יחזקאל 18
| ויהי דבר יהוה אלי לאמר | 1 |
The word of the Lord came to me again, saying,
| מה לכם אתם משלים את המשל הזה על אדמת ישראל לאמר אבות יאכלו בסר ושני הבנים תקהינה | 2 |
Why do you make use of this saying about the land of Israel, The fathers have been tasting bitter grapes and the children's teeth are on edge?
| חי אני נאם אדני יהוה אם יהיה לכם עוד משל המשל הזה--בישראל | 3 |
By my life, says the Lord, you will no longer have this saying in Israel.
| הן כל הנפשות לי הנה כנפש האב וכנפש הבן לי הנה הנפש החטאת היא תמות | 4 |
See, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so the soul of the son is mine: death will be the fate of the sinner's soul.
| ואיש כי יהיה צדיק ועשה משפט וצדקה | 5 |
But if a man is upright, living rightly and doing righteousness,
| אל ההרים לא אכל ועיניו לא נשא אל גלולי בית ישראל ואת אשת רעהו לא טמא ואל אשה נדה לא יקרב | 6 |
And has not taken flesh with the blood for food, or given worship to the images of the children of Israel; if he has not had connection with his neighbour's wife, or come near to a woman at the time when she is unclean;
| ואיש לא יונה--חבלתו חוב ישיב גזלה לא יגזל לחמו לרעב יתן ועירם יכסה בגד | 7 |
And has done no wrong to any, but has given back to the debtor what is his, and has taken no one's goods by force, and has given food to him who was in need of it, and clothing to him who was without it;
| בנשך לא יתן ותרבית לא יקח--מעול ישיב ידו משפט אמת יעשה בין איש לאיש | 8 |
And has not given his money out at interest or taken great profits, and, turning his hand from evil-doing, has kept faith between man and man,
| בחקותי יהלך ומשפטי שמר לעשות אמת צדיק הוא חיה יחיה נאם אדני יהוה | 9 |
And has been guided by my rules and has kept my laws and done them: he is upright, life will certainly be his, says the Lord.
| והוליד בן פריץ שפך דם ועשה אח מאחד מאלה | 10 |
If he has a son who is a thief, a taker of life, who does any of these things,
| והוא את כל אלה לא עשה--כי גם אל ההרים אכל ואת אשת רעהו טמא | 11 |
Who has taken flesh with the blood as food, and has had connection with his neighbour's wife,
| עני ואביון הונה--גזלות גזל חבל לא ישיב ואל הגלולים נשא עיניו תועבה עשה | 12 |
Has done wrong to the poor and to him who is in need, and taken property by force, and has not given back to one in his debt what is his, and has given worship to images and has done disgusting things,
| בנשך נתן ותרבית לקח וחי לא יחיה את כל התועבות האלה עשה--מות יומת דמיו בו יהיה | 13 |
And has given out his money at interest and taken great profits: he will certainly not go on living: he has done all these disgusting things: death will certainly be his fate; his blood will be on him.
| והנה הוליד בן וירא את כל חטאת אביו אשר עשה ויראה ולא יעשה כהן | 14 |
Now if he has a son who sees all his father's sins which he has done, and in fear does not do the same:
| על ההרים לא אכל ועיניו לא נשא אל גלולי בית ישראל את אשת רעהו לא טמא | 15 |
Who has not taken the flesh with the blood for food, or given worship to the images of the children of Israel, and has not had connection with his neighbour's wife,
| ואיש לא הונה--חבל לא חבל וגזלה לא גזל לחמו לרעב נתן וערום כסה בגד | 16 |
Or done wrong to any, or taken anything from one in his debt, or taken goods by force, but has given food to him who was in need of it, and clothing to him who was without it;
| מעני השיב ידו נשך ותרבית לא לקח--משפטי עשה בחקותי הלך הוא לא ימות בעון אביו--חיה יחיה | 17 |
Who has kept his hand from evil-doing and has not taken interest or great profits, who has done my orders and been guided by my rules: he will certainly not be put to death for the evil-doing of his father; life will certainly be his.
