Hiezechielis Prophetæ 18
1 Et factus est sermo Domini ad me, dicens:
A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
2 Quid est quod inter vos parabolam vertitis in proverbium istud in terra Israel, dicentes: Patres comederunt uvam acerbam, et dentes filiorum obstupescunt?
“What's this proverb you people are quoting about the country of Israel: ‘The fathers ate the unripe grapes, but their children got the sour taste’?
3 Vivo ego, dicit Dominus Deus, si erit ultra vobis parabola hæc in proverbium in Israel.
As I live, declares the Lord God, you won't quote this proverb in Israel any more.
4 Ecce omnes animæ, meæ sunt: ut anima patris, ita et anima filii mea est: anima, quæ peccaverit, ipsa morietur.
Can't you see that everyone belongs to me? Whether parents or children, they are all mine. It's the person who sins who will die.
5 Et vir si fuerit iustus, et fecerit iudicium, et iustitiam,
Take the example of a man who is a good person, doing what is fair and right.
6 in montibus non comederit, et oculos suos non levaverit ad idola domus Israel: et uxorem proximi sui non violaverit, et ad mulierem menstruatam non accesserit:
He doesn't go to the pagan shrines in the mountains to eat a religious meal, or worship Israel's idols. He doesn't have sex with someone else's wife or with a woman during her period.
7 et hominem non contristaverit: pignus debitori reddiderit, per vim nihil rapuerit: panem suum esurienti dederit, et nudum operuerit vestimento:
He doesn't exploit anyone. He gives back what a debtor has given him as security. He doesn't rob others. He feeds the hungry and clothes the naked.
8 ad usuram non commodaverit, et amplius non acceperit: ab iniquitate averterit manum suam, et iudicium verum fecerit inter virum et virum:
He doesn't lend with interest or make a profit from loans. He refuses to do wrong and makes sure he's truly fair in his decisions between people.
9 in præceptis meis ambulaverit, et iudicia mea custodierit ut faciat veritatem: hic iustus est, vita vivet, ait Dominus Deus.
He follows my rules and keeps my regulations faithfully. Such a man lives by what's right and he will certainly live, declares the Lord God.
10 Quod si genuerit filium latronem effundentem sanguinem, et fecerit unum de istis:
What if that man has a son who is a violent criminal, who kills and does do such evil things just listed
11 et hæc quidem omnia non facientem, sed in montibus comedentem, et uxorem proximi sui polluentem:
even though the father doesn't act like that at all. The son goes to the pagan shrines in the mountains to eat a religious meal. He has sex with someone else's wife.
12 egenum, et pauperem contristantem, rapientem rapinas, pignus non reddentem, et ad idola levantem oculos suos, abominationem facientem:
He exploits the poor and those in need. He robs others, and he doesn't give back what a debtor has given him as security. He worships idols. He commits disgusting sins.
13 ad usuram dantem, et amplius accipientem: numquid vivet? Non vivet. Cum universa hæc detestanda fecerit, morte morietur, sanguis eius in ipso erit.
He lends with interest and makes a profit from loans. Is someone like this going to live? No, he won't! Because he has done all these offensive things, he will die for certain, and he will be responsible for his own death.
14 Quod si genuerit filium, qui videns omnia peccata patris sui, quæ fecit, timuerit, et non fecerit simile eis:
Now what if this man has a son who sees all the sins his father has committed. He sees them but doesn't do the same.
15 super montes non comederit, et oculos suos non levaverit ad idola domus Israel, et uxorem proximi sui non violaverit:
He doesn't go to the pagan shrines in the mountains to eat a religious meal, or worship Israel's idols. He doesn't have sex with someone else's wife.
16 et virum non contristaverit, pignus non retinuerit, et rapinam non rapuerit, panem suum esurienti dederit, et nudum operuerit vestimento:
He doesn't exploit anyone. He doesn't demand security for a loan. He doesn't rob others. He feeds the hungry and clothes the naked.
17 a pauperis iniuria averterit manum suam, usuram et superabundantiam non acceperit, iudicia mea fecerit, in præceptis meis ambulaverit: hic non morietur in iniquitate patris sui, sed vita vivet.
He refuses to do wrong and does not charge interest or make a profit on loans. He keeps my regulations and follows my laws. A man like that won't die because of his father's sins, he will certainly live!
