Ezekiel 18

¹The word of Jehovah came to me again, saying:

²What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge"?

³As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.

⁴Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son, is mine; the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

⁵But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right;

⁶if he eat not upon the mountains, and lift not up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and defile not his neighbor’s wife, and come not near a woman during her uncleanness;

⁷if he oppress not any, if he restore to the debtor his pledge, spoil none by violence, give his bread to the hungry, and cover the naked with a garment;

⁸if he give not forth upon usury, and take not increase; if he withdraw his hand from iniquity, and give true judgment between man and man;

⁹if he walk in my statutes and keep my commandments, to deal uprightly,—he is just; he shall surely live, saith the Lord Jehovah.

¹⁰But if he have a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth to his brother any of these things,

¹¹and doeth not all those duties, but eateth upon the mountains, and defileth his neighbor’s wife,

¹²oppresseth the poor and needy, spoileth by violence, restoreth not the pledge, lifteth up his eyes to idols, and committeth abomination,

¹³giveth forth upon usury, and taketh increase, shall he live? No! he shall not live. He hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.

¹⁴Yet lo, if he have a son that seeth all the sins which his father committed, that seeth them and doeth not such like,

¹⁵that eateth not upon the mountains, nor lifteth up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, nor defileth his neighbor’s wife,

¹⁶nor oppresseth any, nor taketh a pledge, nor spoileth by violence, but giveth his food to the hungry, and covereth the naked with a garment,

¹⁷keepeth back his hand from the poor, and taketh no usury or increase, keepeth my commandments, and walketh in my statutes, he shall not die for the iniquity of his father; he shall surely live.

¹⁸As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, he shall die for his iniquity.

¹⁹Yet say ye, "Why? Doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father?" When the son doeth that which is lawful and right, keepeth all my statutes and doeth them, he shall surely live.

²⁰The soul that sinneth, it 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 upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

²¹But if the wicked will turn from all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

²²None of his transgressions which he hath committed shall be remembered unto him; for his righteousness, which he hath done, he shall live.

²³Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die, saith the Lord Jehovah, and not that he should turn from his ways and live?

²⁴But when the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations which the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; for his trespass which he hath trespassed, and for his sin which he hath sinned, for them shall he die.

²⁵Yet ye say, "The way of the Lord is not right." Hear now, O house of Israel! "Is not my way right?" Is it not your ways that are not right?

²⁶When a righteous man turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and on this account dieth, for his iniquity which he hath done doth he die.

²⁷And when the wicked man turneth from his iniquity which he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.

²⁸Because he considereth and turneth from all his transgressions which he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

²⁹Yet saith the house of Israel, "The way of the Lord is not right." O house of Israel, are not my ways right? Is it not your ways that are not right?

³⁰Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord Jehovah. Turn ye, turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not be your ruin.

³¹Cast away from you all your transgressions which ye have committed, and make you a new heart, and a new spirit! For why will ye die, O house of Israel?

³²For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord Jehovah. Wherefore turn yourselves and live!

Ezekiel 18

¹The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying,

²What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?

³As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.

⁴Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

⁵But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,

⁶And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour’s wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,

⁷And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;

⁸He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,

⁹Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God.

¹⁰If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things,

¹¹And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour’s wife,

¹²Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,

¹³Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.

¹⁴Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father’s sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like,

¹⁵That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife,

¹⁶Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment,

¹⁷That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.

¹⁸As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.

¹⁹Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.

²⁰The soul that sinneth, it 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 upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

²¹But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

²²All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

²³Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

²⁴But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

²⁵Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?

²⁶When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.

²⁷Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.

²⁸Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

²⁹Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?

³⁰Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

³¹Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

³²For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.