Workers For Jesus Online Bible Study Table of Contents

About this Bible Study........The King James Version of the Bible is written in a beautiful form of the English language. It can be hard for modern English readers to understand.  In this study, you will find notes and summaries in brown just above the the verses from the Bible. We recommend that you read the notes and summaries first, and then read the verses in their KJV form. 

Timeline of the Bible

God creates the world. --- God destroys the world with the flood, but saves  Noah and his family.---  God chooses Abraham and his descendants to His people. ---Abraham's grandson, Jacob, has 12 sons who lead the 12 tribes of Israel.--- The Israelites become slaves in Egypt.--- God helps the Israelites escape and leads them to Canaan. ---The Israelites fight in wars and take control of Canaan.---Judges lead the Israelites, but the Israelites want to have kings instead of judges. --- David is Israel's greatest king.--- Israel divides into 2 parts: Israel and Judah.---► The people of Israel and Judah continue to sin and worship false gods.--- God allows the Assyrians and the Babylonians to take the Israelites out of Israel and Judah.---  ◄This book of the Bible happens during this time The Israelites (Jews) live in Babylonia and then Persia. --- When Persia defeats the Babylonians, the Jews go back to Judah.--- The Jews build God's Temple in Jerusalem again.--- Greece defeats Persia, and the Greeks control Judah (also now called Israel).--- The Jews become independent for 100 years.-- The Romans take control of Israel.--- Jesus is born. At age 30, Jesus begins his ministry. ---Jesus is crucified and then is resurrected. --- A Roman named Saul is converted to Christianity and becomes Paul.--- Christianity spreads. --- Paul write letters to Christians in other places. In the year, 70 A.D., God's Temple in Jerusalem is destroyed again.

 


Ezekiel 16 - 18
God reminds the Israelites of all the good things He did for them.
God lists the sins that Israel has commited and compares them to Samaria and Sodom.
God gives the Israelites the parable of the eagle with brightly-colored feathers.
God tells the Israelites they will each be judged for their own sins.


Ezekiel was one of the Israelites who got sent away (exiled) to Babylon.  He had lived in Jerusalem before the exile. He was in the first group to be exiled to Babylon.  His book starts 5 years after the exile. He was 30 years old when he began to see visions and became a prophet. Ezekiel and some of the other Israelite exiles had a camp by the river named Chebar.



Ezekiel 16


God tells about the sins Jerusalem has done.


God spoke to me again. He said, "Son of man, I want you to tell Jerusalem what she is doing that is very sinful. Tell her this:  God says you were born in Canaan.  You father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite. When you were born, you were not taken care of. No one felt sorry for you or cared for you.  You were thrown out into an open field.
[1] Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
[2] Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations,
[3] And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite.
[4] And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.
[5] None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born.


 When I saw you in bad shape, I told you to live. I have caused you to multiply so there are a lot of you like buds in a field.  You have increased and become great. You are now in good shape.
[6] And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.
[7] I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare.


When I passed you, I looked at you and protected you. I made a promise to you. You became mine.
[8] Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.


Then, I washed you with water. I anointed you with oil. I put fancy clothes on you. I gave you special shoes. Your clothes were fine linen cloth and silk.
[9] Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.
[10] I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.


I put nice jewelry on you. You wore gold and silver. You had the finest clothes. You ate good food of flour, honey, and oil.  You were very beautiful, and you did very well.
[11] I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck.
[12] And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.
[13] Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.


The heathen countries knew you.  You were famous for your beauty.
[14] And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.


But then you took your jewelry and made false idols. You commited immoral sins.
[15] But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.
[16] And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.
[17] Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,
[18] And tookest thy broidered garments, and coveredst them: and thou hast set mine oil and mine incense before them.


You sacrificed the fine food I gave you to false gods. You sacrificed your own children
[19] My meat also which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, wherewith I fed thee, thou hast even set it before them for a sweet savour: and thus it was, saith the Lord GOD.
[20] Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter,
[21] That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them?


You have forgotten how bad things were when you were young. You have built places to worship false gods in every street.
[22] And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood.
[23] And it came to pass after all thy wickedness, (woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord GOD;)
[24] That thou hast also built unto thee an eminent place, and hast made thee an high place in every street.
You have built many altars to false gods.  You have committed many immoral sins. You have committed sexual sins with the Egyptians.  You have made me very angry.
[25] Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms.
[26] Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke me to anger.


So, I will let the Philistines capture you. I will not protect you.
[27] Behold, therefore I have stretched out my hand over thee, and have diminished thine ordinary food, and delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines, which are ashamed of thy lewd way.


You have committed sexual sins with the Assyrians and other nations in Canaan and Chaldea.
[28] Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied.
[29] Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith.


