Hiezechielis Prophetæ 18

1 Et factus est sermo Domini ad me, dicens:

The word of Yahweh came to me again, saying,

2 Quid est quod inter vos parabolam vertitis in proverbium istud in terra Israel, dicentes: Patres comederunt uvam acerbam, et dentes filiorum obstupescunt?

“What do you mean, you who use this proverb concerning the land of Israel and say, 'Fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are made blunt'?

3 Vivo ego, dicit Dominus Deus, si erit ultra vobis parabola hæc in proverbium in Israel.

As I live—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration—there will certainly no longer be any occasion for you to use this proverb in Israel.

4 Ecce omnes animæ, meæ sunt: ut anima patris, ita et anima filii mea est: anima, quæ peccaverit, ipsa morietur.

Behold! Every life belong to me—the life of the father as well as the life of the son, they belong to me! The soul who sins is the one who will die!

5 Et vir si fuerit iustus, et fecerit iudicium, et iustitiam,

What can be said about a man who is righteous and who carries out justice and righteousness—

6 in montibus non comederit, et oculos suos non levaverit ad idola domus Israel: et uxorem proximi sui non violaverit, et ad mulierem menstruatam non accesserit:

if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and he does not defile his neighbor's wife, nor approached a woman during her monthly period, is he a righteous man?

7 et hominem non contristaverit: pignus debitori reddiderit, per vim nihil rapuerit: panem suum esurienti dederit, et nudum operuerit vestimento:

What can be said about a man who does not oppress anyone, and he gives back to the debtor what was put up as security for a loan, and he does not commit theft but gives his food to the hungry and he covers the naked with clothes, is he a righteous man?

8 ad usuram non commodaverit, et amplius non acceperit: ab iniquitate averterit manum suam, et iudicium verum fecerit inter virum et virum:

What can be said about a man who does not charge too much interest for the money he loans, and he does not take too much profit for what he sells? It is said of him that he carries out justice and establishes faithfulness between people.

9 in præceptis meis ambulaverit, et iudicia mea custodierit ut faciat veritatem: hic iustus est, vita vivet, ait Dominus Deus.

If that man walks in my statutes and keeps my decrees to act faithfully, then the promise for this righteous man is this: He will surely live!—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.

10 Quod si genuerit filium latronem effundentem sanguinem, et fecerit unum de istis:

But suppose that he has a violent son who sheds blood and does any one of these things that were mentioned,

11 et hæc quidem omnia non facientem, sed in montibus comedentem, et uxorem proximi sui polluentem:

(though his father has not done any of these things). He eats upon the mountains and he defiles his neighbor's wife, what can be said about him?

12 egenum, et pauperem contristantem, rapientem rapinas, pignus non reddentem, et ad idola levantem oculos suos, abominationem facientem:

This man oppresses the poor and needy, and he seizes and robs, and he does not return a pledge, and he lifts up his eyes to the idols and commits disgusting actions,

13 ad usuram dantem, et amplius accipientem: numquid vivet? Non vivet. Cum universa hæc detestanda fecerit, morte morietur, sanguis eius in ipso erit.

and he lends out money at too high interest and he makes too much profit on what he sells, should that man live? Surely he will not! He will certainly die and his blood will be on him because he has done all these detestable things.

14 Quod si genuerit filium, qui videns omnia peccata patris sui, quæ fecit, timuerit, et non fecerit simile eis:

But behold! Suppose there is a man who bears a son, and his son sees all the sins that his father has committed, and though he sees them, he does not do those things.

15 super montes non comederit, et oculos suos non levaverit ad idola domus Israel, et uxorem proximi sui non violaverit:

That son does not eat upon the mountains, and he does not lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and he does not defile his neighbor's wife, what can be said about him?

16 et virum non contristaverit, pignus non retinuerit, et rapinam non rapuerit, panem suum esurienti dederit, et nudum operuerit vestimento:

That son does not oppress anyone, or seize a pledge, or take stolen things, but instead gives his food to the hungry and covers up the naked with clothes.

17 a pauperis iniuria averterit manum suam, usuram et superabundantiam non acceperit, iudicia mea fecerit, in præceptis meis ambulaverit: hic non morietur in iniquitate patris sui, sed vita vivet.

