1And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,

2“What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are blunted’?

3“As I live,” declares the Master יהוה, “you shall no longer use this proverb in Yisra’ĕl.

4“See, all beings are Mine, the being of the father as well as the being of the son is Mine. The being that is sinning shall die.

5“But if a man is righteous and shall do right-ruling and righteousness,

6if he has not eaten on the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Yisra’ĕl, nor defiled his neighbour’s wife, nor comes near a woman during her uncleanness,

7if he does not oppress anyone, does return to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, does give his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment,

8if he does not lend on interest or take increase, turns back his hand from unrighteousness, executes right-ruling in truth between man and man,

9if he walks in My laws, and he has guarded My right-rulings in truth – he is righteous, he shall certainly live!” declares the Master יהוה.

10“But if he has brought forth a son who is a robber or a shedder of blood, who does any of these –

11whereas he himself did not do any of these – that also he has eaten on the mountains or defiled his neighbour’s wife,

12if he has oppressed the poor and needy, has committed robbery, he does not return a pledge, has lifted his eyes to the idols, or did abomination,

13if he has lent on interest or taken increase – shall he live? He shall not live! If he has done any of these abominations, he shall certainly die, his blood is upon him.

14“But see, if he has brought forth a son who sees all the sins which his father has done, but he fears and does not do likewise,

15has not eaten on the mountains, and has not lifted his eyes to the idols of the house of Yisra’ĕl, has not defiled his neighbour’s wife,

16has not oppressed anyone, nor withheld a pledge, nor committed robbery, has given his bread to the hungry and covered the naked with a garment,

17turns back his hand from wronging the poor, and he has not taken interest or increase, has executed My right-rulings and walked in My laws – he shall not die for the crookedness of his father, he shall certainly live!

18“His father, because he used oppression, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, see, he shall die for his crookedness.

19“And you said, ‘Why should the son not bear the crookedness of the father?’ But the son has done right-ruling and righteousness, he has guarded all My laws and he does them, he shall certainly live.

20“The being who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the crookedness of the father, nor the father bear the crookedness of the son. The righteousness of the righteous is upon himself, and the wrongness of the wrong is upon himself.

21“But the wronga, if he turns from all his sins which he has done, and he shall guard all My laws, and shall do right-ruling and righteousness, he shall certainly live, he shall not die.

22“All the transgressions which he has done 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 wrong?” declares the Master יהוה. “Is it not that he should turn from his ways, and live?

24“But when a righteous one turns away from his righteousness and does unrighteousness, according to all the abominations that the wrong one has done, shall he live? All his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered. For his trespass which he has committed, and for his sin which he has committed, for them he shall die.

25“And you said, ‘The way of יהוה is not right.’ Hear now, O house of Yisra’ĕl, is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?

26“When a righteous one turns away from his righteousness, and does unrighteousness, and he dies in it, it is because of his unrighteousness which he has done that he dies.

27“And when the wrong turns away from the wrong which he has done, and he does right-ruling and righteousness, he keeps himself alive.

28“Because he sees and turns away from all the transgressions which he has done, he shall certainly live, he shall not die.

29“And the house of Yisra’ĕl have said, ‘The way of יהוה is not right.’ Are My ways not right, O house of Yisra’ĕl? Is it not your ways that are not right?

30“Therefore I judge you, O house of Yisra’ĕl, every one according to his ways,” declares the Master יהוה. “Repent, and turn back from all your transgressions, and let not crookedness be a stumbling-block to you.

31“Cast away from you all the transgressions, by which you have transgressed, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Yisra’ĕl?

32“For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” declares the Master יהוה. “So turn back and live!”