(Translated by https://www.hiragana.jp/)
Ezekiel 18:23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Lord GOD. Wouldn't I prefer that he turn from his ways and live?
Ezekiel 18:23
New International Version
Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?

New Living Translation
“Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign LORD. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.

English Standard Version
Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?

Berean Standard Bible
Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Lord GOD. Wouldn’t I prefer that he turn from his ways and live?

King James Bible
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?

New King James Version
Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord GOD, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?

New American Standard Bible
Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord GOD, “rather than that he would turn from his ways and live?

NASB 1995
“Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord GOD, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?

NASB 1977
“Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord GOD, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?

Legacy Standard Bible
Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares Lord Yahweh, “is it not that he should turn from his ways and live?

Amplified Bible
Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” says the Lord GOD, “rather than that he should turn [away] from his [malevolent] acts and live?

Christian Standard Bible
Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? ” This is the declaration of the Lord GOD. “Instead, don’t I take pleasure when he turns from his ways and lives?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?” This is the declaration of the Lord GOD. “Instead, don’t I take pleasure when he turns from his ways and lives?

American Standard Version
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?

Contemporary English Version
I, the LORD God, don't like to see wicked people die. I had much rather see them turn back from their sins and live.

English Revised Version
Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? saith the Lord GOD: and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I don't want wicked people to die." declares the Almighty LORD. "I want them to turn from their evil ways and live.

Good News Translation
Do you think I enjoy seeing evil people die?" asks the Sovereign LORD. "No, I would rather see them repent and live.

International Standard Version
"I don't take delight in the death of the wicked, do I?" asks the Lord GOD. "Shouldn't I rather delight when he turns from his wicked ways and lives?

Majority Standard Bible
Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Lord GOD. Wouldn’t I prefer that he turn from his ways and live?

NET Bible
Do I actually delight in the death of the wicked, declares the sovereign LORD? Do I not prefer that he turn from his wicked conduct and live?

New Heart English Bible
Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked?" says the Lord GOD; "and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?

Webster's Bible Translation
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?

World English Bible
Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked?” says the Lord Yahweh, “and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Do I take pleasure [or] delight in the death of the wicked?” A declaration of Lord YHWH, “Is it not in his turning back from his way—And he has lived?

Young's Literal Translation
Do I at all desire the death of the wicked? An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Is it not in his turning back from his way -- And he hath lived?

Smith's Literal Translation
Delighting, shall I delight in the death of the unjust one? says the Lord Jehovah: not in his turning back from his way and living?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Is it my will that a sinner should die, saith the Lord God, and not that he should be converted from his ways, and live?

Catholic Public Domain Version
How could it be my will that an impious man should die, says the Lord God, and not that he should be converted from his ways and live?

New American Bible
Do I find pleasure in the death of the wicked—oracle of the Lord GOD? Do I not rejoice when they turn from their evil way and live?

New Revised Standard Version
Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord GOD, and not rather that they should turn from their ways and live?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner, says the LORD God; but rather that he should return from his evil ways and live.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
I do not desire the death of a sinner, says THE LORD OF LORDS, but that he would return from his evil way, and he will live
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD; and not rather that he should return from his ways, and live?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Shall I at all desire death of the sinner, saith the Lord, as I desire that he should turn from his evil way, and live?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Soul who Sins will Die
22None of the transgressions he has committed will be held against him. Because of the righteousness he has practiced, he will live. 23Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Lord GOD. Wouldn’t I prefer that he turn from his ways and live? 24But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity, committing the same abominations as the wicked, will he live? None of the righteous acts he did will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness and sin he has committed, he will die.…

Cross References
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.

1 Timothy 2:4
who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Luke 15:7
I tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent.

Luke 15:10
In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”

Luke 15:32
But it was fitting to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Matthew 18:14
In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. / For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

Romans 2:4
Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?

Acts 17:30-31
Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent. / For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”

1 John 4:9-10
This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. / And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.

Jeremiah 18:7-8
At any time I might announce that a nation or kingdom will be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed. / But if that nation I warned turns from its evil, then I will relent of the disaster I had planned to bring.

Jonah 3:10
When God saw their actions—that they had turned from their evil ways—He relented from the disaster He had threatened to bring upon them.

Micah 7:18
Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?

Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.