You have committed many sexual sins.  You are worse than a prostitute.
[30] How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord GOD, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman;
[31] In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire;
[32] But as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband!

You bribe men to have sex with you.
[33] They give gifts to all whores: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom.
[34] And the contrary is in thee from other women in thy whoredoms, whereas none followeth thee to commit whoredoms: and in that thou givest a reward, and no reward is given unto thee, therefore thou art contrary.

Now, hear what God says. You were filthy and sinned a lot.  You sacrificed your children.
[35] Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD:
[36] Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them;


The people you sinned with will turn against you.
[37] Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness.


I will judge you like women who commit adultery and murder are judged.  You will have a violent death.
[38] And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy.


I will give you to the people you sinned with.  They will destroy the bad places where you sinned.  They will take your clothes and jewelry.
[39] And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, and shall break down thy high places: they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare.


They willl bring a crowd against you. They will throw rocks at you and stab you with swords.
[40] They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords.

They will burn your houses with fire. They will punish you in front of many other women. I will make you stop being a prostitute.
[41] And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more.


Then, I will stop being angry. I will be quiet.
[42] So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry.


You have not remembered your young days.  You have caused me worry. That is why you must be punished.
[43] Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted me in all these things; behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way upon thine head, saith the Lord GOD: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations.




God compares Jerusalem to Samaria and Sodom.


People will say, "The daughter is like the mother." You are your mother's daughter.  You are the same as your mother. You are like your sisters. They hated their husbands and their children.  Your mother was a Hittite. Your father was an Amorite.
 [44] Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter.
[45] Thou art thy mother's daughter, that lotheth her husband and her children; and thou art the sister of thy sisters, which lothed their husbands and their children: your mother was an Hittite, and your father an Amorite.


Your older sister is Samaria.  She and her daughters live on your left hand.  Your younger sister is Sodom and her daughters.  They live on your right hand.
[46] And thine elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters that dwell at thy left hand: and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters.

You haven't done what they did. But you have done worse sins than them.
[47] Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations: but, as if that were a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways.


Sodom and her daughters have not done as bad as you and your daughters.
[48] As I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.


These are the things that Sodom and her daughters did:  they had too much stuff, they were lazy, they did not help poor and needy people, and they thought they were better than everyone else.  They committed sins in front of Me.  So, I took them away.
[49] Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
[50] And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.

Samaria hasn't done half as bad as you. You have done many more sins than them.  You have made them look better because of all the sins you have committed.
[51] Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done.

You have criticized Samaria for sinning, but you have done worse. You have made them look better.
[52] Thou also, which hast judged thy sisters, bear thine own shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they: they are more righteous than thou: yea, be thou confounded also, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast justified thy sisters.


Someday, I will bless Sodom and Samaria again.  I will bless you, too. Then, you will be ashamed of how you acted in the past.
[53] When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them:
[54] That thou mayest bear thine own shame, and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them.
[55] When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.


When you were too proud, you didn't even mention your sister, Sodom. You were too proud before your wickedness was found out. After your wickedness was found out, the daughters of the Syrians and the Philistines looked down on you. God says you are guilty of terrible sins.
 [56] For thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day of thy pride,
[57] Before thy wickedness was discovered, as at the time of thy reproach of the daughters of Syria, and all that are round about her, the daughters of the Philistines, which despise thee round about.
[58] Thou hast borne thy lewdness and thine abominations, saith the LORD.

The Lord God said, "I will punish you for what you have done. You have broken your promise. Even so, I will remember My promise to you when you were young. I will keep my promise to you forever.
[59] For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant.
[60] Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.
Then you will remember what you have done.  You will be ashamed.  I will give back your sisters. They will be like your daughters even though that was not the first plan.
 [61] Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger: and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant.

I will honor My promise to you. You will know that I am the Lord. You might remember and be confused. You will be too ashamed to talk about it."
[62] And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD:
[63] That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD.


Ezekiel 17

God gives Ezekiel a parable about an eagle with many different-colored feathers

God spoke to me.  He said, "Son of Man, say this riddle or story (parable) to the house of Israel."   Here is the story:  there was a very big eagle with long wings and many different-colored feathers.  The eagle flew into Lebanon and sat on the highest branch of the cedar tree. He cut off the top of the tree and carried it to a busy city. He also took some seed from Lebanon and planted it by water, like a willow tree.

[1] And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
[2] Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;
[3] And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:
[4] He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of merchants.
[5] He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree.


The seeds grew into a vine that spread low on the ground.  The branches grew up toward the eagle, and the roots were under the eagle. Little branches shot up from the main vine.
[6] And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.
There was another big eagle with many feathers.  This vine bent her roots toward the second eagle. She shot branches toward him so that he could water it.
[7] There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.


It was planted in good soil by the big river. It will grow with new branches and bear fruit.  It will be a good vine.
[8] It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine.