18 Pater eius quia calumniatus est, et vim fecit fratri, et malum operatus est in medio populi sui, ecce mortuus est in iniquitate sua.
But his father will die for his own sins, because he exploited others, robbed his relatives, and did wrong to his own people.
19 Et dicitis: Quare non portavit filius iniquitatem patris? Videlicet, quia filius iudicium, et iustitiam operatus est, omnia præcepta mea custodivit, et fecit illa, vivet vita.
You ask, ‘Why shouldn't the son pay for his father's sins?’ If the son has done what is fair and right, keeping all my laws, then he'll live, he won't be punished.
20 Anima quæ peccaverit, ipsa morietur: filius non portabit iniquitatem patris, et pater non portabit iniquitatem filii: iustitia iusti super eum erit, et impietas impii erit super eum.
It's the person who sins who will die. A son won't pay for his father's sins, and a father won't pay for his son's sins. The good consequences of living right will come to those who are good; the evil consequences of wickedness will come to those who are evil.
21 Si autem impius egerit pœnitentiam ab omnibus peccatis suis, quæ operatus est, et custodierit omnia præcepta mea, et fecerit iudicium, et iustitiam: vita vivet, et non morietur.
However, if someone who is wicked stops sinning and keeps my laws, doing what is fair and right, they will certainly live—they won't die.
22 Omnium iniquitatum eius, quas operatus est, non recordabor: in iustitia sua, quam operatus est, vivet.
None of their sins will be held against them. Because they are now doing what's right, they will live.
23 Numquid voluntatis meæ est mors impii, dicit Dominus Deus, et non ut convertatur a viis suis, et vivat?
Do I like it when wicked people die? declares the Lord God. Of course not—I would be delighted if they stopped sinning and lived!
24 Si autem averterit se iustus a iustitia sua, et fecerit iniquitatem secundum omnes abominationes, quas operari solet impius, numquid vivet? Omnes iustitiæ eius, quas fecerat, non recordabuntur: in prævaricatione, qua prævaricatus est, et in peccato suo, quod peccavit, in ipsis morietur.
But if someone who is living according to what's right stops and does wrong, doing the same offensive things as the wicked, will that person live? Of course not! In fact, all the good things they did previously will be forgotten. That person will die because of their betrayal of me and the sins they've committed.
25 Et dixistis: Non est æqua via Domini. Audite ergo domus Israel: Numquid via mea non est æqua, et non magis viæ vestræ pravæ sunt?
Even so you say, ‘What the Lord does isn't right.’ People of Israel, listen to me! Is it what I'm doing that isn't right? Isn't it what you're doing that isn't right?
26 Cum enim averterit se iustus a iustitia sua, et fecerit iniquitatem, morietur in eis: in iniustitia, quam operatus est, morietur.
If someone who lives according to what's right stops doing right and does wrong, they will die. They will die because of wrong things they've done.
27 Et cum averterit se impius ab impietate sua, quam operatus est, et fecerit iudicium, et iustitiam: ipse animam suam vivificabit.
But if someone wicked stops doing wrong and does what is fair and right, they will save their life.
28 Considerans enim, et avertens se ab omnibus iniquitatibus suis, quas operatus est, vita vivet, et non morietur.
Because they thought about it and gave up their wicked ways, they will certainly live—they won't die.
29 Et dicunt filii Israel: Non est æqua via Domini. Numquid viæ meæ non sunt æquæ, domus Israel, et non magis viæ vestræ pravæ?
But the people of Israel say, ‘The Lord's way isn't right.’ Are my ways unfair, people of Israel? Isn't it your ways that aren't fair?
30 Idcirco unumquemque iuxta vias suas iudicabo domus Israel, ait Dominus Deus. Convertimini, et agite pœnitentiam ab omnibus iniquitatibus vestris: et non erit vobis in ruinam iniquitas.
Consequently I'm going to judge you, people of Israel! I will judge each of you depending on what you've done, declares the Lord God. Repent and stop rebelling so that your sins won't bring you down.
31 Proiicite a vobis omnes prævaricationes vestras, in quibus prævaricati estis, et facite vobis cor novum, et spiritum novum: et quare moriemini domus Israel?
Get rid of all your rebellious sins! Change your way of thinking and have a new spirit. Why do you want to die, people of Israel?
32 Quia nolo mortem morientis, dicit Dominus Deus, revertimini, et vivite.
I don't like it when anybody dies, declares the Lord God. So repent so you can live!”
