Ezekiel 18

1 The LORD’s word came to me again, saying,

And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

2 “What do you mean, that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?

What mean ye, that ye use this proverb in the country of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge?

3 “As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “you shall not use this proverb any more in Israel.

As I live, saith the Lord Eternal, ye shall not have any more to use this proverb in Israel.

4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine. The soul who sins, he shall die.

Behold, all the souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son—mine are they: the soul which sinneth that alone shall die.

5 “But if a man is just, and does that which is lawful and right,

But if a man be righteous, and execute justice and righteousness;

6 and has not eaten on the mountains, has not lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled his neighbor’s wife, has not come near a woman in her impurity,

Upon the mountains he eateth not, and his eyes he lifteth not up to the idols of the house of Israel, and the wife of his neighbor he defileth not, and unto a woman in her separation he cometh not near;

7 and has not wronged any, but has restored to the debtor his pledge, has taken nothing by robbery, has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;

And he over-reacheth no man, he restoreth his pledge for a debt, a robbery he doth not commit, his bread he giveth to the hungry, and the naked he covereth with a garment;

8 he who has not lent to them with interest, has not taken any increase from them, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man,

Upon interest he giveth not forth, and increase he doth not take, from wrong he withdraweth his hand, true judgment he executeth between man and man;

9 has walked in my statutes, and has kept my ordinances, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live,” says the Lord GOD.

In my statutes he walketh steadfastly, and my ordinances he keepeth to deal truly: he is righteous, he shall surely live, saith the Lord Eternal.

10 “If he fathers a son who is a robber who sheds blood, and who does any one of these things,

If he [now] beget a dissolute son that sheddeth blood and doth to [his] brother any one of thee things;

11 or who does not do any of those things but has eaten at the mountain shrines and defiled his neighbor’s wife,

And he is one that doth not any of these [duties]; but eateth even upon the mountains, and defileth the wife of his neighbor;

12 has wronged the poor and needy, has taken by robbery, has not restored the pledge, and has lifted up his eyes to the idols, has committed abomination,

The poor and needy he over-reacheth, he is guilty of robberies, the pledge he restoreth not, and to the idols he lifteth up his eyes, abominations he committeth:

13 has lent with interest, and has taken increase from the poor, shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations. He shall surely die. His blood will be on him.

Upon interest he giveth forth, and increase he taketh: and he should live? he shall not live; all these abominations hath he done, he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.

14 “Now, behold, if he fathers a son who sees all his father’s sins which he has done, and fears, and does not do likewise,

And behold, if he beget a son, who seeth all the sins of his father which he hath done, and he considereth, and doth not the like of them;

15 who has not eaten on the mountains, has not lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled his neighbor’s wife,

Upon the mountains he eateth not, and his eyes he lifteth not up to the idols of the house of Israel, the wife of his neighbor he defileth not;

16 has not wronged any, has not taken anything to pledge, has not taken by robbery, but has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;

And he over-reacheth no man, a pledge he withholdeth not, and of a robbery he is never guilty, his bread he giveth to the hungry, and the naked he covereth with a garment;

17 who has withdrawn his hand from the poor, who has not received interest or increase, has executed my ordinances, has walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father. He shall surely live.

From the poor he withdraweth his hand, interest and increase he taketh not: my ordinances he executeth; in my statutes he walketh: —he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.

18 As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother, and did that which is not good among his people, behold, he will die in his iniquity.

His father, because he unjustly withheld [wages], was guilty of robbery on his brother, and did that which is not good in the midst of his people, —and lo, he died through his iniquity.

19 “Yet you say, ‘Why does not the son bear the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done that which is lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he will surely live.

Yet say ye, Why doth not the son bear part of the iniquity of the father? when the son hath executed justice and righteousness, all my statutes hath he kept, and hath done them: he shall surely live.

20 The soul who sins, he shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.

The soul that sinneth, she alone shall die; the son shall not help to bear the iniquity of the father and the father shall not help to bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

21 “But if the wicked turns from all his sins that he has committed, and keeps all my statutes, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live. He shall not die.

And the wicked, when he turneth away from all his sins that he hath committed, and keepeth all my statutes, and executeth justice and righteousness, shall surely live, he shall not die.

22 None of his transgressions that he has committed will be remembered against him. In his righteousness that he has done, he shall live.

All his transgressions which he hath committed shall not be remembered unto him: through his righteousness which he hath done shall he live.

23 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?

Have I then the least pleasure in the death of the wicked? saith the Lord Eternal: and not in his turning away from his ways, that he may live?

24 “But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, should he live? None of his righteous deeds that he has done will be remembered. In his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them he shall die.

But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth wrong, and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? all his righteousness that he hath done shall not he remembered: through his trespass which he hath committed, and through his sin that he hath done, —through them shall he die.

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

Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equitable: hear now, O house of Israel, Is not my way equitable? is it not your ways which are not equitable?

26 When the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies in it, then he dies in his iniquity that he has done.

When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and doth wrong, and dieth therefore: through his wrong which he hath done must he die.

27 Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he will save his soul alive.

Again, when the wicked turneth away from his wickedness which he hath committed, and executeth justice and righteousness: he shall indeed preserve his soul alive.

28 Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live. He shall not die.

Because he hath considered, and turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed: he shall surely live, he shall not die.

29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ House of Israel, are not my ways fair? Are not your ways unfair?

Yet say the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equitable: are not my ways equitable, O house of Israel? is it not your ways which are not equitable?

30 “Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, everyone according to his ways,” says the Lord GOD. “Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity will not be your ruin.

Therefore will I judge you, every one according to his ways, O house of Israel, saith the Lord Eternal: return ye, and cause others to return from all your transgressions, that iniquity may not become your stumbling-block.

31 Cast away from you all your transgressions in which you have transgressed; and make yourself a new heart and a new spirit. For why will you die, house of Israel?

Cast away from yourselves all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Therefore turn yourselves, and live!

For I have no pleasure in the death of him that deserveth to die, saith the Lord Eternal: therefore convert yourselves, and live.