Ezekiel 18

1 The worde of the Lord came vnto me againe, saying,

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

2 What meane ye that ye speake this prouerbe, concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers haue eaten sowre grapes, and the childrens teeth are set on edge?

Son of man, what mean ye by this parable among the children of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten unripe grapes, and the children's teeth have been set on edge?

3 As I liue, sayth the Lord God, ye shall vse this prouerbe no more in Israel.

[As] I live, saith the Lord, surely this parable shall no more be spoken in Israel.

4 Beholde, all soules are mine, both the soule of the father, and also the soule of the sonne are mine: the soule that sinneth, it shall die.

For all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son, they are mine: the soul that sins, it shall die.

5 But if a man be iust, and doe that which is lawfull, and right,

But the man who shall be just, who executes judgment and righteousness,

6 And hath not eaten vpon the mountaines, neither hath lift vp his eyes to the idoles of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbours wife, neither hath lyen with a menstruous woman,

who shall not eat upon the mountains, and shall not at all lift up his eyes to the devices of the house of Israel, and shall not defile his neighbor's wife, and shall not draw nigh to her that is removed,

7 Neither hath oppressed any, but hath restored the pledge to his dettour: he that hath spoyled none by violence, but hath giuen his bread to the hungry, and hath couered the naked with a garment,

and shall not oppress any man, [but] shall return the pledge of the debtor, and shall be guilty of no plunder, shall give his bread to the hungry, and clothe the naked;

8 And hath not giuen foorth vpon vsurie, neither hath taken any increase, but hath withdrawen his hand from iniquitie, and hath executed true iudgement betweene man and man,

and shall not lend his money upon usury, and shall not receive usurious increase, and shall turn back his hand from injustice, shall execute righteous judgment between a man and his neighbor,

9 And hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my iudgements to deale truely, he is iust, he shall surely liue, sayth the Lord God.

and has walked in my commandments and kept mine ordinances, to do them; he is righteous, he shall surely live, saith the Lord.

10 If he beget a sonne, that is a thiefe, or a sheader of blood, if he do any one of these things,

And if he beget a mischievous son, shedding blood and committing sins,

11 Though he doe not all these things, but either hath eaten vpon the mountaines, or defiled his neighbours wife,

who has not walked in the way of his righteous father, but has even eaten upon the mountains, and has defiled his neighbor's wife,

12 Or hath oppressed the poore and needy, or hath spoyled by violence, or hath not restored the pledge, or hath lift vp his eyes vnto the idoles, or hath committed abomination,

and has oppressed the poor and needy, and has committed robbery, and not restored a pledge, and has set his eyes upon idols, has wrought iniquities,

13 Or hath giuen forth vpon vsurie, or hath taken increase, shall he liue? he shall not liue: seeing he hath done all these abominations, he shall die the death, and his blood shall be vpon him.

has lent upon usury, and taken usurious increase; he shall by no means live: he has wrought all these iniquities; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.

14 But if he beget a sonne, that seeth all his fathers sinnes, which he hath done, and feareth, neither doeth such like,

And if he beget a son, and [the son] see all his father's sins which he has wrought, and fear, and not do according to them,

15 That hath not eaten vpon the mountaines, neither hath lift vp his eyes to the idols of ye house of Israel, nor hath defiled his neighbours wife,

and [if he] has not eaten on the mountains, and has not set his eyes on the devices of the house of Israel, and has not defiled his neighbor's wife,

16 Neither hath oppressed any, nor hath withholden the pledge, neither hath spoyled by violence, but hath giuen his bread to the hungry, and hath couered the naked with a garment,

and has not oppressed a man, and has not retained the pledge, nor committed robbery, has given his bread to the hungry, and has clothed the naked,

17 Neither hath withdrawen his hand from the afflicted, nor receiued vsurie nor increase, but hath executed my iudgements, and hath walked in my statutes, he shall not die in the iniquitie of his father, but he shall surely liue.

and has turned back his hand from unrighteousness, has not received interest or usurious increase, has wrought righteousness, and walked in mine ordinances; he shall not die for the iniquities of his father, he shall surely live.

