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Ezekiel 18:19-19:14
New International Version
Ezekiel 18:19-19:14
New International Version
19 “Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live.(A) 20 The one who sins is the one who will die.(B) The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.(C)
21 “But if(D) a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees(E) and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die.(F) 22 None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live.(G) 23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased(H) when they turn from their ways and live?(I)
24 “But if a righteous person turns(J) from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness(K) they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.(L)
25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’(M) Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust?(N) Is it not your ways that are unjust? 26 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. 27 But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life.(O) 28 Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die.(P) 29 Yet the Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?
30 “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent!(Q) Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall.(R) 31 Rid(S) yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart(T) and a new spirit. Why(U) will you die, people of Israel?(V) 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent(W) and live!(X)
A Lament Over Israel’s Princes
19 “Take up a lament(Y) concerning the princes(Z) of Israel 2 and say:
“‘What a lioness(AA) was your mother
among the lions!
She lay down among them
and reared her cubs.(AB)
3 She brought up one of her cubs,
and he became a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
and he became a man-eater.
4 The nations heard about him,
and he was trapped in their pit.
They led him with hooks(AC)
to the land of Egypt.(AD)
5 “‘When she saw her hope unfulfilled,
her expectation gone,
she took another of her cubs(AE)
and made him a strong lion.(AF)
6 He prowled among the lions,
for he was now a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
and he became a man-eater.(AG)
7 He broke down[a] their strongholds
and devastated(AH) their towns.
The land and all who were in it
were terrified by his roaring.
8 Then the nations(AI) came against him,
those from regions round about.
They spread their net(AJ) for him,
and he was trapped in their pit.(AK)
9 With hooks(AL) they pulled him into a cage
and brought him to the king of Babylon.(AM)
They put him in prison,
so his roar(AN) was heard no longer
on the mountains of Israel.(AO)
10 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard[b](AP)
planted by the water;(AQ)
it was fruitful and full of branches
because of abundant water.(AR)
11 Its branches were strong,
fit for a ruler’s scepter.
It towered high
above the thick foliage,
conspicuous for its height
and for its many branches.(AS)
12 But it was uprooted(AT) in fury
and thrown to the ground.
The east wind(AU) made it shrivel,
it was stripped of its fruit;
its strong branches withered
and fire consumed them.(AV)
13 Now it is planted in the desert,(AW)
in a dry and thirsty land.(AX)
14 Fire spread from one of its main[c] branches
and consumed(AY) its fruit.
No strong branch is left on it
fit for a ruler’s scepter.’(AZ)
“This is a lament(BA) and is to be used as a lament.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 19:7 Targum (see Septuagint); Hebrew He knew
- Ezekiel 19:10 Two Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts your blood
- Ezekiel 19:14 Or from under its
Ezekiel 18:19-19:14
King James Version
Ezekiel 18:19-19:14
King James Version
19 Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.
20 The soul that sinneth, 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 him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath 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 hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.
23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
25 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?
26 When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.
27 Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
28 Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
29 Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?
30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
19 Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2 And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.
3 And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.
4 The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.
5 Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion.
6 And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.
7 And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his roaring.
8 Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit.
9 And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.
10 Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.
11 And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.
12 But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them.
13 And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.
14 And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.
New International Version (NIV) 
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