Treasury of Scripture

Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? said the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

I any

Ezekiel 18:32
For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

Ezekiel 33:11
Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Lamentations 3:33
For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.

not that

Exodus 34:6,7
And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, …

Job 33:27,28
He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; …

Psalm 147:11
The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

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Ezekiel 18
1. God defends his justice
31. and exhorts to repentance














Do I take any pleasure
The Hebrew word for "pleasure" here is "חֵפֶץ" (chephets), which conveys the idea of delight or desire. This word choice emphasizes God's character as one who does not delight in punishment or destruction. Instead, it reflects His compassionate nature, underscoring that His judgments are not arbitrary but are rooted in justice and mercy. This aligns with the broader biblical narrative that God is love (1 John 4:8) and desires the well-being of His creation.

in the death of the wicked?
The term "wicked" is translated from the Hebrew word "רָשָׁע" (rasha), which refers to those who are morally wrong or guilty. The "death" mentioned here is not just physical death but also spiritual separation from God. This phrase highlights the gravity of sin and its consequences. However, it also reveals God's heart, which is not inclined towards the destruction of sinners but rather towards their redemption and restoration.

declares the Lord GOD
The phrase "declares the Lord GOD" is a solemn affirmation of divine authority. The Hebrew "נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה" (ne'um Adonai YHWH) is used to emphasize that this is not merely a prophet's opinion but a direct statement from the sovereign Creator. It underscores the reliability and seriousness of the message, inviting the audience to trust in God's righteous character and His ultimate authority over life and death.

Wouldn't I prefer
The rhetorical question here is a powerful literary device that invites reflection. The Hebrew root "חָפֵץ" (chaphets) is again used, reinforcing the idea of God's desire or preference. This repetition serves to emphasize that God's will is not for punishment but for repentance and life. It challenges the reader to consider God's true intentions and to align their understanding with His merciful nature.

he turn from his ways
The concept of "turning" is central to the biblical theme of repentance. The Hebrew word "שׁוּב" (shuv) means to return or to turn back. It implies a conscious decision to change direction, moving away from sin and towards God. This phrase highlights the possibility of transformation and renewal, affirming that no one is beyond the reach of God's grace if they choose to repent.

and live?
The word "live" is translated from the Hebrew "חָיָה" (chayah), which means to have life or to be restored to life. This is not just about physical existence but encompasses a full, abundant life in relationship with God. It reflects the ultimate goal of God's redemptive plan: to bring humanity into eternal life through repentance and faith. This phrase encapsulates the hope and promise of the gospel, that through turning to God, one can experience true life.

(23) Have I any pleasure at all?--This brings out that fundamental truth which underlies the whole teaching of both the Old and New Testaments, and which should have satisfied Israel of the Lord's readiness to receive every penitent sinner. God created man; and when he had fallen, ordered both the old and the new dispensations, and employed methods of infinite love to win him to salvation. He can have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; His delight can only be when man fulfils the design for which he was created, and returns to obedience and communion with God. Yet neither, as is declared in the next verse, can the Almighty suffer that His creature should set at nought His love and despise His salvation.

Verse 23. - Have I any pleasure, etc.? Ezekiel's anticipations of the gospel of Christ take a yet wider range, and we come at last to what had been throughout the suppressed premise of the argument. To him, as afterwards to St. Paul (1 Timothy 2:4) and St. Peter (2 Peter 3:9), the mind of God was presented as being at once absolutely righteous and absolutely loving. The death of the wicked, the loss, i.e., of true life, for a time, or even forever, might be the necessary consequence of laws that were righteous in themselves, and were working out the well being of the universe; but that death was not to be thought of as the result of a Divine decree, or contemplated by the Divine mind with any satisfaction. If it were not given to Ezekiel to see, as clearly as Isaiah seems to have seen it, how the Divine philanthropy was to manifest itself, he at least gauged that philanthropy itself, and found it fathomless.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Do I take any pleasure
הֶחָפֹ֤ץ (he·ḥā·p̄ōṣ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 2654: To incline to, to bend, to be pleased with, desire

in the death
מ֣וֹת (mō·wṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4194: Death, the dead, their place, state, pestilence, ruin

of the wicked?
רָשָׁ֔ע (rā·šā‘)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7563: Wrong, an, bad person

declares
נְאֻ֖ם (nə·’um)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5002: An oracle

the Lord
אֲדֹנָ֣י (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

GOD.
יְהוִ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3069: YHWH

Would I not prefer
הֲל֛וֹא (hă·lō·w)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

he turn
בְּשׁוּב֥וֹ (bə·šū·ḇōw)
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

from his ways
מִדְּרָכָ֖יו (mid·də·rā·ḵāw)
Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

and live?
וְחָיָֽה׃ (wə·ḥā·yāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2421: To live, to revive


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 18:23 Have I any pleasure in the death (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 18:22
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