¹¹Tell them that as surely as I, the Sovereign Lord, am the living God, I do not enjoy seeing sinners die. I would rather see them stop sinning and live. Israel, stop the evil you are doing. Why do you want to die?

¹²“Now, mortal man, tell the Israelites that when someone good sins, the good he has done will not save him. If an evil person stops doing evil, he won’t be punished, and if a good person starts sinning, his life will not be spared. ¹³I may promise life to someone good, but if he starts thinking that his past goodness is enough and begins to sin, I will not remember any of the good he did. He will die because of his sins. ¹⁴I may warn someone evil that he is going to die, but if he stops sinning and does what is right and good- ¹⁵for example, if he returns the security he took for a loan or gives back what he stole—if he stops sinning and follows the laws that give life, he will not die, but live. ¹⁶I will forgive the sins he has committed, and he will live because he has done what is right and good.

¹⁷“And your people say that what I do isn’t right! No, it’s their way that isn’t right. ¹⁸When someone righteous stops doing good and starts doing evil, he will die for it. ¹⁹When someone evil gives up sinning and does what is right and good, he has saved his life. ²⁰But Israel, you say that what I do isn’t right. I am going to judge you by what you do.”

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