Hiezechielis Prophetæ 18
1 Et factus est sermo Domini ad me, dicens:
The LORD’s word came to me again, saying,
2 Quid est quod inter vos parabolam vertitis in proverbium istud in terra Israël, dicentes: Patres comederunt uvam acerbam, et dentes filiorum obstupescunt?
“What do you mean, that you use this proverb concerning Eretz-Israel, saying, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
3 Vivo ego, dicit Dominus Deus, si erit ultra vobis parabola hæc in proverbium in Israël.
“As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “you shall not use this proverb any more in Israel.
4 Ecce omnes animæ meæ sunt: ut anima patris, ita et anima filii mea est: anima quæ peccaverit, ipsa morietur.
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 Et vir si fuerit justus, et fecerit judicium et justitiam,
“But if a man is just, and does that which is lawful and right,
6 in montibus non comederit, et oculos suos non levaverit ad idola domus Israël: et uxorem proximi sui non violaverit, et ad mulierem menstruatam non accesserit:
and has not eaten on the mountains, hasn’t lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hasn’t defiled his neighbour’s wife, hasn’t come near a woman in her impurity,
7 et hominem non contristaverit, pignus debitori reddiderit, per vim nihil rapuerit: panem suum esurienti dederit, et nudum operuerit vestimento:
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 ad usuram non commodaverit, et amplius non acceperit: ab iniquitate averterit manum suam, et judicium verum fecerit inter virum et virum:
he who hasn’t lent to them with interest, hasn’t taken any increase from them, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man,
9 in præceptis meis ambulaverit, et judicia mea custodierit, ut faciat veritatem: hic justus est; vita vivet, ait Dominus Deus.
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 Quod si genuerit filium latronem, effundentem sanguinem, et fecerit unum de istis:
“If he fathers a son who is a robber who sheds blood, and who does any one of these things,
11 et hæc quidem omnia non facientem, sed in montibus comedentem, et uxorem proximi sui polluentem:
or who does not do any of those things but has eaten at the mountain shrines and defiled his neighbour’s wife,
12 egenum et pauperem contristantem, rapientem rapinas, pignus non reddentem, et ad idola levantem oculos suos, abominationem facientem:
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 ad usuram dantem, et amplius accipientem: numquid vivet? Non vivet: cum universa hæc detestanda fecerit, morte morietur; sanguis ejus in ipso erit.
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 Quod si genuerit filium, qui videns omnia peccata patris sui quæ fecit, timuerit, et non fecerit simile eis:
“Now, behold, if he fathers a son who sees all his father’s sins which he has done, and fears, and doesn’t do likewise,
15 super montes non comederit, et oculos suos non levaverit ad idola domus Israël, et uxorem proximi sui non violaverit:
who hasn’t eaten on the mountains, hasn’t lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hasn’t defiled his neighbour’s wife,
16 et virum non contristaverit, pignus non retinuerit, et rapinam non rapuerit: panem suum esurienti dederit, et nudum operuerit vestimento:
hasn’t wronged any, hasn’t taken anything to pledge, hasn’t taken by robbery, but has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;
17 a pauperis injuria averterit manum suam, usuram et superabundantiam non acceperit, judicia mea fecerit, in præceptis meis ambulaverit: hic non morietur in iniquitate patris sui, sed vita vivet.
who has withdrawn his hand from the poor, who hasn’t 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 Pater ejus, quia calumniatus est, et vim fecit fratri, et malum operatus est in medio populi sui, ecce mortuus est in iniquitate sua.
As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother, and did that which is not good amongst his people, behold, he will die in his iniquity.
19 Et dicitis: Quare non portavit filius iniquitatem patris? Videlicet quia filius judicium et justitiam operatus est, omnia præcepta mea custodivit, et fecit illa, vivet vita.
“Yet you say, ‘Why doesn’t 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 Anima quæ peccaverit, ipsa morietur: filius non portabit iniquitatem patris, et pater non portabit iniquitatem filii: justitia justi super eum erit, et impietas impii erit super eum.
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 Si autem impius egerit pœnitentiam ab omnibus peccatis suis quæ operatus est, et custodierit omnia præcepta mea, et fecerit judicium et justitiam, vita vivet, et non morietur.
“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 Omnium iniquitatum ejus quas operatus est, non recordabor: in justitia sua quam operatus est, vivet.
None of his transgressions that he has committed will be remembered against him. In his righteousness that he has done, he shall live.
23 Numquid voluntatis meæ est mors impii, dicit Dominus Deus, et non ut convertatur a viis suis, et vivat?
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 Si autem averterit se justus a justitia sua, et fecerit iniquitatem secundum omnes abominationes quas operari solet impius, numquid vivet? Omnes justitiæ ejus quas fecerat, non recordabuntur: in prævaricatione qua prævaricatus est, et in peccato suo quod peccavit, in ipsis morietur.
“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 Et dixistis: Non est æqua via Domini! Audite ergo, domus Israël: numquid via mea non est æqua, et non magis viæ vestræ pravæ sunt?
“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not equal.’ Hear now, house of Israel: Is my way not equal? Aren’t your ways unequal?
26 Cum enim averterit se justus a justitia sua, et fecerit iniquitatem, morietur in eis: in injustitia quam operatus est morietur.
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 Et cum averterit se impius ab impietate sua quam operatus est, et fecerit judicium et justitiam, ipse animam suam vivificabit:
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 considerans enim, et avertens se ab omnibus iniquitatibus suis quas operatus est, vita vivet, et non morietur.
Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live. He shall not die.
29 Et dicunt filii Israël: Non est æqua via Domini! Numquid viæ meæ non sunt æquæ, domus Israël, et non magis viæ vestræ pravæ?
Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ House of Israel, aren’t my ways fair? Aren’t your ways unfair?
30 Idcirco unumquemque juxta vias suas judicabo, domus Israël, ait Dominus Deus. Convertimini, et agite pœnitentiam ab omnibus iniquitatibus vestris, et non erit vobis in ruinam iniquitas.
“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 Projicite a vobis omnes prævaricationes vestras in quibus prævaricati estis, et facite vobis cor novum, et spiritum novum: et quare moriemini, domus Israël?
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 Quia nolo mortem morientis, dicit Dominus Deus: revertimini, et vivite.
For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Therefore turn yourselves, and live!
