Ezekiel 18

1 A message from the Lord came to me, saying,

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

2 “What's this proverb you people are quoting about the country of Israel: ‘The fathers ate the unripe grapes, but their children got the sour taste’?

“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’?

3 As I live, declares the Lord God, you won't quote this proverb in Israel any more.

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

4 Can't you see that everyone belongs to me? Whether parents or children, they are all mine. It's the person who sins who will die.

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.

5 Take the example of a man who is a good person, doing what is fair and right.

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

6 He doesn't go to the pagan shrines in the mountains to eat a religious meal, or worship Israel's idols. He doesn't have sex with someone else's wife or with a woman during her period.

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,

7 He doesn't exploit anyone. He gives back what a debtor has given him as security. He doesn't rob others. He feeds the hungry and clothes the naked.

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;

8 He doesn't lend with interest or make a profit from loans. He refuses to do wrong and makes sure he's truly fair in his decisions between people.

he who has not lent to them with interest, has not taken any increase from them, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man,

9 He follows my rules and keeps my regulations faithfully. Such a man lives by what's right and he will certainly live, declares the Lord God.

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

10 What if that man has a son who is a violent criminal, who kills and does do such evil things just listed

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

11 even though the father doesn't act like that at all. The son goes to the pagan shrines in the mountains to eat a religious meal. He has sex with someone else's wife.

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

12 He exploits the poor and those in need. He robs others, and he doesn't give back what a debtor has given him as security. He worships idols. He commits disgusting sins.

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,

13 He lends with interest and makes a profit from loans. Is someone like this going to live? No, he won't! Because he has done all these offensive things, he will die for certain, and he will be responsible for his own death.

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.

14 Now what if this man has a son who sees all the sins his father has committed. He sees them but doesn't do the same.

“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,

15 He doesn't go to the pagan shrines in the mountains to eat a religious meal, or worship Israel's idols. He doesn't have sex with someone else's wife.

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,

16 He doesn't exploit anyone. He doesn't demand security for a loan. He doesn't rob others. He feeds the hungry and clothes the naked.

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;

17 He refuses to do wrong and does not charge interest or make a profit on loans. He keeps my regulations and follows my laws. A man like that won't die because of his father's sins, he will certainly live!

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.

18 But his father will die for his own sins, because he exploited others, robbed his relatives, and did wrong to his own people.

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.

19 You ask, ‘Why shouldn't the son pay for his father's sins?’ If the son has done what is fair and right, keeping all my laws, then he'll live, he won't be punished.

“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.

20 It's the person who sins who will die. A son won't pay for his father's sins, and a father won't pay for his son's sins. The good consequences of living right will come to those who are good; the evil consequences of wickedness will come to those who are evil.

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.

21 However, if someone who is wicked stops sinning and keeps my laws, doing what is fair and right, they will certainly live—they won't die.

“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.

22 None of their sins will be held against them. Because they are now doing what's right, they will live.

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

23 Do I like it when wicked people die? declares the Lord God. Of course not—I would be delighted if they stopped sinning and lived!

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?

24 But if someone who is living according to what's right stops and does wrong, doing the same offensive things as the wicked, will that person live? Of course not! In fact, all the good things they did previously will be forgotten. That person will die because of their betrayal of me and the sins they've committed.

“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.

25 Even so you say, ‘What the Lord does isn't right.’ People of Israel, listen to me! Is it what I'm doing that isn't right? Isn't it what you're doing that isn't right?

“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?

26 If someone who lives according to what's right stops doing right and does wrong, they will die. They will die because of wrong things they've done.

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.

27 But if someone wicked stops doing wrong and does what is fair and right, they will save their life.

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.

28 Because they thought about it and gave up their wicked ways, they will certainly live—they won't die.

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

29 But the people of Israel say, ‘The Lord's way isn't right.’ Are my ways unfair, people of Israel? Isn't it your ways that aren't fair?

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?

30 Consequently I'm going to judge you, people of Israel! I will judge each of you depending on what you've done, declares the Lord God. Repent and stop rebelling so that your sins won't bring you down.

“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.

31 Get rid of all your rebellious sins! Change your way of thinking and have a new spirit. Why do you want to die, people of Israel?

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?

32 I don't like it when anybody dies, declares the Lord God. So repent so you can live!”

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