| אביו כי עשק עשק גזל גזל אח ואשר לא טוב עשה בתוך עמיו והנה מת בעונו | 18 |
As for his father, because he was cruel, took goods by force, and did what is not good among his people, truly, death will overtake him in his evil-doing.
| ואמרתם מדע לא נשא הבן בעון האב והבן משפט וצדקה עשה את כל חקותי שמר ויעשה אתם--חיה יחיה | 19 |
But you say, Why does not the son undergo punishment for the evil-doing of the father? When the son has done what is ordered and right, and has kept my rules and done them, life will certainly be his.
| הנפש החטאת היא תמות בן לא ישא בעון האב ואב לא ישא בעון הבן--צדקת הצדיק עליו תהיה ורשעת רשע (הרשע) עליו תהיה | 20 |
The soul which does sin will be put to death: the son will not be made responsible for the evil-doing of the father, or the father for the evil-doing of the son; the righteousness of the upright will be on himself, and the evil-doing of the evil-doer on himself.
| והרשע כי ישוב מכל חטאתו אשר עשה ושמר את כל חקותי ועשה משפט וצדקה--חיה יחיה לא ימות | 21 |
But if the evil-doer, turning away from all the sins which he has done, keeps my rules and does what is ordered and right, life will certainly be his; death will not be his fate.
| כל פשעיו אשר עשה לא יזכרו לו בצדקתו אשר עשה יחיה | 22 |
Not one of the sins which he has done will be kept in memory against him: in the righteousness which he has done he will have life.
| החפץ אחפץ מות רשע נאם אדני יהוה הלוא בשובו מדרכיו וחיה | 23 |
Have I any pleasure in the death of the evil-doer? says the Lord: am I not pleased if he is turned from his way so that he may have life?
| ובשוב צדיק מצדקתו ועשה עול ככל התועבות אשר עשה הרשע יעשה וחי--כל צדקתו אשר עשה לא תזכרנה במעלו אשר מעל ובחטאתו אשר חטא בם ימות | 24 |
But when the upright man, turning away from his righteousness, does evil, like all the disgusting things which the evil man does, will he have life? Not one of his upright acts will be kept in memory: in the wrong which he has done and in his sin death will overtake him.
| ואמרתם לא יתכן דרך אדני שמעו נא בית ישראל הדרכי לא יתכן הלא דרכיכם לא יתכנו | 25 |
But you say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Give ear, now, O children of Israel; is my way not equal? are not your ways unequal?
| בשוב צדיק מצדקתו ועשה עול ומת עליהם בעולו אשר עשה ימות | 26 |
When the upright man, turning away from his righteousness, does evil, death will overtake him; in the evil which he has done death will overtake him.
| ובשוב רשע מרשעתו אשר עשה ויעש משפט וצדקה--הוא את נפשו יחיה | 27 |
Again, when the evil-doer, turning away from the evil he has done, does what is ordered and right, he will have life for his soul.
| ויראה וישוב (וישב) מכל פשעיו אשר עשה--חיו יחיה לא ימות | 28 |
Because he had fear and was turned away from all the wrong which he had done, life will certainly be his, death will not be his fate.
| ואמרו בית ישראל לא יתכן דרך אדני הדרכי לא יתכנו בית ישראל--הלא דרכיכם לא יתכן | 29 |
But still the children of Israel say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O children of Israel, are my ways not equal? are not your ways unequal?
| לכן איש כדרכיו אשפט אתכם בית ישראל--נאם אדני יהוה שובו והשיבו מכל פשעיכם ולא יהיה לכם למכשול עון | 30 |
For this cause I will be your judge, O children of Israel, judging every man by his ways, says the Lord. Come back and be turned from all your sins; so that they may not be the cause of your falling into evil.
| השליכו מעליכם את כל פשעיכם אשר פשעתם בם ועשו לכם לב חדש ורוח חדשה ולמה תמתו בית ישראל | 31 |
Put away all your evil-doing in which you have done sin; and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit: why are you desiring death, O children of Israel?
| כי לא אחפץ במות המת נאם אדני יהוה והשיבו וחיו | 32 |
For I have no pleasure in the death of him on whom death comes, says the Lord: be turned back then, and have life.
