Ezekiel 18:21 (ASV)

Passage

But if the wicked 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.

Nearby Context

Ezekiel 18:19 Yet say ye, Wherefore 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.

Ezekiel 18:20 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.

Ezekiel 18:21 But if the wicked 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.

Ezekiel 18:22 None of his transgressions that he hath committed shall be remembered against him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

Ezekiel 18:23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? saith the Lord Jehovah; and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wicked", "turn", "sins", "hath", "committed", "keep", "statutes", and "lawful". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wicked" and "turn", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "The soul that sinneth it shall die..." into verse 22's "None of his transgressions that he hath...", so "wicked" and "turn" belong inside that flow. In Ezekiel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "wicked" and "turn" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.