That son does not oppress anyone or take interest that is too high or make too much profit for a loan, but he carries out my decrees and walks according to my statutes; that son will not die for his father's sin: He will surely live!

18 Pater eius quia calumniatus est, et vim fecit fratri, et malum operatus est in medio populi sui, ecce mortuus est in iniquitate sua.

His father, since he oppressed others by extortion and robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people—behold, he will die in his iniquity.

19 Et dicitis: Quare non portavit filius iniquitatem patris? Videlicet, quia filius iudicium, et iustitiam operatus est, omnia præcepta mea custodivit, et fecit illa, vivet vita.

But you say, 'Why does the son not bear the iniquity of his father?' Because the son carries out justice and righteousness and keeps all my statutes; he does them. He will surely live!

20 Anima quæ peccaverit, ipsa morietur: filius non portabit iniquitatem patris, et pater non portabit iniquitatem filii: iustitia iusti super eum erit, et impietas impii erit super eum.

The one who sins, he is the one who will die. A son will not bear his father's iniquity, and a father will not bear his son's iniquity. The righteousness of the one who acts rightly will be on himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be on himself.

21 Si autem impius egerit pœnitentiam ab omnibus peccatis suis, quæ operatus est, et custodierit omnia præcepta mea, et fecerit iudicium, et iustitiam: vita vivet, et non morietur.

But if the wicked turns away from all his sins that he has done, and keeps all my statutes and performs justice and righteousness, then he will certainly live and not die.

22 Omnium iniquitatum eius, quas operatus est, non recordabor: in iustitia sua, quam operatus est, vivet.

All the transgressions that he has committed will not be called to mind against him. He will live by the righteousness that he practices.

23 Numquid voluntatis meæ est mors impii, dicit Dominus Deus, et non ut convertatur a viis suis, et vivat?

Do I greatly rejoice over the death of the wicked—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration—and not in his turning away from his way so that he may live?

24 Si autem averterit se iustus a iustitia sua, et fecerit iniquitatem secundum omnes abominationes, quas operari solet impius, numquid vivet? Omnes iustitiæ eius, quas fecerat, non recordabuntur: in prævaricatione, qua prævaricatus est, et in peccato suo, quod peccavit, in ipsis morietur.

But if the righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and practices abominations like all the abominations that the wicked person does, then will he live? All the righteousness that he had done will not be called to mind when he betrays me in his treason. So he will die in the sins that he committed.

25 Et dixistis: Non est æqua via Domini. Audite ergo domus Israel: Numquid via mea non est æqua, et non magis viæ vestræ pravæ sunt?

But you say, 'The way of the Lord is not fair!' Listen, house of Israel! Are my ways unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair?

26 Cum enim averterit se iustus a iustitia sua, et fecerit iniquitatem, morietur in eis: in iniustitia, quam operatus est, morietur.

When the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity and dies because of them, then he will die in the iniquity that he has done.

27 Et cum averterit se impius ab impietate sua, quam operatus est, et fecerit iudicium, et iustitiam: ipse animam suam vivificabit.

But when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has done and performs justice and righteousness, then he will preserve his life.

28 Considerans enim, et avertens se ab omnibus iniquitatibus suis, quas operatus est, vita vivet, et non morietur.

For he has seen and turned away from all the transgressions that he had done. He will surely live, and he will not die.

29 Et dicunt filii Israel: Non est æqua via Domini. Numquid viæ meæ non sunt æquæ, domus Israel, et non magis viæ vestræ pravæ?

But the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not fair!' How is my way not fair, house of Israel? It is your ways that are not fair.

30 Idcirco unumquemque iuxta vias suas iudicabo domus Israel, ait Dominus Deus. Convertimini, et agite pœnitentiam ab omnibus iniquitatibus vestris: et non erit vobis in ruinam iniquitas.

Therefore I will judge each man among you according to his ways, house of Israel!—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration. Repent and turn away from all your transgressions so that they will not be stumbling blocks of iniquity against you.

31 Proiicite a vobis omnes prævaricationes vestras, in quibus prævaricati estis, et facite vobis cor novum, et spiritum novum: et quare moriemini domus Israel?

Throw away from yourselves all of the transgressions that you have committed; make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel?

32 Quia nolo mortem morientis, dicit Dominus Deus, revertimini, et vivite.

For I have no delight in the death of the one who dies—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration—so repent and live!”