New Living Translation
Ezekiel 33:12
12“Son of man, give your people this message: The righteous behavior of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will the wicked behavior of wicked people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins.
Ezekiel 33:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.
- New International Version (NIV)“Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’
- English Standard Version (ESV)"And you, son of man, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness when he sins.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: ‘The righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.’
Context of Ezekiel 33:12
10“Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: You are saying, ‘Our sins are heavy upon us; we are wasting away! How can we survive?’ 11As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die? “Son of man, give your people this message: The righteous behavior of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will the wicked behavior of wicked people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins. 13When I tell righteous people that they will live, but then they sin, expecting their past righteousness to save them, then none of their righteous acts will be remembered. I will destroy them for their sins. 14And suppose I tell some wicked people that they will surely die, but then they turn from their sins and do what is just and right.
Read all of Ezekiel 33Ezekiel 33:12 word by word
וְאַתָּ֣ה בֶן־אָדָ֗ם אֱמֹ֤ר אֶל־בְּנֵֽי־עַמְּךָ֙ צִדְקַ֣ת הַצַּדִּ֗יק לֹ֤א תַצִּילֶ֙נּוּ֙ בְּי֣וֹם פִּשְׁע֔וֹ וְרִשְׁעַ֤ת הָֽרָשָׁע֙ לֹֽא־יִכָּ֣שֶׁל בָּ֔הּ בְּי֖וֹם שׁוּב֣וֹ מֵֽרִשְׁע֑וֹ וְצַדִּ֗יק לֹ֥א יוּכַ֛ל לִֽחְי֥וֹת בָּ֖הּ בְּי֥וֹם חֲטֹאתֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Therefore, thou sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of thy peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- The righteousnessצְדָקָהtsedâqâh · righteousnessH6666
- of the righteousצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662
- shall not deliverנָצַלnâtsal · to rescueH5337
- him in the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- of his transgressionפֶּ֫שַׁעpesha‛ · transgressionH6588
- as for the wickednessרִשְׁעָהrish‛âh · wickednessH7564
- of the wickedרָשָׁעrâshâ‛ · wickedH7563
- he shall not fallכָּשַׁלkâshal · to stumbleH3782
- that he turnethשׁוּבshûb · to return: repentH7725
- from his wickednessרֶ֫שַׁעresha‛ · wickednessH7562
- be ableיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
- to liveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
- that he sinnethחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
Cross-references for Ezekiel 33:12
- Ezekiel 33:2“Son of man, give your people this message: ‘When I bring an army against a country, the people of that land choose one of their own to be a watchman.
- Ezekiel 33:18For again I say, when righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and turn to evil, they will die.
- Ezekiel 3:20“If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths.
- Ezekiel 18:24However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins.
- Ezekiel 33:19But if wicked people turn from their wickedness and do what is just and right, they will live.
- Ezekiel 18:21But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die.
- 1 Kings 8:48If they turn to you with their whole heart and soul in the land of their enemies and pray toward the land you gave to their ancestors—toward this city you have chosen, and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name—
- 2 Chronicles 7:14Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.
- Matthew 21:28“But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’
- Romans 3:25For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,
- 1 John 2:1My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 33:12
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-20Verses 10-20 Those who despaired of finding mercy with God, are answered with a solemn declaration of God's readiness to show mercy. The ruin of the city and state was determined, but that did not relate to the final state of persons. God says to the righteous, that he shall surely live. But many who have made profession, have been ruined by proud confidence in themselves. Man trusts to his own righteousness, and presuming on his own sufficiency, he is…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-16The principle in Ezekiel 33:10–11 is explained through two examples. The first example concerns righteous people. Some trust in their past good behavior to save them. But later they turn to sin. God says he will judge them for their present sin, even if they once lived righteously. Their past obedience will not protect them if they now reject what is right. The second example concerns wicked people who repent. If they turn away from their evil actions and…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. not fall ... in the day that he turneth--(2Ch 7:14; see Eze 3:20; 18:24).Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 33:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezekiel 33
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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