Ezekiel 18

1 And the word of Yahweh came unto me saying:

'And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying:

2 What occasion have ye, to be using this proverb, concerning the soil of Israel, saying, —Fathers eat sour grapes, And the children’s teeth are blunted?

'What — to you, ye — using this simile Concerning the ground of Israel, saying: Fathers do eat unripe fruit, And the sons' teeth are blunted?

3 As I live, Declareth My Lord, Yahweh, Surely ye shall have occasion no longer to use this proverb, in Israel.

I live — an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Ye have no more the use of this simile in Israel.

4 Lo! as for all persons, mine they are, As the person of the father, so also the person of the son, mine they are, —The person that sinneth, the same shall die.

Lo, all the souls are Mine, As the soul of the father, So also the soul of the son — they are Mine, The soul that is sinning — it doth die.

5 But when, any man, shall be righteous, and do justice and righteousness:

And a man, when he is righteous, And hath done judgment and righteousness,

6 Upon the mountains, hath not eaten, And his eyes, hath not lifted up unto the manufactured gods of the house of Israel, And the wife of his neighbour, hath not defiled, And unto a woman during her removal, hath not approached;

On the mountains he hath not eaten, And his eyes he hath not lifted up Unto idols of the house of Israel, And the wife of his neighbour defiled not, And to a separated woman cometh not near,

7 And no man, hath treated with violence, But his debt-pledge, hath restored. Plunder, hath not seized, — His bread—to the famished, hath given, And the naked, hath covered with clothing;

A man — he doth not oppress, His pledge to the debtor he doth return, Plunder he doth not take away, His bread to the hungry he doth give, And the naked doth cover with a garment,

8 Upon interest, hath not put out his money. And increase, hath not accepted, From dishonesty, hath turned back his hand, — Justice in truth, hath done, between man and man;

In usury he doth not give, and increase taketh not, From perversity he turneth back his hand, True judgment he doth between man and man.

9 In my statutes, hath walked. And my regulations, hath observed to do them in truth, Righteous, he is, He shall surely live, Declareth My Lord. Yahweh.

In My statutes he doth walk, And My judgments he hath kept — to deal truly, Righteous [is] he, he surely liveth, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

10 But he hath begotten a son Who is a violent man A shedder of blood, - Who doeth the like of any of these things;

And — he hath begotten a son, A burglar — a shedder of blood, And he hath made a brother of one of these,

11 Whereas he, none of those other things, doeth, For indeed upon the mountains, he hath eaten, And the wife of his neighbour, hath defiled;

And he all those hath not done, For even on the mountains he hath eaten, And the wife of his neighbour he hath defiled,

12 The oppressed and the needy, hath treated with violence, Hath ruthlessly plundered, The pledge, hath not restored, But unto the manufactured gods, hath lifted up his eyes, Abomination, hath wrought;

The afflicted and needy he hath oppressed, Plunder he hath taken violently away, A pledge he doth not return, And unto the idols he hath lifted up his eyes, Abomination he hath done!

13 Upon interest, hath put out. And increase, hath accepted—, And shall he live? He shall not live All these abominations, he hath done, He shall surely be put to death, His blood, upon himself, shall be.

In usury he hath given, and increase taken, And he liveth: he doth not live, All these abominations he hath done, He doth surely die, his blood is on him.

14 But lo! he hath begotten a son, Who hath considered all the sins of his father which he hath done, - Yea he hath considered and not done like them:

And — lo, he hath begotten a son, And he seeth all the sins of his father, That he hath done, and he feareth, And doth not do like them,

15 Upon the mountains, hath not eaten, And his eyes, hath not lifted up unto the manufactured gods of the house of Israel, The wife of his neighbour, hath not defiled;

On the mountains he hath not eaten, And his eyes he hath not lifted up Unto idols of the house of Israel, The wife of his neighbour he hath not defiled,

16 And no man, hath he treated with violence, Hath by no means withholden the pledge, And plunder, hath not seized, — His bread—to the famished, hath given And the naked, hath covered with clothing;

A man — he hath not oppressed, A pledge he hath not bound, And plunder he hath not taken away, His bread to the hungry he hath given, And the naked he covered with a garment,

17 From dishonesty, hath turned back his hand Neither interest nor increase, hath accepted, my regulations, hath executed, In my statutes, hath walked, — He shall not die for the iniquity of his father He shall surely live.

From the afflicted he hath turned back his hand, Usury and increase he hath not taken, My judgments he hath done, In My statutes he hath walked, He doth not die for the iniquity of his father, He doth surely live.

