Ezekiel 18

1 and to be word LORD to(wards) me to/for to say

A message from the Lord came to me, saying,

2 what? to/for you you(m. p.) to use a proverb [obj] [the] proverb [the] this upon land: soil Israel to/for to say father to eat unripe grape and tooth [the] son: child be blunt

“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 alive I utterance Lord YHWH/God if: surely no to be to/for you still to use a proverb [the] proverb [the] this in/on/with Israel

As I live, declares the Lord God, you won't quote this proverb in Israel any more.

4 look! all [the] soul to/for me they(fem.) like/as soul [the] father and like/as soul [the] son: child to/for me they(fem.) [the] soul [the] to sin he/she/it to die

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 and man: anyone for to be righteous and to make: do justice and righteousness

Take the example of a man who is a good person, doing what is fair and right.

6 to(wards) [the] mountain: mount not to eat and eye his not to lift: look to(wards) idol house: household Israel and [obj] woman: wife neighbor his not to defile and to(wards) woman impurity not to present: come

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 and man: anyone not to oppress pledge his debtor to return: rescue violence not to plunder food: bread his to/for hungry to give: give and naked to cover garment

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 in/on/with interest not to give: give and increment not to take: take from injustice to return: turn back hand his justice truth: true to make: do between man to/for man

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 in/on/with statute my to go: walk and justice: judgement my to keep: obey to/for to make: do truth: faithful righteous he/she/it to live to live utterance Lord YHWH/God

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 and to beget son: child violent to pour: kill blood and to make: do ah! from one from these

What if that man has a son who is a violent criminal, who kills and does do such evil things just listed

11 and he/she/it [obj] all these not to make: do for also to(wards) [the] mountain: mount to eat and [obj] woman: wife neighbor his to defile

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 afflicted and needy to oppress violence to plunder pledge not to return: rescue and to(wards) [the] idol to lift: look eye his abomination to make

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 in/on/with interest to give: give and increment to take: take and to live not to live [obj] all [the] abomination [the] these to make: do to die to die blood his in/on/with him to be

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 and behold to beget son: child and to see: see [obj] all sin father his which to make: do and to see: see and not to make: do like/as them

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 upon [the] mountain: mount not to eat and eye his not to lift: look to(wards) idol house: household Israel [obj] woman: wife neighbor his not to defile

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 and man: anyone not to oppress pledge not to pledge and violence not to plunder food: bread his to/for hungry to give: give and naked to cover garment

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 from afflicted to return: turn back hand his interest and increment not to take: take justice: judgement my to make: do in/on/with statute my to go: walk he/she/it not to die in/on/with iniquity: crime father his to live to live

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 father his for to oppress oppression to plunder robbery brother: male-sibling and which not pleasant to make: do in/on/with midst kinsman his and behold to die in/on/with iniquity: crime his

But his father will die for his own sins, because he exploited others, robbed his relatives, and did wrong to his own people.

19 and to say why? not to lift: guilt [the] son: child in/on/with iniquity: crime [the] father and [the] son: child justice and righteousness to make: do [obj] all statute my to keep: careful and to make: do [obj] them to live to live

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 [the] soul [the] to sin he/she/it to die son: child not to lift: guilt in/on/with iniquity: crime [the] father and father not to lift: guilt in/on/with iniquity: crime [the] son: child righteousness [the] righteous upon him to be and wickedness ([the] wicked *QK) upon him to be

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 and [the] wicked for to return: repent from all (sin his *QK) which to make and to keep: obey [obj] all statute my and to make: do justice and righteousness to live to live not to die

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 all transgression his which to make not to remember to/for him in/on/with righteousness his which to make: do to live

None of their sins will be held against them. Because they are now doing what's right, they will live.

23 to delight in to delight in death wicked utterance Lord YHWH/God not in/on/with to return: repent he from way: conduct his and to live

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 and in/on/with to return: repent righteous from righteousness his and to make: do injustice like/as all [the] abomination which to make: do [the] wicked to make: do and to live all (righteousness his *QK) which to make: do not to remember in/on/with unfaithfulness his which be unfaithful and in/on/with sin his which to sin in/on/with them to die

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 and to say not to measure way: conduct Lord to hear: hear please house: household Israel way: conduct my not to measure not way: conduct your not to measure

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 in/on/with to return: repent righteous from righteousness his and to make: do injustice and to die upon them in/on/with injustice his which to make: do to die

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 and in/on/with to return: repent wicked from wickedness his which to make and to make: do justice and righteousness he/she/it [obj] soul: life his to live

But if someone wicked stops doing wrong and does what is fair and right, they will save their life.

28 and to see: examine (and to return: repent *Qk) from all transgression his which to make to live to live not to die

Because they thought about it and gave up their wicked ways, they will certainly live—they won't die.

29 and to say house: household Israel not to measure way: conduct Lord way: conduct my not to measure house: household Israel not way: conduct your not to measure

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 to/for so man: anyone like/as way: conduct his to judge [obj] you house: household Israel utterance Lord YHWH/God to return: return and to return: repent from all transgression your and not to be to/for you to/for stumbling iniquity: crime

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 to throw from upon you [obj] all transgression your which to transgress in/on/with them and to make to/for you heart new and spirit new and to/for what? to die house: household 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 for not to delight in in/on/with death [the] to die utterance Lord YHWH/God and to return: repent and to live

I don't like it when anybody dies, declares the Lord God. So repent so you can live!”