Ezekiel 18

1 The word of Jehovah came to me again, saying,

Yahweh gave me another message. [He said, ]

2 "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?'

“You people quote [RHQ] this proverb [and say that it is] about Israel: ‘Parents/People eat sour grapes, but it is their children who have a very sour taste in their mouths', [which means that you think that it is not fair for you to be punished for your ancestors’ sins].

3 As I live, says Jehovah, you shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.

But [I], Yahweh the Lord, declare that [as surely] as I am alive, you Israeli people will no longer quote that proverb.

4 Look, 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.

Everyone [who is alive] belongs to me. That includes children and their parents; they all belong to me. And it is those who sin who will [because of their sins].

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

[So, ] suppose there is a righteous person [always] does what is fair and right [DOU].

6 and has not eaten on the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither has defiled his neighbor's wife, neither has come near to a woman in her impurity,

He does not [meat sacrificed to idols] on the hilltops, he does not request help from idols. He does not have sex with someone else’s wife or have sex with a woman during her monthly menstrual period.

7 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;

He does not mistreat/oppress people; if [borrows money from him and gives him his cloak to guarantee that he will pay the money back], he always gives the cloak back to that [before the sun goes down]. He does not rob people. He gives food to hungry people. He gives clothing to people who need clothes.

8 he who has not given forth on interest, neither has taken any increase, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man,

When he lends money to people, he does not [do it just to] charge big interest. He does not do [SYN] things that are evil. He [always] decides things fairly.

9 has walked in my statutes, and has kept my ordinances, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live," says Jehovah.

He faithfully obeys all [DOU] my laws. That man is truly righteous; he will remain alive. [That is what I, ] Yahweh the Lord, promise.

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

But suppose that man has a son who acts violently, who murders people and does any of these other things, even though his father has not done any of them:

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

He [meat sacrificed to idols] on the hilltops. He has sex with other people’s wives.

12 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,

He mistreats/oppresses poor and needy people. He robs people. If someone gives him his cloak to [that he will pay the money back], he never gives the cloak back to [before the sun goes down]. He seeks help from idols. He does [other] detestable things.

13 has given forth on 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 on him.

When he lends money, he [very big] interest. If you think that such a person [be allowed to] remain alive [RHQ], you are certainly wrong. Because he has done those detestable things, he will surely be executed, and it will be his own fault [IDM].

14 "Now, look, if he fathers a son, who sees all his father's sins, which he has done, and fears, and does not such like;

But suppose that man has a son who sees all the sins that his father commits, but he does not do those things:

15 who has not eaten on the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled his neighbor's wife,

He does not [meat sacrificed to idols] on the hilltops. He does not request help from idols. He does not have sex with other people’s wives.

16 neither has wronged any, has not taken anything to pledge, neither has taken by robbery, but has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;

He does not mistreat/oppress people. If he lends money to someone, he does not require that person to give him his cloak to guarantee that he will pay the money back. He does not rob anyone. He gives food to those who need it. He gives clothes to those who need clothes.

17 who has withdrawn his hand from the poor, 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.

He does not commit sins, [like his father did], and does not charge big interest [DOU] when he lends money. He faithfully obeys [all] [DOU] my laws. That person will not be executed for his father’s sins; he will surely remain alive.

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

But his father will be executed for the sins that he committed, because he cheated people and robbed people and did [other] things that are evil.

19 "Yet you say, 'Why doesn't 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.

[If] you ask, ‘Why should the [man’s] son not (suffer/be punished) for the evil things that his father did?’, [I will answer that] the son has done what is fair and right [DOU] and has obeyed all my laws, so he will surely remain alive.

20 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.

It is those who sin who will [because of their sins]. People will not be punished for the sins of their parents, or for the sins of their children. Good/Righteous people will be rewarded for their being good/righteous, and evil people will be punished for [doing] evil.

21 "But if the wicked turn from all his sins that he has committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

But if a wicked person (turns away from/quits) doing all the evil things that he did previously, and if he starts to obey faithfully all my laws, and does what is fair and right [DOU], he will surely remain alive; he will not be executed.

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

He will not be punished for the sins he committed [previously]. Because of the good/righteous things that he has done [since that time], he [be allowed to] remain alive.

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

[I], Yahweh the Lord, declare that I certainly am not [RHQ] happy about wicked people dying. Instead, I am happy when they turn away from their wicked behavior, [because of that, they] remain alive.

24 But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the 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 shall he die.

But if a righteous person stops doing righteous things and [starts to] commit sins and does the same detestable things that wicked people do, he will certainly not [RHQ] [be allowed to] remain alive. I will not think about the righteous things that he did previously. Because he did not [do what pleases me], and because of [all] the sins that he has committed, he will be executed.

25 "'Yet you say, "The way of Jehovah is not equal." Hear now, house of Israel: "Is my way not equal? Aren't your ways unequal?"

But you say, ‘Yahweh does not act fairly!’ You Israeli people, listen to what I say: It is certainly not [RHQ] what I do that is unfair, it is what you continually do that is not fair/right!

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

If a righteous person (turns away from/quits) doing what is righteous and commits sins, he will [for committing those sins].

27 Again, when the 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.

But if a wicked person turns away from doing wicked things and does what is just and right [DOU], he will save [from being executed/punished].

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

Because he has thought about all the evil things that he did and has turned away from doing them, he will [be allowed to] live. He will not be executed [for having done evil things].

29 Yet the house of Israel says, "The way of Jehovah is not fair." "House of Israel, aren't my ways fair? Aren't your ways unfair?"

But [you] Israeli people [MTY] say, ‘Yahweh does not act fairly.’ You people of Israel, my behavior is certainly not [RHQ] unfair! It is your behavior that is not right.

30 "'Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, everyone according to his ways,' says Jehovah. 'Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

Therefore, you Israeli people [MTY], I, Yahweh the Lord, will judge each of you according to what you have done. Repent! Turn [away] from all your wicked behavior! Then you will not be destroyed [PRS] because of your sins.

31 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?

Get rid of all your wicked behavior, and get a new way of thinking [IDM, DOU]. You Israeli people [MTY], (do you really want to be executed for your sins?/you act as though you want to be executed [for your sins]) [RHQ].

32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies,' says Jehovah: 'therefore turn yourselves, and live.'"

[I], Yahweh the Lord, declare that I am not pleased about your dying. So repent, and remain alive!”