Ezequiel 18
1 Me llegó la palabra de Yahvé, que dijo:
A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
2 “¿Por qué vosotros que sabéis hablar en proverbios aplicáis al país de Israel este refrán: «Los padres comieron el agraz, y los hijos sufren la dentera»?
“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 Por mi vida, dice Yahvé, el Señor, que no tendréis más necesidad de decir este refrán en Israel.
As I live, declares the Lord God, you won't quote this proverb in Israel any more.
4 He aquí que todas las almas son mías; mías son el alma del padre como el alma del hijo, mas el alma que pecare, esa morirá.
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 Si un hombre es justo y vive según derecho y justicia;
Take the example of a man who is a good person, doing what is fair and right.
6 si no banquetea en los montes ni alza sus ojos a los ídolos de la casa de Israel; si no mancha a la mujer de su prójimo ni se acerca a mujer durante su impureza;
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 si no oprime a nadie y devuelve al deudor la prenda; si no roba nada; si parte su pan con el hambriento y cubre al desnudo con vestido;
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 si no presta a usura ni acepta interés; si retira su mano de lo que es malo y juzga entre hombre y hombre según la verdad;
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 si sigue mis preceptos y guarda mis juicios para obrar rectamente; ese tal es justo, ese vivirá, dice Yahvé, el Señor.
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 Pero si engendra a un hijo violento que vierte sangre y comete contra su hermano alguna de estas cosas,
What if that man has a son who is a violent criminal, who kills and does do such evil things just listed
11 y lejos de hacer aquellas cosas (buenas) banquetea sobre los montes y mancha a la mujer de su prójimo,
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 oprime al pobre y al desvalido, comete rapiñas, no devuelve la prenda y alza los ojos a los ídolos, haciendo abominación,
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 presta a usura y acepta creces ¿acaso este vivirá? No vivirá, habiendo hecho todas estas abominaciones. Morirá sin remedio. Recaerá sobre él su sangre.
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 Mas he aquí que (un hombre) engendra un hijo, que ve todos los pecados que cometió su padre, y viéndolos no hace nada semejante:
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 no banquetea sobre los montes, no alza sus ojos a los ídolos de la casa de Israel, no mancha a la mujer de su prójimo,
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 no oprime a nadie ni exige la prenda, no comete rapiñas, parte su pan con el hambriento y cubre al desnudo con vestido,
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 retira su mano de la iniquidad, no toma ni usura ni interés, obra según mis leyes y cumple mis preceptos: este no morirá por la iniquidad de su padre; sino que vivirá.
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 Su padre, empero, morirá por su iniquidad, porque hizo opresión, despojó a su hermano y obró la maldad en medio de su pueblo.
But his father will die for his own sins, because he exploited others, robbed his relatives, and did wrong to his own people.
19 Si preguntáis: «¿Por qué no ha de pagar el hijo la iniquidad de su padre?» Porque el hijo ha obrado según derecho y justicia, ha guardado todos mis mandamientos y los ha cumplido; de seguro vivirá.
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 El alma que pecare, esa morirá. El hijo no pagará la iniquidad del padre, ni el padre la iniquidad del hijo; la justicia del justo sobre este mismo recaerá, y la iniquidad del inicuo caerá sobre él mismo.
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 el malo se convierte de todos sus pecados cometidos y guarda todos mis preceptos y obra según derecho y justicia, ciertamente vivirá; no morirá.
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 No le será imputado ninguno de los pecados que haya cometido. A causa de la justicia que ha obrado vivirá.
None of their sins will be held against them. Because they are now doing what's right, they will live.
23 ¿Acaso quiero Yo la muerte del impío? dice Yahvé, el Señor. ¿No (quiero) más bien que vuelva de sus caminos y viva?
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 Pero cuando el justo se desviare de su justicia cometiendo iniquidad e imitando todas las abominaciones del impío, ¿acaso vivirá? Ninguna de sus justicias que ha hecho le será imputada. Por la prevaricación en que ha caído, y por el pecado que ha cometido, por ellos morirá.
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 Si decís: «El camino del Señor es torcido», escucha, ¡oh casa de Israel! ¿Acaso es el camino mío el torcido, y no son más bien vuestros caminos los torcidos?
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 Si el justo se desvía de su justicia y obra la maldad, y muere a causa de ello, muere por la maldad que ha cometido.
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 Asimismo si el impío se convierte de su maldad que ha hecho y obra según derecho y justicia, conserva la vida de su alma.
But if someone wicked stops doing wrong and does what is fair and right, they will save their life.
28 Si abre sus ojos y se convierte de todos los pecados que ha cometido, de seguro vivirá; no morirá.
Because they thought about it and gave up their wicked ways, they will certainly live—they won't die.
29 Y, sin embargo, dice la casa de Israel: «El camino del Señor es torcido». ¿Acaso son torcidos mis caminos, oh casa de Israel? ¿No son más bien vuestros caminos los torcidos?
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 Por lo tanto os juzgaré a cada uno conforme a sus caminos, oh casa de Israel, dice Yahvé, el Señor. Convertíos y apartaos de todos vuestros pecados, para que la iniquidad no sea causa de vuestra ruina.
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 Echad lejos de vosotros todos vuestros pecados que habéis cometido, y formaos un corazón nuevo y un nuevo espíritu, pues ¿por qué queréis morir, oh casa de 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 Porque Yo no quiero la muerte del que muere, dice Yahvé, el Señor. ¡Convertíos y viviréis!
I don't like it when anybody dies, declares the Lord God. So repent so you can live!”