The Lord God said, "Will it do well?  Will he pull it up by the roots and cut off the fruit so it withers? It will wither without anyone pulling it up.  It will wither when the east wind blows on it."
[9] Say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof.
[10] Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew.


The Lord's word came to Ezekiel.  He said, "Ask the rebellious people if they know what this all means. It means the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took the king and princes. He led them to Babylon.  He made a promise to the king's descendants.  They promised to be loyal to Him.

[11] Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
[12] Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon;
[13] And hath taken of the king's seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land:
[14] That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand.


But they did not keep their promise.  They sent people to Egypt asking for horses and more people.  Can he break his promise and still do well?"
[15] But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?
The Lord God said that the king will die in Babylon.  He will die because he broke his promise to God who made him king.
[16] As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.

Pharaoh and his big army will not be able to help him. He broke his promise to God. He will not escape.
[17] Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in the war, by casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons:
[18] Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape.

That is why the Lord God said this, "I will punish him for breaking his promise to me. I will spread my net on him and catch him. I will bring him to Babylon for punishment."
[19] Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head.
[20] And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me.


Everyone who has followed him will die. Anyone who remains will be scattered to all the winds. You will know that I, the Lord, have said this.
[21] And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward all winds: and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken it.

The Lord God said, " I will take the highest branch of the tall cedar.  I will cut it down and then plant it on a high mountain.
[22] Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an
high mountain and eminent:


It will grow on the mountain.  It will have fruit and will be a good tree. All kinds of birds will live under it.
[23] In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.


All of the trees in the field will know that I have brought down the high tree and brought up the low tree.  I have dried up the green tree and made the dry tree to flourish.  I, the Lord, have said this.
[24] And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it.


Ezekiel 18

God tells the Israelites they will each be judged for their own sins.

God spoke to me again. He said, "There is a proverb that talks about fathers, children, and sour grapes. The proverb says that the fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children still taste the bad, sour taste. I am telling you that you won't be able to use the proverb in Israel any more.
[1] The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,
[2] What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?
[3] As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.

All souls belong to me - the souls of the fathers and the souls of the children.  Any soul that sins will die.
[4] Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

People who do not sin and who do good things will live.   These are some of the good things people can do:  not worship idols, not having sexual relations with someone else's wife or husband,  not having sexual relations with a woman who is having her monthly cycle, not mistreating other people, helping people who are in debt, not being violent, helping hungry people, giving poor people clothes, not loaning money with high interest, not cheating,  not doing evil things, being fair, and following God's laws.
[5] But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,
[6] And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,
[7] And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;
[8] He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,
[9] Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD.


A good man had a son who was not good. His son stole, hurt other people, ate food in places for false idol worship, had immoral relations with his neighbor's wife, was bad to poor people, was violent, did not keep his promises, worshiped idols, and loaned money with high interest.  Should this son live? He will not live because he has done so many bad things.
[10] If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things,
[11] And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour's wife,
[12] Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,
[13] Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.

Then, a bad man has a son. The son sees all of his father's sins. He decided he wasn't going to be bad like his father. He did not eat food in false idol worship places, he did not worship idols, he did not have immoral relations with his neighbor's wife, he kept his promises, he was not violent, he helped people who were poor and needy, he gave clothes to poor people, he did not loan money with high interest, and he kept God's laws. He will live.
[14] Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father's sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like,
[15] That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour's wife,
[16] Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment,
[17] That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.


The good man's father was bad.  He was violent and broke God's laws.  He will die.
[18] As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.


You will ask why the son does not die because of his father's sins. The son will live because he did not sin.
[19] Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.

The soul that sins will die.  The son will not die just because the father sinned. And the father will not die if his son sins. Each person is responsible for their own sins.
[20] The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

But if a bad person will stop sinning and start obeying God's laws, he will live. He will not die. His sins will not be discussed.  His good behavior will be rewarded.
[21] But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
[22] All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.


The Lord God says that He is not happy when bad people die.  They should start behaving well so they can live.
[23] Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?


If a good person starts to behave badly and starts to sin, can he still live? His good actions in the past will not be discussed. He will die because of  his sins.
[24] But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

You say that the Lord's way is not fair.  God says, "Listen to me, Israel.  Isn't My way fair and aren't your ways not fair?
[25] Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?


When a good man turns away and starts to sin, he dies for his sins. But when a wicked man turns away from sin and starts to be good, he saves his soul and lives. He will not die for his sins because he changed.
[26] When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.
[27] Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
[28] Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.


But you say My ways are not fair. Are your ways fair? I will judge each of you by your own actions. Stop sinning so that you will not die. Have a new heart and behave good. I am not happy about the people who sin and die.  So, turn yourselves around so that you can live."
[29] Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?
[30] Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
[31] Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
[32] For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.