Ezekiel 18
1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
上主的話傳給我說：「
2 “Why is it that you circulate among yourselves this parable, as a proverb in the land of Israel, saying: ‘The fathers ate a bitter grape, and the teeth of the sons have been affected.’
在以色列地區內，你們有這樣流行的俗話說：『祖先吃了酸葡萄，而子孫的牙酸倒』這話有什麼意思﹖
3 As I live, says the Lord God, this parable shall no longer be a proverb for you in Israel.
我指著我的生命起誓──吾主上主的斷語──在以色列決不能再容許這俗話流行。
4 Behold, all souls are mine. Just as the soul of the father is mine, so also is the soul of the son. The soul that sins, the same shall die.
所有的生命都屬於我，祖先的生命與子孫的生命全屬於我；誰犯罪，誰喪亡。
5 And if a man is just, and he accomplishes judgment and justice,
一個人若正義，必行公道正義的事。
6 and if he does not eat upon the mountains, nor lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and if he has not violated the wife of his neighbor, nor approached a menstruating woman,
他不上山吃祭物，不舉目瞻仰以色列家族的偶像，不污辱近人的妻子，不接近經期中的婦女，
7 and if he has not grieved any man, but has restored the collateral to the debtor, if he has seized nothing by violence, has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment,
不欺壓任何人，清還債戶的抵押，不搶劫，施給饑餓者食物，給赤身者衣穿，
8 if he has not lent upon usury, nor taken any increase, if he has averted his hand from iniquity, and has executed true judgment between man and man,
不放重利，不取息金，使自己的手遠避邪惡，在人與人之間執行公正的審斷，
9 if he has walked in my precepts and kept my judgments, so that he acts in accord with truth, then he is just; he shall certainly live, says the Lord God.
遵行我的法度，謹守我的誡命，行事忠信：這樣的人纔是正義的，必得生存──吾主的斷語──
10 But if he raises a son who is a robber, who sheds blood, and who does any of these things,
倘若這人生了一個兒子，性暴好殺，只行這類的事；
11 (even though he himself does not do any of these things, ) and who eats upon the mountains, and who defiles the wife of his neighbor,
對上述的事不但不作，反而上山吃祭物，污辱近人的妻子，
12 who grieves the needy and the poor, who seizes with violence, who does not restore the collateral, and who lifts up his eyes to idols, committing abomination,
欺壓貧窮無告的人，搶劫，不清還抵押，舉目瞻仰偶像，行醜惡之事，
13 who lends upon usury, and who takes an increase, then shall he live? He shall not live. Since he has done all these detestable things, he shall certainly die. His blood shall be upon him.
放重利，取利息：這樣的人決不能生存，因為他行了這些醜事，必要喪亡，他的血債必由他自己來負。
14 But if he raises a son, who, seeing all his father’s sins that he has done, is afraid and so does not act in a way similar to him,
倘若這人生了一個兒子，這兒子雖看見了他父親所行的一切罪過，但考慮之後，卻未依照去做；
15 who does not eat upon the mountains, nor lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and who does not violate the wife of his neighbor,
不在山上吃祭物，不舉目瞻仰以色列家族的偶像，不污辱近人的妻子，
16 and who has not grieved any man, nor withheld the collateral, nor seized by violence, but instead has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment,
不欺壓，不索取抵押，不搶劫，施給饑餓者食物，給赤身者衣穿，
17 who has averted his hand from injuring the poor, who has not taken usury and an overabundance, who has acted according to my judgments and walked in my precepts, then this one shall not die for the iniquity of his father; instead, he shall certainly live.
使自己的手戒絕邪惡，不取重利和利息，謹守我的法律，遵行我的法度：這人必不因他父親的罪而喪亡，必得生存。
18 As for his father, because he oppressed and did violence to his brother, and worked evil in the midst of his people, behold, he has died by his own iniquity.
至於他的父親，由於暴行，搶劫，在自己人民中從未行過善。看，他必因自己的罪而喪亡。
19 And you say, ‘Why has not the son borne the iniquity of the father?’ Clearly, since the son has worked judgment and justice, has observed all my precepts, and has done them, he shall certainly live.
你們或問：兒子為什麼不承當父親的罪過﹖因為兒子遵行法律和正義，謹守了我一切法度，而一一遵行，他必得生存。
20 The soul that sins, the same shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father shall not bear the iniquity of the son. The justice of the just man shall be upon himself, but the impiety of the impious man shall be upon himself.
誰犯罪，誰就該喪亡；兒子不承當父親的罪過，父親不承當兒子的罪過；義人的正義歸於義人自己，惡人的邪惡也歸於惡人自己。
21 But if the impious man does penance for all his sins which he has committed, and if he keeps all my precepts, and accomplishes judgment and justice, then he shall certainly live, and he shall not die.
若惡人悔改，遠離所犯的罪過，遵守我的法度，遵行我的法律和正義，必得生存，不至喪亡。
22 I will not remember all his iniquities, which he has worked; by his justice, which he has worked, he shall live.
他所行的一切邪惡必被遺忘；他必因所行的正義而得生存。
23 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?
我豈能喜歡惡人的喪亡﹖──吾主上主的斷語──我豈不更喜歡他離開舊道而得生存﹖
24 But if a just man turns himself away from his justice, and does iniquity in accord with all the abominations that the impious man so often does, why should he live? All his justices, which he has accomplished, shall not be remembered. By the transgression, in which he has transgressed, and by his sin, in which he has sinned, by these he shall die.
若義人離棄了正義而行惡，一如惡人所慣行的醜惡，他豈能生存﹖他行過的正義必被遺忘，因為他背信違約，犯了罪過，必要喪亡。
25 And you have said, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Therefore, listen, O house of Israel. How could it be that my way is not fair? And is it not instead your ways that are perverse?
你們或說：上主的作法不公平! 以色列家族，請聽我說：是我的作法不公平嗎﹖豈不是你們的作法不公平﹖
26 For when the just man turns himself away from his justice, and commits iniquity, he shall die by this; by the injustice that he has worked, he shall die.
若是義人離棄正義而行惡，因而喪亡，是因為他所行的惡而喪亡。
27 And when the impious man turns himself away from his impiety, which he has done, and accomplishes judgment and justice, he shall cause his own soul to live.
若惡人遠離他所行的惡事，而遵行法律和正義，必能保全自己的生命，
28 For by considering and turning himself away from all his iniquities, which he has worked, he shall certainly live, and he shall not die.
因為他考慮之後，離棄了所行的一切惡事，他必生存，不至喪亡。
29 And yet the sons of Israel say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ How could it be that my ways are not fair, O house of Israel? And is it not instead your ways that are perverse?
若以色列家族還說：吾主的作法不公平。以色列家族! 是我的作法不公平嗎﹖豈不是你們的作法不公平﹖
30 Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge each one according to his ways, says the Lord God. Be converted, and do penance for all your iniquities, and then iniquity will not be your ruin.
以色列家族! 我要照各人的行為裁判你們──吾主上主的斷語──你們應回心轉意，離開你們的一切罪惡，避免它們再做你們犯罪的絆腳石。
31 Cast all your transgressions, by which you have transgressed, away from you, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. And then why should you die, O house of Israel?
由你們身上拋契一切得罪我的惡行罷! 你們應改造一個新心，一種新的精神! 以色列家族，為何你們偏要喪亡﹖
32 For I do not desire the death of one who dies, says the Lord God. So return and live.”
因為我不喜歡任何人喪亡──吾主上主的斷語－－你們回心轉意罷! 你們必得生存!
