²¹“If an evil person stops sinning and keeps my laws, if he does what is right and good, he will not die; he will certainly live. ²²All his sins will be forgiven, and he will live, because he did what is right. ²³Do you think I enjoy seeing an evil person die?” asks the Sovereign Lord. “No, I would rather see him repent and live.

²⁴“But if a righteous person stops doing good and starts doing all the evil, disgusting things that evil people do, will he go on living? No! None of the good he did will be remembered. He will die because of his unfaithfulness and his sins.

²⁵“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. ²⁶When a righteous person stops doing good and starts doing evil and then dies, he dies because of the evil he has done. ²⁷When someone evil stops sinning and does what is right and good, he saves his life. ²⁸He realizes what he is doing and stops sinning, so he will certainly not die, but go on living. ²⁹And you Israelites say, ‘What the Lord does isn’t right.’ You think my way isn’t right, do you? It is your way that isn’t right.

³⁰“Now I, the Sovereign Lord, am telling you Israelites that I will judge each of you by what you have done. Turn away from all the evil you are doing, and don’t let your sin destroy you. ³¹Give up all the evil you have been doing, and get yourselves new minds and hearts. Why do you Israelites want to die? ³²I do not want anyone to die,” says the Sovereign Lord. “Turn away from your sins and live.”

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