Ezekiel 18

1 The LORD’s word came to me again, saying,

And the word of Yahweh came unto me saying:

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’?

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?

3 “As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “you shall not use this proverb any more in Israel.

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

4 Behold, 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.

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.

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

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

6 and has not eaten on the mountains, hasn’t lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hasn’t defiled his neighbor’s wife, hasn’t come near a woman in her impurity,

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;

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;

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;

8 he who hasn’t lent to them with interest, hasn’t taken any increase from them, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man,

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;

9 has walked in my statutes, and has kept my ordinances, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live,” says the Lord GOD.

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.

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

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

11 or who does not do any of those things but has eaten at the mountain shrines and defiled his neighbor’s wife,

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

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,

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;

13 has lent with interest, and has taken increase from the poor, shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations. He shall surely die. His blood will be on him.

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.

14 “Now, behold, if he fathers a son who sees all his father’s sins which he has done, and fears, and doesn’t do likewise,

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:

15 who hasn’t eaten on the mountains, hasn’t lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hasn’t defiled his neighbor’s wife,

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;

16 hasn’t wronged any, hasn’t taken anything to pledge, hasn’t taken by robbery, but has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;

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;

17 who has withdrawn his hand from the poor, who hasn’t received interest or increase, has executed my ordinances, has walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father. He shall surely live.

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.

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

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.

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 will surely live.

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.

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.

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.

21 “But if the wicked 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.

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:

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

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

23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked?” says the Lord GOD, “and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?

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?

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, should he live? None of his righteous deeds that he has done will be remembered. In his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them he shall die.

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.

25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not equal.’ Hear now, house of Israel: Is my way not equal? Aren’t your ways unequal?

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?

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

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.

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

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:

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

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

29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ House of Israel, aren’t my ways fair? Aren’t your ways unfair?

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?

30 “Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, everyone according to his ways,” says the Lord GOD. “Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity will not be your ruin.

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.

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?

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?

32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Therefore turn yourselves, and live!

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