Ezekiel

18 And the word of Yahweh came unto me saying:

2 What occasion have ye to be using this proverb, concerning the soil of Israel saying,—Fathers eat sour grapes, And the children’s teeth are blunted?

3 As I live Declareth My Lord Yahweh, Surely ye shall have occasion no longer to use this proverb in Israel.

4 Lo! as for all persons mine they are, As the person of the father so also the person of the son mine they are,—The person that sinneth the same shall die.

5 But when any man shall be righteous,—and do justice and righteousness:

6 Upon the mountains hath not eaten, And his eyes hath not lifted up unto the manufactured gods of the house of Israel, And the wife of his neighbour hath not defiled, And unto a woman during her removal hath not approached;

7 And no man hath treated with violence, But his debt-pledge hath restored, Plunder hath not seized,—His bread—to the famished hath given, And the naked hath covered with clothing;

8 Upon interest hath not put out [his money] And increase hath not accepted, From dishonesty hath turned back his hand,—Justice in truth hath done, between man and man;

9 In my statutes hath walked And my regulations hath observed to do them in truth Righteous he is, He shall surely live, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.

10 But he hath begotten a son Who is a violent man, A shedder of blood,—Who doeth the like of any of these things;

11 Whereas he none of those other things doeth, For indeed upon the mountains he hath eaten, And the wife of his neighbour hath defiled;

12 The oppressed and the needy hath treated with violence, Hath ruthlessly plundered, The pledge hath not restored, But unto the manufactured gods hath lifted up his eyes, Abomination hath wrought;

13 Upon interest hath put out And increase hath accepted—And shall he live? He shall not live, All these abominations he hath done, He shall surely be put to death, His blood upon himself shall be.

14 But lo! he hath begotten a son, Who hath considered all the sins of his father which he hath done,—Yea he hath considered and not done like them:

15 Upon the mountains hath not eaten, And his eyes hath not lifted up unto the manufactured gods of the house of Israel, The wife of his neighbour hath not defiled;

16 And no man hath he treated with violence, Hath by no means withholden the pledge, And plunder hath not seized,—His bread—to the famished hath given And the naked hath covered with clothing;

17 From dishonesty hath turned back his hand Neither interest nor increase hath accepted, My regulations hath executed, In my statutes hath walked,—He shall not die for the iniquity of his father, He shall surely live!

18 His father Because he exacted unjust gain, Seized plunder of a brother, And that which was not good had done in the midst of his people Therefore lo! he died in his iniquity.

19 Will ye then say, Why hath not the son borne a part of the iniquity of the father? But the son hath done justice and righteousness All my statutes hath observed and done them, He shall surely live.

20 The person that sinneth the same shall die,—A son shall not bear a part of the iniquity of the father Neither shall a father bear a part of the iniquity of the son, The righteousness of the righteous upon himself shall be And the lawlessness of a lawless man upon himself shall be.

21 But as for the lawless man—When he shall turn back from all his sins which he hath committed, And observe all my statutes, And do justice and righteousness He shall surely live, He shall not die:

22 None of his transgressions which he hath committed shall be remembered against him,—In his righteousness which he hath done he shall live.

23 Could I take delight in the death of the lawless? Demandeth My Lord Yahweh. Must it not be in his turning from his ways [in which case] he shall live?

24 But when a righteous man shall turn away from his righteousness and do that which is perverse, Shall do according to all the abominations which the lawless man hath done Shall he live? None of his righteous acts which he hath done shall be remembered, In his treachery wherein he hath been treacherous, And in his sin wherein he hath sinned In them shall he die.

25 Can ye then say—The way of My Lord will not be equal? Hear, I pray you, O house of Israel, Will my way not be equal? Will not your ways be unequal?

26 When a righteous man shall turn away from his righteousness and do that which is perverse and die because of those things In his own perversity which he hath done shall he die.

27 But when a lawless man turneth away from his lawlessness which he hath done, And hath done justice and righteousness He shall save his own soul alive:

28 When he considered then he turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed, He shall surely live, He shall not die.

29 Can the house of Israel then say—The way of My Lord will not be equal? Will my ways not be equal, O house of Israel? Will not your ways be unequal?

30 Therefore Every man according to his own ways will I judge you, O house of Israel, Declareth My Lord Yahweh, Return ye—and make good your return—from all your transgressions, That they become not unto you a stumbling-block of iniquity.

31 Cast off from you all your transgressions which ye have committed against me, And make you a new heart And a new spirit,—For why should ye die, O house of Israel?

32 For I cannot take delight in the death of him that dieth, Declareth My Lord Yahweh, Make good your return then and live!