Ezekiel 18

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

The word of Jehovah came to me again, saying:

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

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”?

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

As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.

4 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.

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.

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

But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right;

6 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,

if he eat not upon the mountains, and lift not up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and defile not his neighbor's wife, and come not near a woman during her uncleanness;

7 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,

if he oppress not any, if he restore to the debtor his pledge, spoil none by violence, give his bread to the hungry, and cover the naked with a garment;

8 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.

if he give not forth upon usury, and take not increase; if he withdraw his hand from iniquity, and give true judgment between man and man;

9 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.

if he walk in my statutes and keep my commandments, to deal uprightly, —he is just; he shall surely live, saith the Lord Jehovah.

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

But if he have a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth to his brother any of these things,

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

and doeth not all those duties, but eateth upon the mountains, and defileth his neighbor's wife,

12 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!

oppresseth the poor and needy, spoileth by violence, restoreth not the pledge, lifteth up his eyes to idols, and committeth abomination,

13 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.

giveth forth upon usury, and taketh increase, shall he live? No! he shall not live. He hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.

14 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,

Yet lo, if he have a son that seeth all the sins which his father committed, that seeth them and doeth not such like,

15 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,

that eateth not upon the mountains, nor lifteth up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, nor defileth his neighbor's wife,

16 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,

nor oppresseth any, nor taketh a pledge, nor spoileth by violence, but giveth his food to the hungry, and covereth the naked with a garment,

17 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.

keepeth back his hand from the poor, and taketh no usury or increase, keepeth my commandments, and walketh in my statutes, he shall not die for the iniquity of his father; he shall surely live.

18 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.

As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, he shall die for his iniquity.

19 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.

Yet say ye, “Why? Doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father?” When the son doeth that which is lawful and right, keepeth all my statutes and doeth them, he shall surely live.

20 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.

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.

21 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.

But if the wicked will turn from all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

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

None of his transgressions which he hath committed shall be remembered unto him; for his righteousness, which he hath done, he shall live.

23 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?

Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die, saith the Lord Jehovah, and not that he should turn from his ways and live?

24 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.

But when the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations which the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; for his trespass which he hath trespassed, and for his sin which he hath sinned, for them shall he die.

25 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?

Yet ye say, “The way of the Lord is not right.” Hear now, O house of Israel! “Is not my way right?” Is it not your ways that are not right?

26 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.

When a righteous man turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and on this account dieth, for his iniquity which he hath done doth he die.

27 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.

And when the wicked man turneth from his iniquity which he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.

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

Because he considereth and turneth from all his transgressions which he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

29 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?

Yet saith the house of Israel, “The way of the Lord is not right.” O house of Israel, are not my ways right? Is it not your ways that are not right?

30 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,

Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord Jehovah. Turn ye, turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not be your ruin.

31 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?

Cast away from you all your transgressions which ye have committed, and make you a new heart, and a new spirit! For why will ye die, O house of Israel?

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

For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord Jehovah. Wherefore turn yourselves and live!