18 His father, because he cruelly oppressed and spoyled his brother by violence, and hath not done good among his people, loe, euen he dyeth in his iniquitie.

But if his father grievously afflict, or plunder, he has wrought enmity in the midst of my people, and shall die in his iniquity.

19 Yet say ye, Wherefore shall not the sonne beare the iniquitie of the father? because ye sonne hath executed iudgement and iustice, and hath kept all my statutes, and done them, he shall surely liue,

But ye will say, Why has not the son borne the iniquity of the father? Because the son has wrought judgment and mercy, has kept all my statues, and done them, he shall surely live.

20 The same soule that sinneth, shall die: the sonne shall not beare the iniquitie of the father, neither shall the father beare the iniquitie of the sonne, but the righteousnes of the righteous shall be vpon him, and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be vpon him selfe.

But the soul that sins shall die: and the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, nor shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the iniquity of the transgressor shall be upon him.

21 But if the wicked will returne from all his sinnes that he hath committed, and keepe all my statutes, and doe that which is lawfull and right, he shall surely liue, and shall not die.

And if the transgressor turn away from all his iniquities which he has committed, and keep all my commandments, and do justice and mercy, he shall surely live, and shall by no means die.

22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned vnto him, but in his righteousnes that he hath done, he shall liue.

None of his trespasses which he has committed shall be remembers: in his righteousness which he has done he shall live.

23 Haue I any desire that the wicked should die, sayth the Lord God? or shall he not liue, if he returne from his wayes?

Shall I at all desire death of the sinner, saith the Lord, as I [desire] that he should turn from [his] evil way, and live?

24 But if the righteous turne away from his righteousnes, and commit iniquitie, and doe according to all the abominations, that the wicked man doeth, shall he liue? all his righteousnes that he hath done, shall not be mentioned: but in his transgression that he hath committed, and in his sinne that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

But when the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, according to all the transgressions which the transgressor has wrought, none of his righteousness which he has wrought shall be at all remembered: in his trespass wherein he has trespassed, and in his sins wherein he has sinned, in them shall he die.

25 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equall: heare now, O house of Israel. Is not my way equall? or are not your wayes vnequall?

Yet ye have said, The way of the Lord is not straight. Hear now, all the house of Israel; will not my way be straight? Is your way straight?

26 For when a righteous man turneth away from his righteousnes, and committeth iniquitie, he shall euen die for the same, he shall euen die for his iniquitie, that he hath done.

When the righteous turns away from his righteousness and commits a trespass, and dies in the trespass he has committed, he shall [even] die in it.

27 Againe when the wicked turneth away from his wickednes that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawfull and right, he shall saue his soule aliue.

And when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and shall do judgment and justice, he has kept his soul,

28 Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that hee hath committed, he shall surely liue and shall not die.

and has turned away from all his ungodliness which he has committed: he shall surely live, he shall not die.

29 Yet saith ye house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equall. O house of Israel, are not my wayes equall? or are not your wayes vnequall?

Yet the house of Israel say, The way of the Lord is not right. Is not my way right, O house of Israel? is not your way wrong?

30 Therefore I will iudge you, O house of Israel, euery one according to his wayes, sayth the Lord God: returne therefore and cause others to turne away from all your transgressions: so iniquitie shall not be your destruction.

I will judge you, O house of Israel, saith the Lord, each one according to his way: be converted, and turn from all your ungodliness, and it shall not become to you the punishment of iniquity.

31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye haue transgressed, and make you a newe heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Cast away from yourselves all your ungodliness wherein ye have sinned against me; and make to yourselves a new heart and a new spirit: for why should ye die, O house of Israel?

32 For I desire not the death of him that dyeth, sayth the Lord God: cause therefore one another to returne, and liue ye.

For I desire not the death of him that dies, saith the Lord.