The Fairness of God’s Judgment

12 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: ‘The mrighteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, nhe 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.’ 13 When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, obut he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die. 14 Again, pwhen I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ if he turns from his sin and does 4what is lawful and 5right, 15 if the wicked qrestores the pledge, rgives back what he has stolen, and walks in sthe statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 16 tNone of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

17 u“Yet the children of your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not 6fair.’ But it is their way which is not fair! 18 vWhen the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. 19 But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. 20 Yet you say, w‘The way of the Lord is not 7fair.’ O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways.”