Ezekiel 18:27 (YLT)

Passage

And in the turning back of the wicked From his wickedness that he hath done, And he doth judgment and righteousness, He his soul doth keep alive.

Nearby Context

Ezekiel 18:25 And ye have said, Not pondered is the way of the Lord. Hear, I pray you, O house of Israel, My way--is it not pondered? Are not your ways unpondered?

Ezekiel 18:26 In the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, And he hath done perversity, And he is dying by them, for his perversity That he hath done he dieth.

Ezekiel 18:27 And in the turning back of the wicked From his wickedness that he hath done, And he doth judgment and righteousness, He his soul doth keep alive.

Ezekiel 18:28 And he seeth and turneth back, From all his transgressions that he hath done, He doth surely live, he doth not die,

Ezekiel 18:29 And the house of Israel have said, Not pondered is the way of the Lord, My ways--are they not pondered? O house of Israel--are not your ways unpondered?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "turning", "back", "wicked", "wickedness", "hath", "done", "doth", and "judgment". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "turning" and "back", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 26's "In the turning back of the righteous..." into verse 28's "And he seeth and turneth back From...", so "turning" and "back" 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 "turning" and "back" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.