God's Justice and Individual Accountability

10

"Therefore, you, human being, say to the house of Isra'el: 'You say, "Our crimes and sins are weighing us down, we're pining away because of them, how can we even stay alive?"'

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Say to them, 'As I live,' swears Adonai ELOHIM, 'I take no pleasure in having the wicked person die, but in having the wicked person turn from his way and live. So repent! Turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, house of Isra'el?'

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"Next, you, human being, say to your people: 'The righteousness of the righteous person will not save him, once he starts committing crimes; and likewise, the wickedness of the wicked person will not cause him to fall, once he turns from his wickedness. No, the righteous person cannot live by virtue of [his former righteousness], once he starts sinning.

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So if, after I tell the righteous person that he will surely live, he begins trusting in his own [former] righteousness and starts committing crimes; then none of his [former] righteous actions will be remembered; on the contrary, he will die for the evil deeds he has committed.

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Likewise, if, after I tell the wicked person, "You must die," he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right -

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if the wicked person restores pledged property and returns what he stole, so that he lives by the laws that give life and does not commit evil deeds; then he will live, he will not die.

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None of the sins he committed will be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he will surely live.'

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"Now your people say, 'Adonai's way isn't fair!' But it is their way, theirs, that isn't fair!

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When the righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits wickedness, he will die because of it.

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And when the wicked person turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he will live because of it.

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Yet you say, 'Adonai's way isn't fair!' House of Isra'el, I will judge each of you according to his ways."

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