18 His father Because he exacted unjust gain Seized plunder of a brother, And that which was not good, had done in the midst of his people Therefore lo! he died, in his iniquity.

His father — because he used oppression, Did violently Plunder a brother, And that which [is] not good did in the midst of his people, And lo, he is dying in his iniquity.

19 Will ye then say. Why hath not the son borne a part of the iniquity of the father? But the son hath done justice and righteousness, All my statutes, hath observed and done them He shall surely live.

And ye have said, Wherefore hath not the son, Borne of the iniquity of the father? And — the son judgment and righteousness hath done, All My statutes he hath kept, And he doeth them, he surely liveth.

20 The person that sinneth, the same, shall die, — A, son, shall not bear a part of the iniquity of, the father Neither shall, a father, bear a part of the iniquity of the son, the righteousness of the righteous, upon himself, shall be. And, the lawlessness of a lawless man, upon himself, shall be.

The soul that doth sin — it doth die. A son doth not bear of the iniquity of the father, And a father doth not bear of the iniquity of the son, The righteousness of the righteous is on him, And the wickedness of the wicked is on him.

21 But as for the lawless man— When he shall turn back from all his sins which he hath committed, And observe all my statutes, And do justice and righteousness He shall surely live. He shall not die:

And the wicked — when he turneth back From all his sins that he hath done, And he hath kept all My statutes, And hath done judgment and righteousness, He doth surely live, he doth not die.

22 None of his transgressions which he hath committed shall be remembered against him, —In his righteousness which he hath done, he shall live.

All his transgressions that he hath done Are not remembered to him, In his righteousness that he hath done he liveth.

23 Could I take delight, in the death of the lawless? Demandeth My Lord. Yahweh. Must it not be in his turning from his ways in which case he shall live?

Do I at all desire the death of the wicked? An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Is it not in his turning back from his way — And he hath lived?

24 But, when a righteous man, shall turn away, from his righteousness and do that which is perverse, Shall do, according to all the abominations which the lawless man hath done, Shall he live? None of his righteous acts which he hath done, shall be remembered, In his treachery wherein he hath been treacherous, And in his sin wherein he hath sinned, In them, shall he die.

And in the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, And he hath done perversity, According to all the abominations That the wicked hath done, he doth — thus he liveth, All his righteousnesses that he hath done are not remembered, For his trespass that he hath trespassed, And for his sin that he hath sinned, For them he doth die.

25 Can ye then say— The way of My Lord will not be equal? Hear I pray you O house of Israel, Will my way, not be equal? Will not your ways be unequal?

And ye have said, Not pondered is the way of the Lord. Hear, I pray you, O house of Israel, My way — is it not pondered? Are not your ways unpondered?

26 When a righteous man shall turn away from his righteousness and do that which is perverse and die because of those things In his own perversity which he hath done, shall he die.

In the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, And he hath done perversity, And he is dying by them, for his perversity That he hath done he dieth.

27 But when a lawless man turneth away from his lawlessness which he hath done, And hath done justice and righteousness He, shall save his own soul, alive:

And in the turning back of the wicked From his wickedness that he hath done, And he doth judgment and righteousness, He his soul doth keep alive.

28 When he considered, then he turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed, He shall surely live. He shall not die.

And he seeth and turneth back, From all his transgressions that he hath done, He doth surely live, he doth not die,

29 Can the house of Israel then say- The way of My Lord will not be equal? Will my ways, not be equal O house of Israel? Will not your ways be unequal?

And the house of Israel have said, Not pondered is the way of the Lord, My ways — are they not pondered? O house of Israel — are not your ways unpondered?

30 Therefore, Every man according to his own ways, will I judge you O house of Israel, Declareth My Lord Yahweh, Return ye—and make good your return—from all your transgressions, That they become not unto you a stumbling block of iniquity.

Therefore, each according to his ways I judge you, O house of Israel? An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Turn ye back, yea, turn yourselves back, From all your transgressions, And iniquity is not to you for a stumbling-block,

31 Cast off from you all your transgressions which ye have committed against me, And make you a new heart; And a new spirit, - For why should ye die, O house of Israel?

Cast from off you all your transgressions, By which ye have transgressed, And make to you a new heart, and a new spirit, And why do ye die, O house of Israel?

32 For I cannot take delight in the death of him that dieth, Declareth My Lord Yahweh, Make good your return then and, live!

For I have no pleasure in the death of the dying, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, And turn ye back and live!