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18.23 not rather that he should return from his ways, and live?

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? None of his righteous deeds that he hath done shall be remembered; for his trespass that he trespassed, and for his sin that he hath sinned, for them shall he die. Yet ye say: The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel: Is it My way that is not equal? is it not your ways that are unequal? When the righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall die therefor; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. 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. Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Yet saith the house of Israel: The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, is it My ways that are not equal? is it not your ways that are unequal? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord. Return ye, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so shall they not be a stumblingblock of iniquity unto you. Cast away from you all your transgressions, wherein ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord ; wherefore turn yourselves, and live.

Moreover, take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, and say:


 * How was thy mother a lioness;
 * Among lions she couched,
 * In the midst of the young lions
 * She reared her whelps!
 * And she brought up one of her whelps,
 * He became a young lion;
 * And he learned to catch the prey,
 * He devoured men.
 * Then the nations assembled against him,
 * He was taken in their pit;
 * And they brought him with hooks
 * Unto the land of Egypt.


 * Now when she saw that she was disappointed,
 * And her hope was lost,
 * Then she took another of her whelps,
 * And made him a young lion.
 * And he went up and down among the lions,
 * He became a young lion;
 * And he learned to catch the prey,
 * He devoured men.
 * And he knew their castles,
 * And laid waste their cities;
 * And the land was desolate,
 * And the fulness thereof,
 * Because of the noise of his roaring.


 * Then the nations cried out against him
 * On every side from the provinces;
 * And they spread their net over him,
 * He was taken in their pit.
 * And they put him in a cage with hooks,
 * And brought him to the king of Babylon;
 * That they might bring him into strongholds,