Ezekiel 18

1 And the word of the Lord was maad to me,

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

2 and he seide, What is it, that ye turnen a parable among you in to this prouerbe, in the lond of Israel, and seien, Fadris eeten a bittir grape, and the teeth of sones ben an egge, ether astonyed?

“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’?

3 Y lyue, seith the Lord God, this parable schal no more be in to a prouerbe to you in Israel.

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

4 Lo! alle soulis ben myne; as the soule of the fadir, so and the soule of the sone is myn. Thilke soule that doith synne, schal die.

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.

5 And if a man is iust, and doith doom and riytfulnesse,

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

6 etith not in hillis, and reisith not hise iyen to the idols of the hous of Israel; and defoulith not the wijf of his neiybore, and neiyeth not to a womman defoulid with vncleene blood;

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

7 and makith not a man sori, yeldith the wed to the dettour, rauyschith no thing bi violence, yyueth his breed to the hungri, and hilith a nakid man with a cloth;

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;

8 leeneth not to vsure, and takith not more; turneth awei his hond fro wickidnesse, and makith trewe dom bitwixe man and man;

he who has not lent to them with interest, has not taken any increase from them, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man,

9 and goith in my comaundementis, and kepith my domes, that he do treuthe; this is a iust man, he schal lyue in lijf, seith the Lord God.

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

10 That if he gendrith a sone, a theef, shedinge out blood,

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

11 and doith oon of thes thingis, and sotheli not doing alle these thingis, but etinge in hillis, and defoulynge the wijf of his neiybore;

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

12 makynge soreuful a nedy man and pore, rauyschynge raueyns, not yeldinge a wed, reisynge hise iyen to idols, doynge abhomynacioun; yiuynge to vsure, and takynge more;

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,

13 whether he schal lyue? he schal not lyue; whanne he hath do alle these abhomynable thingis, he schal die bi deth, his blood schal be in hym.

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.

14 That if he gendrith a sone, which seeth alle the synnes of his fadir, whiche he dide, and dredith, and doith noon lijk tho;

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

15 etith not on hillis, and reisith not hise iyen to the idols of the hous of Israel; and defoulith not the wijf of his neiybore,

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

16 and makith not sori a man, witholdith not a wed, and rauyschith not raueyn, yyueth his breed to the hungri, and hilith the nakid with a cloth;

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

17 turneth a wei his hond fro the wrong of a pore man, takith not vsure and ouerhabundaunce, `that is, no thing more than he lente, and doith my domes, and goith in my comaundementis; this sone schal not die in the wickidnesse of his fadir, but he schal lyue in lijf.

who has withdrawn his hand from the poor, who has not 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.

18 For his fadir made fals caleng, and dide violence to his brother, and wrouyte yuel in the myddis of his puple, lo! he is deed in his wickidnesse.

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.

19 And ye seien, Whi berith not the sone the wickidnesse of the fadir? That is to seie, for the sone wrouyte doom and riytfulnesse, he kepte alle my comaundementis, and dide tho, he schal lyue in lijf.

“Yet you say, ‘Why does not 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.

20 Thilke soule that doith synne, schal die; the sone schal not bere the wickidnesse of the fadir, and the fadir schal not bere the wickednesse of the sone; the riytfulnesse of a iust man schal be on hym, and the wickidnesse of a wickid man schal be on hym.

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.

21 Forsothe if a wickid man doith penaunce of alle hise synnes whiche he wrouyte, and kepith alle myn heestis, and doith dom and riytfulnesse, he schal lyue bi lijf, and schal not die.

“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.

22 Y schal not haue mynde of alle his wickidnessis whiche he wrouyte; he schal lyue in his riytfulnesse which he wrouyte.

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

23 Whether the deth of the wickid man is of my wille, seith the Lord God, and not that he be conuertid fro his weies, and lyue?

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?

24 Forsothe if a iust man turneth awey hym silf fro his riytfulnesse, and doith wickidnesse bi alle hise abhomynaciouns, which a wickid man is wont to worche, whether he schal lyue? Alle hise riytfulnessis whiche he dide, schulen not be had in mynde; in his trespassyng bi which he trespasside, and in his synne which he synnede, he schal die in tho.

“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.

25 And ye seiden, The weie of the Lord is not euene. Therfor, the hous of Israel, here ye, whether my weie is not euene, and not more youre weies ben schrewid?

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

26 For whanne a riytful man turneth awei hym silf fro his riytfulnesse, and doith wickidnesse, he schal die in it, he schal die in the vnriytwisnesse which he wrouyte.

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.

27 And whanne a wickid man turneth awei him silf fro his wickidnesse which he wrouyte, and doith dom and riytfulnesse, he schal quykene his soule.

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.

28 For he biholdinge and turnynge awei hym silf fro alle hise wickidnessis which he wrouyte, schal lyue in lijf, and schal not die.

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

29 And the sones of Israel seien, The weie of the Lord is not euene. Whether my weies ben not euene, ye hous of Israel, and not more youre weies ben schrewid?

Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ House of Israel, are not my ways fair? Are not your ways unfair?

30 Therfor, thou hous of Israel, Y schal deme ech man bi hise weies, seith the Lord God. Turne ye togidere, and do ye penaunce for alle youre wickidnessis, and wickidnesse schal not be to you in to falling.

“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.

31 Caste awei fro you alle youre trespassingis, bi whiche ye trespassiden, and make ye a newe herte and a newe spirit to you, and whi schulen ye die, the hous of Israel?

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?

32 For Y nyle the deeth of hym that dieth, seith the Lord God; turne ye ayen, and lyue ye.

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