Ezekiel 18

1 The word of the LORD came to me again, saying,

Yahweh gave me another message. [He said, ]

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?

“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, saith the Lord GOD, ye 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 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.

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 doeth that which is lawful and right,

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

6 [And] hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbor's wife, neither hath come near to a polluted woman,

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 hath not oppressed any, [but] hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath stripped none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath 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8 He [that] hath not given forth upon interest, neither hath taken any increase, [that] hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,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 Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he [is] just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD.

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 begetteth a son [that is] a robber, a shedder of blood, and [that] doeth the like to [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 that doeth not any of those [duties], but even hath eaten upon 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 Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath stripped by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath 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 Hath given forth upon interest, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon 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 lo, [if] he begetteth a son, that seeth all his father's sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth 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 [That] hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath 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 hath oppressed any, hath not withheld the pledge, neither hath stripped by violence, [but] hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath 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 [That] hath taken off his hand from the poor, [that] hath not received interest nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath 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, stripped his brother by violence, and did [that] which [is] not good among his people, lo, even 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 say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, [and] hath kept all my statutes, and hath 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 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 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 will turn from all his sins that he hath 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 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned to him: in his righteousness that he hath 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 at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: [and] not that he should return from his ways, 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 turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, [and] doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked [man] doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath 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 ye say, The way of the LORD is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not 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 a righteous [man] turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath 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 a wicked [man] turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth 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 considereth and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath 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 saith the house of Israel, The way of the LORD is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?

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, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, 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, by which ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O 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 that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn [ye], and live.

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