< Ezekiel 18 >
1 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying,
耶和華的話又臨到我說:
2 Why do you make use of this saying about the land of Israel, The fathers have been tasting bitter grapes and the children's teeth are on edge?
「你們在以色列地怎麼用這俗語說『父親吃了酸葡萄,兒子的牙酸倒了』呢?」
3 By my life, says the Lord, you will no longer have this saying in Israel.
主耶和華說:「我指着我的永生起誓,你們在以色列中,必不再有用這俗語的因由。
4 See, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so the soul of the son is mine: death will be the fate of the sinner's soul.
看哪,世人都是屬我的;為父的怎樣屬我,為子的也照樣屬我;犯罪的,他必死亡。
5 But if a man is upright, living rightly and doing righteousness,
「人若是公義,且行正直與合理的事:
6 And has not taken flesh with the blood for food, or given worship to the images of the children of Israel; if he has not had connection with his neighbour's wife, or come near to a woman at the time when she is unclean;
未曾在山上吃過祭偶像之物,未曾仰望以色列家的偶像,未曾玷污鄰舍的妻,未曾在婦人的經期內親近她,
7 And has done no wrong to any, but has given back to the debtor what is his, and has taken no one's goods by force, and has given food to him who was in need of it, and clothing to him who was without it;
未曾虧負人,乃將欠債之人的當頭還給他;未曾搶奪人的物件,卻將食物給飢餓的人吃,將衣服給赤身的人穿;
8 And has not given his money out at interest or taken great profits, and, turning his hand from evil-doing, has kept faith between man and man,
未曾向借錢的弟兄取利,也未曾向借糧的弟兄多要,縮手不作罪孽,在兩人之間,按至理判斷;
9 And has been guided by my rules and has kept my laws and done them: he is upright, life will certainly be his, says the Lord.
遵行我的律例,謹守我的典章,按誠實行事-這人是公義的,必定存活。這是主耶和華說的。
10 If he has a son who is a thief, a taker of life, who does any of these things,
「他若生一個兒子,作強盜,是流人血的,不行以上所說之善,反行其中之惡,乃在山上吃過祭偶像之物,並玷污鄰舍的妻,
11 Who has taken flesh with the blood as food, and has had connection with his neighbour's wife,
12 Has done wrong to the poor and to him who is in need, and taken property by force, and has not given back to one in his debt what is his, and has given worship to images and has done disgusting things,
虧負困苦和窮乏的人,搶奪人的物,未曾將當頭還給人,仰望偶像,並行可憎的事,
13 And has given out his money at interest and taken great profits: he will certainly not go on living: he has done all these disgusting things: death will certainly be his fate; his blood will be on him.
向借錢的弟兄取利,向借糧的弟兄多要-這人豈能存活呢?他必不能存活。他行這一切可憎的事,必要死亡,他的罪必歸到他身上。
14 Now if he has a son who sees all his father's sins which he has done, and in fear does not do the same:
「他若生一個兒子,見父親所犯的一切罪便懼怕,不照樣去做;
15 Who has not taken the flesh with the blood for food, or given worship to the images of the children of Israel, and has not had connection with his neighbour's wife,
未曾在山上吃過祭偶像之物,未曾仰望以色列家的偶像,未曾玷污鄰舍的妻,
16 Or done wrong to any, or taken anything from one in his debt, or taken goods by force, but has given food to him who was in need of it, and clothing to him who was without it;
未曾虧負人,未曾取人的當頭,未曾搶奪人的物件,卻將食物給飢餓的人吃,將衣服給赤身的人穿,
17 Who has kept his hand from evil-doing and has not taken interest or great profits, who has done my orders and been guided by my rules: he will certainly not be put to death for the evil-doing of his father; life will certainly be his.
縮手不害貧窮人,未曾向借錢的弟兄取利,也未曾向借糧的弟兄多要;他順從我的典章,遵行我的律例,就不因父親的罪孽死亡,定要存活。
18 As for his father, because he was cruel, took goods by force, and did what is not good among his people, truly, death will overtake him in his evil-doing.
至於他父親;因為欺人太甚,搶奪弟兄,在本國的民中行不善,他必因自己的罪孽死亡。
19 But you say, Why does not the son undergo punishment for the evil-doing of the father? When the son has done what is ordered and right, and has kept my rules and done them, life will certainly be his.
「你們還說:『兒子為何不擔當父親的罪孽呢?』兒子行正直與合理的事,謹守遵行我的一切律例,他必定存活。
20 The soul which does sin will be put to death: the son will not be made responsible for the evil-doing of the father, or the father for the evil-doing of the son; the righteousness of the upright will be on himself, and the evil-doing of the evil-doer on himself.
惟有犯罪的,他必死亡。兒子必不擔當父親的罪孽,父親也不擔當兒子的罪孽。義人的善果必歸自己,惡人的惡報也必歸自己。
21 But if the evil-doer, turning away from all the sins which he has done, keeps my rules and does what is ordered and right, life will certainly be his; death will not be his fate.
「惡人若回頭離開所做的一切罪惡,謹守我一切的律例,行正直與合理的事,他必定存活,不致死亡。
22 Not one of the sins which he has done will be kept in memory against him: in the righteousness which he has done he will have life.
他所犯的一切罪過都不被記念,因所行的義,他必存活。
23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the evil-doer? says the Lord: am I not pleased if he is turned from his way so that he may have life?
主耶和華說:惡人死亡,豈是我喜悅的嗎?不是喜悅他回頭離開所行的道存活嗎?
24 But when the upright man, turning away from his righteousness, does evil, like all the disgusting things which the evil man does, will he have life? Not one of his upright acts will be kept in memory: in the wrong which he has done and in his sin death will overtake him.
義人若轉離義行而作罪孽,照着惡人所行一切可憎的事而行,他豈能存活嗎?他所行的一切義都不被記念;他必因所犯的罪、所行的惡死亡。
25 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?
「你們還說:『主的道不公平!』以色列家啊,你們當聽,我的道豈不公平嗎?你們的道豈不是不公平嗎?
26 When the upright man, turning away from his righteousness, does evil, death will overtake him; in the evil which he has done death will overtake him.
義人若轉離義行而作罪孽死亡,他是因所作的罪孽死亡。
27 Again, when the evil-doer, turning away from the evil he has done, does what is ordered and right, he will have life for his soul.
再者,惡人若回頭離開所行的惡,行正直與合理的事,他必將性命救活了。
28 Because he had fear and was turned away from all the wrong which he had done, life will certainly be his, death will not be his fate.
因為他思量,回頭離開所犯的一切罪過,必定存活,不致死亡。
29 But still the children of Israel say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O children of Israel, are my ways not equal? are not your ways unequal?
以色列家還說:『主的道不公平!』以色列家啊,我的道豈不公平嗎?你們的道豈不是不公平嗎?」
30 For this cause I will be your judge, O children of Israel, judging every man by his ways, says the Lord. Come back and be turned from all your sins; so that they may not be the cause of your falling into evil.
所以主耶和華說:「以色列家啊,我必按你們各人所行的審判你們。你們當回頭離開所犯的一切罪過。這樣,罪孽必不使你們敗亡。
31 Put away all your evil-doing in which you have done sin; and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit: why are you desiring death, O children of Israel?
你們要將所犯的一切罪過盡行拋棄,自做一個新心和新靈。以色列家啊,你們何必死亡呢?
32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him on whom death comes, says the Lord: be turned back then, and have life.
主耶和華說:我不喜悅那死人之死,所以你們當回頭而存活。」