Ezekiel 18

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

The word of Jehovah came to me again, saying,

2 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?

What do ye mean, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the son's teeth are set on edge?

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

As I live, says the lord Jehovah, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.

4 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.

Behold, all souls are mine, as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine. The soul that sins, it shall die.

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

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

6 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;

and has not eaten upon the mountains, nor has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, nor has defiled his neighbor's wife, nor has come near to a woman in her impurity,

7 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;

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

8 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;

he who has not given forth upon interest, nor has taken any increase, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man,

9 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.

has walked in my statutes, and has kept my ordinances, to deal truly, he is just. He shall surely live, says the lord Jehovah.

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

If he begets a son who is a robber, a shedder of blood, and who does any one of these things,

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

and who does not do any of those duties, but has even eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbor's wife,

12 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:

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

13 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.

has given forth upon interest, and has taken increase, shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations. He shall surely die. His blood shall be upon him.

14 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;

Now, lo, if he begets a son, who sees all his father's sins, which he has done, and fears, and does not do such like,

15 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;

who has not eaten upon the mountains, nor has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled his neighbor's wife,

16 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;

nor has wronged any man, has not taken anything to pledge, nor has taken by robbery, but has given his bread to a hungry man, and has covered a naked man with a garment,

17 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.

who has withdrawn his hand from a poor man, who has not received interest nor 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 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.

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

19 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.

Yet ye 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 shall surely live.

20 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.

The soul that sins, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, nor shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of a righteous man shall be upon him, and the wickedness of a wicked man shall be upon him.

21 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.

But if a wicked man 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 All his transgressions which he hath committed shall not be remembered unto him: through his righteousness which he hath done shall he live.

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

23 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?

Have I any pleasure in the death of a wicked man? says the lord Jehovah, and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?

24 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.

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

25 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?

Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equitable. Hear now, O house of Israel. Is not my way equitable? Are not your ways inequitable?

26 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.

When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies in it, in his iniquity that he has done, he shall die.

27 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.

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

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

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

29 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?

Yet the house of Israel says, The way of the Lord is not equitable. O house of Israel, are not my ways equitable? Are not your ways inequitable?

30 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.

Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each one according to his ways, says the lord Jehovah. Return ye, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

31 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?

Cast away from you all your transgressions, by which ye have transgressed, and make you 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 that deserveth to die, saith the Lord Eternal: therefore convert yourselves, and live.

For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies, says the lord Jehovah, therefore turn yourselves back, and live.