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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
Ezekiel 18 addresses the exiles' complaint that they were being punished for their ancestors' sins. God establishes that each person stands accountable for their own choices, that the wicked who repents will live, and that He earnestly desires repentance rather than death. The chapter ends with this tender appeal.
What Does Ezekiel 18:32 Mean?
Ezekiel 18:32 reveals God's heart toward the sinner: He takes no pleasure in anyone's destruction and earnestly pleads with people to turn and live. This verse closes a chapter in which God dismantles a popular excuse. The exiles were quoting a proverb that blamed their suffering on their fathers' sins, as though they were trapped by a fate they had no part in choosing. God answers that each person is accountable for their own life, and -- more wonderfully -- that the door of repentance stands open to everyone right now.
The most striking words are "I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth." Judgment is real, but it is not God's delight. He is not eager to condemn; He longs to save. The command "turn yourselves" calls for a genuine change of direction, a turning away from sin and back toward God. The promise attached is simple and full of grace: "and live ye." This is not a grudging offer but an invitation pressed upon the hearer by a God who would far rather forgive than punish. No one reading this verse can say their case is hopeless or that God is unwilling. The path back is always open to the one who will take it.
In the Original Language
The Hebrew shuv means to turn back or return, the great word for repentance, and chayah means to live -- the life God promises to all who turn to Him.
Cross References
“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?”
- Ezekiel 18:23
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
- 2 Peter 3:9
“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”
- Isaiah 55:7
Application
If you have ever feared that you are too far gone for God to want you back, this verse answers that fear. God does not delight in your downfall; He pleads for your return. Whatever direction your life has taken, you can turn today. The invitation to repent and live is held out to you personally, in love.