Ezekiel 18

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

A message from the Lord came to me, saying,

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

“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’?

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

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

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

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.

5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right;

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

6 if he eat not upon the mountains, and lift not up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and defile not his neighbor's wife, and come not near a woman during her uncleanness;

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.

7 if he oppress not any, if he restore to the debtor his pledge, spoil none by violence, give his bread to the hungry, and cover the naked with a garment;

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.

8 if he give not forth upon usury, and take not increase; if he withdraw his hand from iniquity, and give true judgment between man and man;

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.

9 if he walk in my statutes and keep my commandments, to deal uprightly, —he is just; he shall surely live, saith the Lord Jehovah.

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.

10 But if he have a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth to his brother any of these things,

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

11 and doeth not all those duties, but eateth upon the mountains, and defileth his neighbor's wife,

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.

12 oppresseth the poor and needy, spoileth by violence, restoreth not the pledge, lifteth up his eyes to idols, and committeth abomination,

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.

13 giveth forth upon usury, and taketh increase, shall he live? No! he shall not live. He hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.

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.

14 Yet lo, if he have a son that seeth all the sins which his father committed, that seeth them and doeth not such like,

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.

15 that eateth not upon the mountains, nor lifteth up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, nor defileth his neighbor's wife,

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.

16 nor oppresseth any, nor taketh a pledge, nor spoileth by violence, but giveth his food to the hungry, and covereth the naked with a garment,

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.

17 keepeth back his hand from the poor, and taketh no usury or increase, keepeth my commandments, and walketh in my statutes, he shall not die for the iniquity of his father; he shall surely live.

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!

18 As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, he shall die for his iniquity.

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

19 Yet say ye, “Why? Doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father?” When the son doeth that which is lawful and right, keepeth all my statutes and doeth them, he shall surely live.

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.

20 The soul that sinneth, it 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 upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

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.

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

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.

22 None of his transgressions which he hath committed shall be remembered unto him; for his righteousness, which he hath done, he shall live.

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

23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die, saith the Lord Jehovah, and not that he should turn from his ways and live?

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!

24 But when the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations which the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; for his trespass which he hath trespassed, and for his sin which he hath sinned, for them shall he die.

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.

25 Yet ye say, “The way of the Lord is not right.” Hear now, O house of Israel! “Is not my way right?” Is it not your ways that are not right?

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?

26 When a righteous man turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and on this account dieth, for his iniquity which he hath done doth he die.

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.

27 And when the wicked man turneth from his iniquity which he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.

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

28 Because he considereth and turneth from all his transgressions which he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

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

29 Yet saith the house of Israel, “The way of the Lord is not right.” O house of Israel, are not my ways right? Is it not your ways that are not right?

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?

30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord Jehovah. Turn ye, turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not be your ruin.

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.

31 Cast away from you all your transgressions which ye have committed, and make you a new heart, and a new spirit! For why will ye die, O house of Israel?

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?

32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord Jehovah. Wherefore turn yourselves and live!

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