Ezekiel 3:20 net — “When a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I set an obstacle before him, he will d…

NET Bible

"“When a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I set an obstacle before him, he will die. If you have not warned him, he will die for his sin. The righteous deeds he performed will not be considered, but I will hold you accountable for his death."

— Ezekiel 3:20, NET Bible

Read in Another Translation

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Ezekiel 3:20 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.”

  • ASV

    “Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thy hand. ”

  • WEB

    “Again, when a righteous man does turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die: because you have not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at your hand.”

  • DRB

    “Moreover if the just man shall turn away from his justice, and shall commit iniquity: I will lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die, because thou hast not given him warning: he shall die in his sin, and his justices which he hath done, shall not be remembered: but I will require his blood at thy hand.”

  • BBE

    “Again, when an upright man, turning away from his righteousness, does evil, and I put a cause of falling in his way, death will overtake him: because you have given him no word of his danger, death will overtake him in his evil-doing, and there will be no memory of the upright acts which he has done; but I will make you responsible for his blood.”

  • KJVA

    “Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.”

Ezekiel 3 — Context

17

“Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you must give them a warning from me.

18

When I say to the wicked,“You will certainly die,” and you do not warn him– you do not speak out to warn the wicked to turn from his wicked lifestyle so that he may live– that wicked person will die for his iniquity, but I will hold you accountable for his death.

19

But as for you, if you warn the wicked and he does not turn from his wicked deed and from his wicked lifestyle, he will die for his iniquity but you will have saved your own life.

20

“When a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I set an obstacle before him, he will die. If you have not warned him, he will die for his sin. The righteous deeds he performed will not be considered, but I will hold you accountable for his death.

21

However, if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he will certainly live because he was warned, and you will have saved your own life.”

22

Isolated and Silenced The hand of the LORD rested on me there, and he said to me,“Get up, go out to the valley, and I will speak with you there.”

23

So I got up and went out to the valley, and the glory of the LORD was standing there, just like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River, and I threw myself face down.

Ezekiel 3:20 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Ezekiel 3:20 say?
Ezekiel 3:20 in the NET Bible reads: ““When a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I set an obstacle before him, he will die. If you have not warned him, he will die for his sin. The righteous deeds he performed will not be considered, but I will hold you accountable for his death.”
Where is Ezekiel 3:20 in the Bible?
Ezekiel 3:20 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Ezekiel, chapter 3, verse 20.
Who wrote Ezekiel?
Ezekiel is traditionally attributed to Ezekiel the priest. It was written c. 593–571 BC.
What is the book of Ezekiel about?
Ezekiel ministers among the exiles in Babylon with vivid visions, sign-acts, and oracles. He sees God's glory depart from a defiled temple, then promises dry bones brought to life, a new heart, and a restored temple — pictures of resurrection and the new covenant fulfilled in Christ.
What are the major themes of Ezekiel?
Ezekiel explores themes including Glory of God, Judgment, New Heart, Resurrection, New Temple. These themes shape the meaning and context of Ezekiel 3:20.
What translation should I read Ezekiel 3:20 in?
Ezekiel 3:20 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Ezekiel 3:20?
Ezekiel 3:20 reads (NET): ““When a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I set an obstacle before him, he will die. If you have not warned him, he will die for his sin. The righteous deeds he performed will not be considered, but I will hold you accountable for his death.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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