12. And thou, son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness: neither shall he that is righteous be able to live thereby in the day that he sinneth.
13. When I say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his righteousness, and commit iniquity, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered; but in his iniquity that he hath committed, therein shall he die.
14. Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;
15. if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had taken by robbery, walk in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.
16. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be remembered against him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
17. Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
18. When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die therein.
19. And when the wicked turneth from his wickedness, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.
20. Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.