. Hear now, all the house of Israel; will not my way be straight? Is your way straight?

English Revised Version
Yet 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?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And ye seiden, The weie of the Lord is not euene. Therfor, the hous of Israel, here ye, whether my weie is not euene, and not more youre weies ben schrewid?

Update Bible Version
Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not fair. Hear now, O house of Israel: Is not my way fair? are not your ways unfair?

Webster's Bible Translation
Yet 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?

New English Translation
"Yet you say, ‘The Lord's conduct is unjust!' Hear, O house of Israel: Is my conduct unjust? Is it not your conduct that is unjust?

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

New Living Translation
"Yet you say, ‘The Lord isn't doing what's right!' Listen to me, O people of Israel. Am I the one not doing what's right, or is it you?

New Life Bible
Yet you say, ‘The Lord is not doing what is right.' Listen, O people of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?

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

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

Douay-Rheims Bible
And you have said: The way of the Lord is not right. Hear ye, therefore, O house of Israel: Is it my way that is not right, and are not rather your ways perverse?

Revised Standard Version
"Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?

Young's Literal Translation
And ye have said, Not pondered is the way of the Lord. Hear, I pray you, O house of Israel, My way -- is it not pondered? Are not your ways unpondered?

THE MESSAGE
"Do I hear you saying, ‘That's not fair! God's not fair!'? "Listen, Israel. I'm not fair? You're the ones who aren't fair! If a good person turns away from his good life and takes up sinning, he'll die for it. He'll die for his own sin. Likewise, if a bad person turns away from his bad life and starts living a good life, a fair life, he will save his life. Because he faces up to all the wrongs he's committed and puts them behind him, he will live, really live. He won't die.

Contextual Overview

²¹ But if the wicked turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all My statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. ²² None of his transgressions that he hath committed shall be remembered against him; for his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. ²³ Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD; and not rather that he should return from his ways, and live? ²⁴ But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? None of his righteous deeds that he hath done shall be remembered; for his trespass that he trespassed, and for his sin that he hath sinned, for them shall he die. ²⁵ Yet ye say: The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel: Is it My way that is not equal? is it not your ways that are unequal? ²⁶ When the righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall die therefor; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. ²⁷ Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. ²⁸ Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. ²⁹ 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?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

way: Ezekiel 18:29, Ezekiel 33:17, Ezekiel 33:20, Job 32:2, Job 34:5-10, Job 35:2, Job 40:8, Job 42:4-6, Malachi 2:17, Malachi 3:13-15, Matthew 20:11-15, Romans 3:5, Romans 3:20, Romans 9:20, Romans 10:3

my: Genesis 18:25, Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalms 50:6, Psalms 145:17, Jeremiah 12:1, Zephaniah 3:5, Romans 2:5, Romans 2:6

are: Psalms 50:21, Jeremiah 2:17-23, Jeremiah 2:29-37, Jeremiah 16:10-13

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 12:7 - reason Job 8:3 - God Job 33:12 - thou Job 33:23 - to Psalms 17:2 - things Psalms 18:25 - thou wilt Isaiah 59:13 - lying Hosea 7:13 - spoken Hosea 14:9 - for Matthew 25:24 - I knew Luke 19:21 - because Romans 2:2 - judgment

Cross-References

Genesis 18:1
And the LORD appeared unto him by the terebinths of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

Genesis 18:2
and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed down to the earth,

Genesis 18:5
And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and stay ye your heart; after that ye shall pass on; forasmuch as ye are come to your servant.' And they said: 'So do, as thou hast said.'

Genesis 18:6
And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said: 'Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.'

Genesis 18:7
And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto the servant; and he hastened to dress it.

Genesis 18:10
And He said: 'I will certainly return unto thee when the season cometh round; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son.' And Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.--

Genesis 18:11
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, and well stricken in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.--

Genesis 18:12
And Sarah laughed within herself, saying: 'After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?'

Genesis 18:13
And the LORD said unto Abraham: 'Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying: Shall I of a surety bear a child, who am old?

Genesis 18:17
And the LORD said: 'Shall I hide from Abraham that which I am doing;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Yet ye say,.... Notwithstanding these plain instances, which show the equity of God in his proceedings, and vindicate his justice in the dispensations of his providence; yet such was the blindness and stupidity of these people, or rather their stubbornness, obstinacy, and impudence, that they still insisted upon it that

the way of the Lord is not equal; just and right; is not even, according to the rules of justice and equity; or is not ordered aright, is not steady, and firm, and consistent with himself, and the declaration of his will; a very bold and blasphemous charge, and yet the Lord condescends to reason with them about it:

hear now, O house of Israel; the ten tribes that were now in captivity; or the Jews that were carried captive with Jeconiah, with those that were still in Jerusalem and Judea; these are called upon to hear the Lord, what he had to say in vindication of himself from this charge, as it was but just and reasonable they should:

is not my way equal? plain and even, constant and uniform, according to the obvious rules of justice and truth? can any instance be given to the contrary? what is to be said to support the charge against me? bring forth your strong reasons if you cart, and prove what is asserted:

are not your ways unequal? it is plain they are; your actions, your course of life, are manifest deviations from my law, and from all the rules of righteousness and goodness; it is you that are in the wrong, and I in the right.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Equal - literally, “weighed out, balanced.” Man’s ways are arbitrary, God’s ways are governed by a self-imposed law, which makes all consistent and harmonious.