Ezekiel 18

1 Yahweh’s word came to me again, saying,

The word of Jehovah came to me again, saying,

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

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

3 “As I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “you shall not use this proverb any more in Israel.

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

4 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.

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

5 “But if a man is just, and does that which is lawful and right,

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

6 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 neighbor’s wife, hasn’t come near a woman in her impurity,

and has not eaten upon the mountains, nor has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, nor has defiled his neighbor's wife, nor has come near to a woman in her impurity,

7 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;

and has not wronged any man, but has restored to the debtor his pledge, has taken nothing by robbery, has given his bread to a hungry man, and has covered a naked man with a garment,

8 he who hasn’t lent to them with interest, hasn’t taken any increase from them, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man,

he who has not given forth upon interest, nor has taken any increase, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man,

9 has walked in my statutes, and has kept my ordinances, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live,” says the Lord Yahweh.

has walked in my statutes, and has kept my ordinances, to deal truly, he is just. He shall surely live, says the lord Jehovah.

10 “If he fathers a son who is a robber who sheds blood, and who does any one of these things,

If he begets a son who is a robber, a shedder of blood, and who does any one of these things,

11 or who does not do any of those things but has eaten at the mountain shrines and defiled his neighbor’s wife,

and who does not do any of those duties, but has even eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbor's wife,

12 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,

has wronged the poor and needy man, has taken by robbery, has not restored the pledge, and has lifted up his eyes to the idols, has committed abomination,

13 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.

has given forth upon interest, and has taken increase, shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations. He shall surely die. His blood shall be upon him.

14 “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,

Now, lo, if he begets a son, who sees all his father's sins, which he has done, and fears, and does not do such like,

15 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 neighbor’s wife,

who has not eaten upon the mountains, nor has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled his neighbor's wife,

16 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;

nor has wronged any man, has not taken anything to pledge, nor has taken by robbery, but has given his bread to a hungry man, and has covered a naked man with a garment,

17 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.

who has withdrawn his hand from a poor man, who has not received interest nor 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 As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother, and did that which is not good among his people, behold, he will die in his iniquity.

As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother, and did that which is not good among his people, behold, he shall die in his iniquity.

19 “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.

Yet ye say, Why does not 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 shall surely live.

20 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.

The soul that sins, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, nor shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of a righteous man shall be upon him, and the wickedness of a wicked man shall be upon him.

21 “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.

But if a wicked man 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 None of his transgressions that he has committed will be remembered against him. In his righteousness that he has done, he shall live.

None of his transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him. In his righteousness that he has done he shall live.

23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked?” says the Lord Yahweh, “and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?

Have I any pleasure in the death of a wicked man? says the lord Jehovah, and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?

24 “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.

But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, shall he live? None of his righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered. In his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them he shall die.

25 “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?

Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equitable. Hear now, O house of Israel. Is not my way equitable? Are not your ways inequitable?

26 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.

When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies in it, in his iniquity that he has done, he shall die.

27 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.

Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.

28 Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live. He shall not die.

Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live. He shall not die.

29 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?

Yet the house of Israel says, The way of the Lord is not equitable. O house of Israel, are not my ways equitable? Are not your ways inequitable?

30 “Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, everyone according to his ways,” says the Lord Yahweh. “Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity will not be your ruin.

Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each one according to his ways, says the lord Jehovah. Return ye, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

31 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?

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

32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies,” says the Lord Yahweh. “Therefore turn yourselves, and live!

For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies, says the lord Jehovah, therefore turn yourselves back, and live.