| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1The word of the LORD came to me again, saying, | 1The word of the LORD came to me: " |
| 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’? | 2What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel: The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? |
| 3“As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel. | 3As I live"--this is the declaration of the Lord GOD--"you will no longer use this proverb in Israel. |
| 4“Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die. | 4Look, every life belongs to Me. The life of the father is like the life of the son--both belong to Me. The person who sins is the one who will die." |
| 5But if a man is just And does what is lawful and right; | 5Now suppose a man is righteous and does what is just and right: |
| 6If he has not eaten on the mountains, Nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, Nor defiled his neighbor’s wife, Nor approached a woman during her impurity; | 6He does not eat at the mountain shrines or raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife or come near a woman during her menstrual impurity. |
| 7If he has not oppressed anyone, But has restored to the debtor his pledge; Has robbed no one by violence, But has given his bread to the hungry And covered the naked with clothing; | 7He doesn't oppress anyone but returns his collateral to the debtor. He does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing. |
| 8If he has not exacted usury Nor taken any increase, But has withdrawn his hand from iniquity And executed true judgment between man and man; | 8He doesn't lend at interest or for profit but keeps his hand from wrongdoing and carries out true justice between men. |
| 9If he has walked in My statutes And kept My judgments faithfully— He is just; He shall surely live!” Says the Lord GOD. | 9He follows My statutes and keeps My ordinances, acting faithfully. Such a person is righteous; he will certainly live." This is the declaration of the Lord GOD." |
| 10“If he begets a son who is a robber Or a shedder of blood, Who does any of these things | 10Now suppose the man has a violent son, who sheds blood and does any of these things, |
| 11And does none of those duties, But has eaten on the mountains Or defiled his neighbor’s wife; | 11though the father has done none of them. Indeed, when the son eats at the mountain shrines and defiles his neighbor's wife, |
| 12If he has oppressed the poor and needy, Robbed by violence, Not restored the pledge, Lifted his eyes to the idols, Or committed abomination; | 12and when he oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, and does not return collateral, and when he raises his eyes to the idols, commits detestable acts, |
| 13If he has exacted usury Or taken increase— Shall he then live? He shall not live! If he has done any of these abominations, He shall surely die; His blood shall be upon him. | 13and lends at interest or for profit, will he live? He will not live! Since he has committed all these detestable acts, he will certainly die. His blood will be on him." |
| 14“If, however, he begets a son Who sees all the sins which his father has done, And considers but does not do likewise; | 14Now suppose he has a son who sees all the sins his father has committed, and though he sees them, he does not do likewise. |
| 15Who has not eaten on the mountains, Nor lifted his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, Nor defiled his neighbor’s wife; | 15He does not eat at the mountain shrines or raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife. |
| 16Has not oppressed anyone, Nor withheld a pledge, Nor robbed by violence, But has given his bread to the hungry And covered the naked with clothing; | 16He doesn't oppress anyone, hold collateral, or commit robbery. He gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing. |
| 17Who has withdrawn his hand from the poor And not received usury or increase, But has executed My judgments And walked in My statutes— He shall not die for the iniquity of his father; He shall surely live! | 17He keeps his hand from harming the poor, not taking interest or profit on a loan. He practices My ordinances and follows My statutes. Such a person will not die for his father's iniquity. He will certainly live." |
| 18“As for his father, Because he cruelly oppressed, Robbed his brother by violence, And did what is not good among his people, Behold, he shall die for his iniquity. | 18As for his father, he will die for his own iniquity because he practiced fraud, robbed his brother, and did what was wrong among his people. |
| 19“Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live. | 19But you may ask, 'Why doesn't the son suffer punishment for the father's iniquity?' Since the son has done what is just and right, carefully observing all My statutes, he will certainly live. |
| 20The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. | 20The person who sins is the one who will die. A son won't suffer punishment for the father's iniquity, and a father won't suffer punishment for the son's iniquity. The righteousness of the righteous person will be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked person will be on him." |
| 21“But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. | 21Now if the wicked person turns from all the sins he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is just and right, he will certainly live; he will not die. |
| 22None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. | 22None of the transgressions he has committed will be held against him. He will live because of the righteousness he has practiced. |
| 23Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord GOD, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live? | 23Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?" This is the declaration of the Lord GOD. "Instead, don't I take pleasure when he turns from his ways and lives? |
| 24“But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die. | 24But when a righteous person turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity, committing the same detestable acts that the wicked do, will he live? None of the righteous acts he did will be remembered. He will die because of the treachery he has engaged in and the sin he has committed." |
| 25“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair? | 25But you say, 'The Lord's way isn't fair.' Now listen, house of Israel: Is it My way that is unfair? Instead, isn't it your ways that are unfair? |
| 26When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies. | 26When a righteous person turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity, he will die for this. He will die because of the iniquity he has practiced. |
| 27Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. | 27But if a wicked person turns from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will preserve his life. |
| 28Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. | 28He will certainly live because he thought it over and turned from all the transgressions he had committed; he will not die. |
| 29Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair? | 29But the house of Israel says, 'The Lord's way isn't fair.' Is it My ways that are unfair, house of Israel? Instead, isn't it your ways that are unfair?" |
| 30“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord GOD. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. | 30Therefore, house of Israel, I will judge each one of you according to his ways." This is the declaration of the Lord GOD. "Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so they will not be a stumbling block that causes your punishment. |
| 31Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? | 31Throw off all the transgressions you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel? |
| 32For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Therefore turn and live!” | 32For I take no pleasure in anyone's death." This is the declaration of the Lord GOD. "So repent and live!" |
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