Ezekiel 18:25

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.

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?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
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?

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?

Contextual Overview

²¹"But a wicked person who turns his back on that life of sin and keeps all my statutes, living a just and righteous life, he'll live, really live. He won't die. I won't keep a list of all the things he did wrong. He will live. Do you think I take any pleasure in the death of wicked men and women? Isn't it my pleasure that they turn around, no longer living wrong but living right—really living? ²⁴ "The same thing goes for a good person who turns his back on an upright life and starts sinning, plunging into the same vile obscenities that the wicked person practices. Will this person live? I don't keep a list of all the things this person did right, like money in the bank he can draw on. Because of his defection, because he accumulates sin, he'll die. ²⁵"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. ²⁹ "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.

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
God appeared to Abraham at the Oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent. It was the hottest part of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing. He ran from his tent to greet them and bowed before them.

Genesis 18:6
Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. He said, "Hurry. Get three cups of our best flour; knead it and make bread."

Genesis 18:7
Then Abraham ran to the cattle pen and picked out a nice plump calf and gave it to the servant who lost no time getting it ready. Then he got curds and milk, brought them with the calf that had been roasted, set the meal before the men, and stood there under the tree while they ate.

Genesis 18:10
One of them said, "I'm coming back about this time next year. When I arrive, your wife Sarah will have a son." Sarah was listening at the tent opening, just behind the man.

Genesis 18:11
Abraham and Sarah were old by this time, very old. Sarah was far past the age for having babies. Sarah laughed within herself, "An old woman like me? Get pregnant? With this old man of a husband?"

Genesis 18:13
God said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh saying, ‘Me? Have a baby? An old woman like me?' Is anything too hard for God ? I'll be back about this time next year and Sarah will have a baby."

Genesis 18:17
Then God said, "Shall I keep back from Abraham what I'm about to do? Abraham is going to become a large and strong nation; all the nations of the world are going to find themselves blessed through him. Yes, I've settled on him as the one to train his children and future family to observe God 's way of life, live kindly and generously and fairly, so that God can complete in Abraham what he promised him."

Genesis 18:22
The men set out for Sodom, but Abraham stood in God 's path, blocking his way.

Genesis 18:23
Abraham confronted him, "Are you serious? Are you planning on getting rid of the good people right along with the bad? What if there are fifty decent people left in the city; will you lump the good with the bad and get rid of the lot? Wouldn't you spare the city for the sake of those fifty innocents? I can't believe you'd do that, kill off the good and the bad alike as if there were no difference between them. Doesn't the Judge of all the Earth judge with justice?"

Genesis 18:27
Abraham came back, "Do I, a mere mortal made from a handful of dirt, dare open my mouth again to my Master? What if the fifty fall short by five—would you destroy the city because of those missing five?" He said, "I won't destroy it if there are forty-five."

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.