Ezequiel 18
1 La Palabra de Yavé vino a mí:
A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
2 ¿Por qué repiten ese dicho en la tierra de Israel: Los padres comieron las uvas agrias, 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 ¡Vivo Yo! dice ʼAdonay Yavé, que nunca más repetirán ese dicho en Israel.
As I live, declares the Lord God, you won't quote this proverb in Israel any more.
4 Ciertamente todas las almas son mías. Tanto el alma del padre como el alma del hijo son mías. La persona que peque, ésa 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 El hombre que es justo, que practica la justicia y la equidad,
Take the example of a man who is a good person, doing what is fair and right.
6 que no come en [los altares de] las montañas, ni levanta sus ojos a los ídolos de la Casa de Israel, ni viola a la esposa de su prójimo, ni se une a una mujer en su período menstrual,
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 que no explota a nadie, al deudor le devuelve la prenda empeñada, no roba, da de su pan al hambriento y cubre con su ropa al desnudo,
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 que no presta con usura ni cobra intereses, que detiene su mano de la iniquidad, juzga de modo imparcial entre hombre y hombre,
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 anda en mis Ordenanzas, guarda mis Estatutos y los cumple fielmente, ése es justo. Ése ciertamente vivirá, dice ʼAdonay Yavé.
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 un hijo ladrón y homicida, o que hace cualquiera 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 aunque no haga las otras, sino come sobre [los altares de] las montañas, o viola la esposa 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 que oprime al pobre y necesitado, roba, no devuelve la prenda, o levanta sus ojos a los ídolos y comete repugnancia,
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 por interés y toma usura, ¿vivirá éste? No vivirá. Hizo todas estas repugnancias y ciertamente morirá. Su sangre caerá sobre él.
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 Pero si éste engendra un hijo, que a pesar de que vio todos los pecados de su padre, no los imita,
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 come [sobre los altares] en las montañas, ni levanta sus ojos a los ídolos de la Casa de Israel, no viola a la esposa 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 ni oprime a alguno, no retiene la prenda ni roba; que comparte su pan con el hambriento y cubre al desnudo;
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 que aparta su mano de la iniquidad y no recibe interés ni usura; que guarda mis Estatutos y anda en mis Ordenanzas, ése no morirá por la maldad de su padre. Ciertamente 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 En cuanto a su padre, porque cometió agravio, despojó con violencia al hermano y cometió en medio de su pueblo lo que no es bueno, ciertamente él morirá por su iniquidad.
But his father will die for his own sins, because he exploited others, robbed his relatives, and did wrong to his own people.
19 Y si dices: ¿Por qué el hijo no lleva el pecado de su padre? Porque el hijo actuó según la Ordenanza y la Justicia, guardó todos mis Estatutos y los cumplió. Ciertamente 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 La persona que peque, ésa morirá. El hijo no recibirá el castigo por la iniquidad del padre, ni el padre recibirá el castigo por la iniquidad del hijo. La justicia del justo estará sobre él, y la perversidad del perverso caerá sobre él.
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 Pero si el perverso se aparta de todos sus pecados que cometió, guarda todos mis Estatutos y hace según la Ordenanza y la 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 Ninguna de las transgresiones que cometió será recordada contra él. A causa de la justicia que practicó, vivirá.
None of their sins will be held against them. Because they are now doing what's right, they will live.
23 ¿Quiero Yo la muerte del perverso? dice ʼAdonay Yavé. ¿No vivirá si se aparta de sus caminos?
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, si el justo se aparta de su justicia, comete repugnancia y hace conforme a todas las repugnancias que comete el perverso, ¿vivirá? Ninguna de las justicias que practicó le será tomada en cuenta. Por su infidelidad que practicó y por el pecado que cometió, 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 Y si dices: No es recto el camino de ʼAdonay. Oiga ahora, oh Casa de Israel: ¿Mi camino no es recto? ¿No son sus caminos los que no son rectos?
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 Cuando el justo se aparta de su justicia y comete iniquidad, muere. A causa de la iniquidad que cometió muere.
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 Pero al apartarse el perverso de la perversidad que cometió, y actuar según la Ordenanza y la Justicia, salva su vida.
But if someone wicked stops doing wrong and does what is fair and right, they will save their life.
28 Porque reflexionó y se apartó de todas sus transgresiones que cometió. Ciertamente vivirá. No morirá.
Because they thought about it and gave up their wicked ways, they will certainly live—they won't die.
29 Si aún la Casa de Israel dice: No es recto el camino de ʼAdonay. Oh Casa de Israel, ¿no son rectos mis caminos? Ciertamente sus caminos no son rectos.
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 tanto oh Casa de Israel, Yo los juzgaré a cada uno según su conducta, dice ʼAdonay Yavé. Conviértanse y apártense de todas sus transgresiones para que la iniquidad no les sea una piedra de tropiezo.
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 ¡Echen de ustedes todas sus transgresiones que cometieron y fórmense un corazón nuevo y un espíritu nuevo! ¿Por qué morirán, 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 me complazco en la muerte de alguno, dice ʼAdonay Yavé. Por tanto conviértanse y vivan.
I don't like it when anybody dies, declares the Lord God. So repent so you can live!”
