Ezekiel 18:25

KJV1611 – Modern English

Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not equal.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is not My way equal? Are not your ways unequal?

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם לֹ֥א יִתָּכֵ֖ן דֶּ֣רֶךְ אֲדֹנָ֑י שִׁמְעוּ־נָא֙ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הֲדַרְכִּי֙ לֹ֣א יִתָּכֵ֔ן הֲלֹ֥א דַרְכֵיכֶ֖ם לֹ֥א יִתָּכֵֽנוּ׃

Transliteration

wa- ʾămartem lōʾ yittākēn derek ʾădōnāy šimʿû-nāʾ bêt yiśrāʾēl hă- darkî lōʾ yittākēn hă- lōʾ darkêkem lōʾ yittākēnû

Grammar Details

• *wa-*: conjunction - and
• *ʾămartem*: Qal perfect 2nd masculine plural - you have said
• *lōʾ*: negative particle - not
• *yittākēn*: Niphal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - it is established
• *derek*: masculine singular construct - way of
• *ʾădōnāy*: divine title - Lord
• *šimʿû*: Qal imperative masculine plural - hear
• *nāʾ*: particle of entreaty - please
• *bêt*: masculine singular construct - house of
• *yiśrāʾēl*: proper noun - Israel
• *hă-*: interrogative particle - whether
• *darkî*: masculine singular noun with 1st person singular suffix - my way
• *darkêkem*: masculine plural noun with 2nd masculine plural suffix - your ways
• *yittākēnû*: Niphal imperfect 3rd masculine plural - they are established

Word Meanings

• *yittākēn*: is established/is right/is just/is fair
• *derek*: way/path/conduct
• *šimʿû*-*nāʾ*: please hear/listen now/hear attentively
• *yittākēnû*: are established/are right/are just/are fair

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear me, O house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Yet ye say,{H559} The way{H1870} of the Lord{H136} is not equal.{H8505} Hear{H8085} now, O house{H1004} of Israel:{H3478} Is not my way{H1870} equal?{H8505} are not your ways{H1870} unequal?{H8505}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Yet ye say{H559}{(H8804)}, The way{H1870} of the Lord{H136} is not equal{H8505}{(H8735)}. Hear{H8085}{(H8798)} now, O house{H1004} of Israel{H3478}; Is not my way{H1870} equal{H8505}{(H8735)}? are not your ways{H1870} unequal{H8505}{(H8735)}?

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And yet ye saye: Tush, the waye of ye LORDE is not indifferet. Heare therfore ye house of Israel: Is not my waye right? Or, are not youre wayes rather wicked?

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Yet ye say, The way of the Lorde is not equall: heare now, O house of Israel. Is not my way equall? or are not your wayes vnequall?

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And yet ye say, the way of the Lorde is not indifferent. Heare therefore ye house of Israel, is not my way equall? or are not your wayes rather vnequall?

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, house of Israel: Is my way not equal? Aren't your ways unequal?

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  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?

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel: Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel: Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  But you say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Give ear, now, O children of Israel; is my way not equal? are not your ways unequal?

• World English Bible (2000)

  Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, house of Israel: Is my way not equal? Aren't your ways unequal?

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  “Yet you say,‘The Lord’s conduct is unjust!’ Hear, O house of Israel: Is my conduct unjust? Is it not your conduct that is unjust?

