Ezekiel 18

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

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: What is the meaning?

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?

That you use among you this parable as a proverb in the land of Israel, saying: The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children 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, saith the Lord God, this parable shall be no more to you a proverb 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 that sinneth, the same shall die.

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

And if a man be just, and do judgment and justice,

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 hath not eaten upon the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel: and hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife, nor come near to a menstruous woman:

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 hath not wronged any man: but hath restored the pledge to the debtor, hath taken nothing away by violence: hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath 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;

Hath not lent upon usury, nor taken any increase: hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, and hath executed true judgment between man and man: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.

Hath walked in my commandments, and kept my judgments, to do truth: he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God.

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

And if he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that hath done some 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;

Though he doth not all these things, but that eateth upon the mountains, and that defileth his neighbour’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;

That grieveth the needy and the poor, that taketh away by violence, that restoreth not the pledge, and that lifteth up his eyes to idols, that committeth 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.

That giveth upon usury, and that taketh an increase: shall such a one live? he shall not live. Seeing he hath done all these detestable things, he shall surely die, his blood shall be upon 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;

But if he beget a son, who, seeing all his father’s sins, which he hath done, is afraid, and shall not do the like to them:

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,

That hath not eaten upon the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and hath not defiled his neighbour’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;

And hath not grieved any man, nor withholden the pledge, nor taken away with violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and 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.

That hath turned away his hand from injuring the poor, hath not taken usury and increase, but hath executed my judgments, and hath walked in my commandments: this man shall not die for the iniquity of his father, but living he shall 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 oppressed and offered violence to his brother, and wrought evil in the midst of his people, behold he is dead in his own 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.

And you say: Why hath not the son borne the iniquity of his father? Verily, because the son hath wrought judgment and justice, hath kept all my commandments, and done them, living, he shall 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 that sinneth, the same shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father shall not bear the iniquity of the son: the justice of the just shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon 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 do penance for all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all my commandments, and do judgment, and justice, living he shall live, and 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.

I will not remember all his iniquities that he hath done: in his justice which he hath wrought, 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?

Is it my will that a sinner should die, saith the Lord God, and not that he should be converted from his ways, 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 if the just man turn himself away from his justice, and do iniquity according to all the abominations which the wicked man useth to work, shall he live? all his justices which he hath done, shall not be remembered: in the prevarication, by which he hath prevaricated, and in his sin, which he hath committed, 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?

And you have said: The way of the Lord is not right. Hear ye, therefore, O house of Israel: Is it my way that is not right, and are not rather your ways perverse?

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.

For when the just turneth himself away from his justice, and committeth iniquity, he shall die therein: in the injustice that he hath wrought he shall die.

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.

And when the wicked turneth himself away from his wickedness, which he hath wrought, and doeth judgment, and justice: he shall 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 considereth and turneth away himself from all his iniquities which he hath wrought, he shall surely live, and 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?

And the children of Israel say: The way of the Lord is not right. Are not my ways right, O house of Israel, and are not rather your ways perverse?

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 will I judge every man according to his ways, O house of Israel, saith the Lord God. Be converted, and do penance for all your iniquities: and iniquity shall 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, by which you have transgressed, and make to yourselves a new heart, and a new spirit: and why will you die, O 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 desire not the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God, return ye and live.