10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel: Ye speak thus, saying, Our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we are consumed because of them. How should we then live? 11 Say unto them, As I live, said the Lord GOD, I do not desire the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and that he live; turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
12 And thou, son of man, say unto the sons of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him the day that he rebels; and the wickedness of the wicked shall not impede him in the day that he turns from his wickedness; and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness in the day that he sins. 13 When I am saying to the righteous, Thou shalt shall surely live and he trusting in his own righteousness commits iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he has committed, he shall die for it. 14 And, when I am saying unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turns from his sin, and does judgment and righteousness 15 if the wicked restores the pledge, returns that which he had robbed, walks in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity he shall surely live; he shall not die. 16 None of his sins that he has committed shall be mentioned unto him. Has he lived according to judgment and righteousness? He shall surely live.
17 Then the sons of thy people shall say, The way of the Lord is not straight: but their way is the one that is not straight. 18 When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die thereby. 19 And when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does judgment and righteousness, he shall live thereby. 20 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not straight. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you each one after his ways.