Referenced Verses

• Ezek 33:17 : 17 Yet the children of your people say, The way of the Lord is not fair: but it is their way that is not fair.
• Ezek 33:20 : 20 Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not fair. O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his ways.
• Zeph 3:5 : 5 The just LORD is in the midst of her; he will not do wrong: every morning he brings his judgment to light, he fails not; but the unjust know no shame.
• Mal 2:17 : 17 You have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet you say, How have we wearied him? When you say, Everyone that does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them; or, Where is the God of justice?
• Mal 3:13-15 : 13 Your words have been harsh against me, says the LORD. Yet you say, 'What have we spoken against you?'. 14 You have said, 'It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?'. 15 And now we call the proud blessed; yes, those who do wickedness are raised up; yes, those who test God go free.
• Gen 18:25 : 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
• Jer 12:1 : 1 Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead with You; yet let me speak with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are all those happy who deal very treacherously?
• Ezek 18:29 : 29 Yet says the house of Israel, ‘The way of the Lord is not equal.’ O house of Israel, are not My ways equal? Are not your ways unequal?
• Jer 16:10-13 : 10 And it shall come to pass, when you show this people all these words, and they say to you, Why has the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God? 11 Then you shall say to them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, says the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshiped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law. 12 And you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, each one walks after the imagination of his evil heart, so that you do not listen to me. 13 Therefore I will cast you out of this land into a land that you do not know, neither you nor your fathers, and there you shall serve other gods day and night, where I will not show you favor.
• Deut 32:4 : 4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
• Job 32:2 : 2 Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was kindled against Job, because he justified himself rather than God.
• Job 34:5-9 : 5 For Job has said, I am righteous; and God has taken away my justice. 6 Should I lie against my right? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression. 7 What man is like Job, who drinks up scorn like water? 8 Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, and walks with wicked men. 9 For he has said, It profits a man nothing to delight himself in God. 10 Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God to do wickedness, and from the Almighty to commit iniquity.
• Job 35:2 : 2 Do you think this to be right, that you said, My righteousness is more than God's?
• Job 40:8 : 8 Will you also annul my judgment? Will you condemn me, that you may be justified?
• Job 42:4-6 : 4 Listen, I beseech You, and I will speak: I will question You, and You declare to me. 5 I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. 6 Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
• Ps 50:6 : 6 And the heavens shall declare His righteousness: for God Himself is judge. Selah.
• Ps 50:21 : 21 These things you have done, and I kept silence; you thought that I was altogether like you: but I will reprove you, and set them in order before your eyes.
• Ps 145:17 : 17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
• Jer 2:17-23 : 17 Have you not brought this upon yourself, in that you have forsaken the LORD your God, when he led you in the way? 18 And now what do you have to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what do you have to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river? 19 Your own wickedness shall correct you, and your backslidings shall reprove you: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that you have forsaken the LORD your God, and that my fear is not in you, says the Lord GOD of hosts. 20 For from of old I have broken your yoke, and burst your bonds; and you said, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree you wandered, playing the harlot. 21 Yet I had planted you a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then have you turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine to me? 22 For though you wash yourself with lye, and take much soap, yet your iniquity is marked before me, says the Lord GOD. 23 How can you say, I am not defiled, I have not gone after Baalim? see your way in the valley, know what you have done: you are a swift dromedary traversing her ways;
• Jer 2:29-37 : 29 Why will you plead with me? you all have transgressed against me, says the LORD. 30 In vain have I struck your children; they received no correction: your own sword has devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion. 31 O generation, behold the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Israel? a land of darkness? why do my people say, We are lords; we will come no more to you? 32 Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number. 33 Why do you beautify your way to seek love? therefore you have also taught the wicked ones your ways. 34 Also in your skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these. 35 Yet you say, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with you, because you say, I have not sinned. 36 Why do you go about so much to change your way? you also shall be ashamed of Egypt, as you were ashamed of Assyria. 37 Yes, you shall go forth from him, with your hands upon your head: for the LORD has rejected your confidences, and you shall not prosper in them.
• Matt 20:11-15 : 11 And when they had received it, they grumbled against the master of the house, 12 Saying, These last have worked but one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do you no wrong: did you not agree with me for a penny? 14 Take what is yours, and go your way: I will give to this last, even as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? Is your eye evil, because I am good?
• Rom 2:5-6 : 5 But because of your hardness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who will render to each person according to his deeds:
• Rom 3:5 : 5 But if our unrighteousness highlights the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man)
• Rom 3:20 : 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
• Rom 9:20 : 20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Shall the thing formed say to Him who formed it, Why have you made me like this?
• Rom 10:3 : 3 For being ignorant of God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to the righteousness of God.