12. Therefore, thou son of man, say to the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.
13. When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he shall trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.
14. Again, when I say to the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he shall turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;
15. If the wicked shall restore the pledge, give again that which he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.
16. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned to 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, for that he shall even die.
19. But if the wicked shall turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, for that he shall live.
20. Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.
21. And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came to me, saying, The city is smitten.
22. Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, before he that had escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.
23. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
24. Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given to us for inheritance.
25. Wherefore say to them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes towards your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land?