Ezekiel 18:1-22 ▼

1 And the word of YHWH came to me, saying:

2 “What is it to you⁺ that you⁺ are quoting this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, ‘The fathers eat sour grapes, and the teeth of the sons are set on edge’?

3 As I live, a declaration of the Lord YHWH, it will not be for you⁺ to quote this proverb any longer in Israel,

4 behold, all souls, they are unto Me—as the soul of the father, also the soul of the son—they are unto Me: The soul that is sinning, it will die.

5 And a man, if he is righteous and does justice and righteousness;

6 if on the mountains he has not eaten, and his eyes he has not lifted up to the idols of the house of Israel, and the wife of his neighbor he has not defiled, and toward a woman in her impurity he has not come near;

7 he does not and a man oppressed, he does return his pledge to the debtor; with violence he has not robbed; he gives his bread to the hungry and he covers the naked with clothing;

8 in usury he does not give, and an increase he does not take; he turns back his hand from iniquity; he does true judgment between man and man.

9 In My statutes, he walks and he keeps My ordinances, to act in faithfulness; he is righteous, and he will surely live, a declaration of the Lord YHWH.

10 And if he begets a violent son, one shedding blood, or who does to a brother one of these things—

11 and he has not done all of these things—for even on the mountains he has eaten, and the wife of his neighbor he has defiled;

12 he has oppressed the poor and needy; by violence he has plundered; the pledge he does not return, and to the idols he has lifted up his eyes; an abomination he has done,

13 in usury he has given, and increase he has taken. Will he live? He will not live! He has done all these abominations; he will surely die, and his blood will be upon him!

14 And behold, If he begets a son, and he sees all the sins of his father that he has done—and he sees and does not do likewise—

15 on the mountains he has not eaten; and his eyes he has not lifted to the idols of the house of Israel; the wife of his neighbor he has not defiled,

16 and he has not oppressed a man; he has not withheld a pledge with violence he has not robbed; he has given his bread to the hungry and the naked he has covered with clothing;

17 he has turned back his hand from the poor; usury and increase he has not taken, My ordinances he has done, and in My statutes has walked. He will not die for the iniquity of his father; he will surely live.

18 His father, because he pressed with oppression, he robbed his brother by violence, and what is not good he has done in the midst of his people, behold, he will die for his iniquity.

19 And you⁺ may say, ‘Why should not the son bear the guilt of the father?’ And the son has done justice and righteousness, all My statutes he has kept and he has done them; he will surely live.

20 The soul sinning, it will die. The son will not bear the guilt of the father, and the father will not bear the guilt of the son; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.

21 And a wicked one, if he should turn away from all his sins that he has done, and should keep all My statutes, and do justice and righteousness, he will surely live; he will not die.

22 All the transgressions that he has done will not be remembered against him; because of the righteousness that he has done, he will live.