Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

 ¹ The word of the LORD came to me again, saying,

 ² "What do you mean when 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?'

 ³ "As I live," says the Lord GOD, "you shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.

 ⁴ Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father is mine, and the soul of the son is mine. The soul who sins shall die.

 ⁵ But if a man is righteous, and does what is lawful and right,

 ⁶ And has not eaten upon the mountain shrines nor has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled his neighbor's wife nor come near a woman during her impurity,

 ⁷ And has not oppressed anyone but has restored what he took in pledge from a debtor, has spoiled none by violence but has given his bread to the hungry and has covered the naked with a garment;

 ⁸ Who has not charged usury nor taken any increase [interest], who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, and has executed true judgment between man and man,

 ⁹ Who has walked in my statutes and kept my judgments, to deal truly. That man is righteous, he shall surely live!" Says the Lord GOD.

 ¹⁰ "If he should father a son who is a robber or sheds blood, or who does any of these other things,

 ¹¹ And does not do the duties [acts of a righteous man], but has eaten at the mountain shrines and defiled his neighbor's wife,

 ¹² Has oppressed the poor and needy, has robbed by violence, has not restored the pledge, has lifted up his eyes to the idols and has committed abomination,

 ¹³ Has charged usury and has taken a percentage of increase; shall he then live? He shall not live! He has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon himself.

 ¹⁴ Now lo, if the wicked man begets a son, who sees all his father's sins which he has done, and considers and does not do such things,

 ¹⁵ Who has not eaten upon the mountains nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled his neighbor's wife,

 ¹⁶ Nor oppressed any, has not withheld the pledge, nor robbed by violence, but has given his bread to the hungry and has covered the naked with a garment,

 ¹⁷ Who has withdrawn his hand from [oppressing] the poor, who has not received usury nor increase, but has executed my judgments and has walked in my statutes; he shall not die for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 by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, he shall die in his iniquity.

 ¹⁹ Yet you ask, 'Why? should the son not bear the iniquity of the father?' Since 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 that sins, 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 himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

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

 ²² All his transgressions that he has committed, shall not 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 GOD, "and not that he should turn from his ways and live?

 ²⁴ But if the righteous turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All his righteousness that he has done shall not 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 fair and just.' Hear now, O house of Israel; are not my ways just? Are not your ways unjust?

 ²⁶ When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and dies in it; he shall die for his iniquity that he has done.

 ²⁷ Again, when the 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.

 ²⁹ Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the LORD is not just.' O house of Israel, are not my ways just? Are not your ways unjust?

 ³⁰ Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, everyone according to his ways," says the Lord GOD. "Repent! And turn from all your transgressions, so iniquity will not be your ruin.

 ³¹ Cast away from you all your transgressions, by which you have transgressed; and get a new heart, a new mind, and a new spirit. For why will you die¹, O house of Israel?

 ³² For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies," says the Lord GOD. "Therefore turn [from your evil ways] and live!"