犯罪者必灭亡

18 耶和华对我说: “你们以色列人为什么说‘父亲吃了酸葡萄,儿子的牙酸倒了’这句俗语呢? 主耶和华说,我凭我的永恒起誓,你们在以色列必不再用这句话。 因为所有的生命都属于我,父和子都属于我。谁犯罪,谁死亡。

“倘若有义人秉公行义, 不在山上的庙宇里吃祭物,不拜以色列的偶像,不玷污别人的妻子,不亲近经期中的妇女; 不欺压人,反而退还债户的抵押品;不抢夺财物,反而给饥饿的人食物吃,给赤身露体的人衣服穿; 不放债取利,不犯罪作恶,反而公平待人, 遵守我的律例,顺从我的典章——这样的义人必能活着。这是主耶和华说的。

10 “倘若这人生了一个不肖子,凶残暴戾,杀人抢劫,无恶不作, 11 常在庙宇吃祭偶像之物,玷污别人的妻子, 12 欺压贫穷困苦的人,抢夺财物,扣留债户的抵押品,祭拜偶像,犯罪作恶, 13 放债取利,这样的人还能活着吗?他必不能活。他作恶多端,必自取灭亡,抵偿自己的血债。

14 “倘若这不肖子有一个好儿子,他看见父亲的所作所为,不愿步父亲的后尘。 15 他不肯在山上吃祭偶像之物,不拜以色列人的偶像,不玷污别人的妻子, 16 不欺压他人,不扣留抵押品,不抢夺财物,反而给饥饿的人食物吃,给赤身露体的人衣服穿, 17 不压榨贫穷的人,不放债取利,反而遵守我的典章,顺从我的律例,这人必不因父亲的罪恶而死亡,他必活着。 18 他父亲因肆意欺诈,掠夺同胞,多行不义,必自招灭亡。

19 “你们会问,‘儿子为什么不用承担父亲的罪恶呢?’这是因为儿子秉公行义,谨遵我的律例,所以他必活着。 20 谁犯罪,谁死亡,儿子不用承担父亲的罪恶,父亲也不用承担儿子的罪恶。义人必有善报,恶人必有恶报。

21 “恶人若肯痛改前非,遵守我的律例,秉公行义,就必活着,不致死亡。 22 我必不追究他以前所犯的一切罪行,他必因行事正直而活着。 23 主耶和华说,我难道喜欢恶人死亡吗?我岂不是更愿他们痛改前非并活着吗? 24 义人若弃善行恶,与恶人同流合污,这人岂能活着?他从前的义行不会被记念,他必因自己的背信和罪恶而灭亡。

25 “你们说,主这样做不公平。以色列人啊,你们听着,是我的做法不公平呢?还是你们的做法不公平呢? 26 倘若义人离义行恶,他必因犯罪而死。 27 倘若恶人离恶行义,他必救回自己的性命。 28 因为他醒悟过来,痛改前非,必能活着,不致死亡。 29 以色列人却说,‘主这样做不公平!’以色列人啊,是我的做法不公平呢?还是你们的做法不公平呢?

30 “所以主耶和华说,‘以色列人啊,我必按你们各人的行为审判你们。你们要悔改,痛改前非,使你们不致死在罪恶中。 31 你们要离弃从前所有的罪恶,洗心革面。以色列人啊!你们何必走向灭亡呢?’ 32 主耶和华说,‘我断不喜欢任何人死亡,你们要悔改,以便存活。’”

犯罪者必滅亡

18 耶和華對我說: 「你們以色列人為什麼說『父親吃了酸葡萄,兒子的牙酸倒了』這句俗語呢? 主耶和華說,我憑我的永恆起誓,你們在以色列必不再用這句話。 因為所有的生命都屬於我,父和子都屬於我。誰犯罪,誰死亡。

「倘若有義人秉公行義, 不在山上的廟宇裡吃祭物,不拜以色列的偶像,不玷污別人的妻子,不親近經期中的婦女; 不欺壓人,反而退還債戶的抵押品;不搶奪財物,反而給饑餓的人食物吃,給赤身露體的人衣服穿; 不放債取利,不犯罪作惡,反而公平待人, 遵守我的律例,順從我的典章——這樣的義人必能活著。這是主耶和華說的。

10 「倘若這人生了一個不肖子,兇殘暴戾,殺人搶劫,無惡不作, 11 常在廟宇吃祭偶像之物,玷污別人的妻子, 12 欺壓貧窮困苦的人,搶奪財物,扣留債戶的抵押品,祭拜偶像,犯罪作惡, 13 放債取利,這樣的人還能活著嗎?他必不能活。他作惡多端,必自取滅亡,抵償自己的血債。

14 「倘若這不肖子有一個好兒子,他看見父親的所作所為,不願步父親的後塵。 15 他不肯在山上吃祭偶像之物,不拜以色列人的偶像,不玷污別人的妻子, 16 不欺壓他人,不扣留抵押品,不搶奪財物,反而給饑餓的人食物吃,給赤身露體的人衣服穿, 17 不壓榨貧窮的人,不放債取利,反而遵守我的典章,順從我的律例,這人必不因父親的罪惡而死亡,他必活著。 18 他父親因肆意欺詐,掠奪同胞,多行不義,必自招滅亡。

19 「你們會問,『兒子為什麼不用承擔父親的罪惡呢?』這是因為兒子秉公行義,謹遵我的律例,所以他必活著。 20 誰犯罪,誰死亡,兒子不用承擔父親的罪惡,父親也不用承擔兒子的罪惡。義人必有善報,惡人必有惡報。

21 「惡人若肯痛改前非,遵守我的律例,秉公行義,就必活著,不致死亡。 22 我必不追究他以前所犯的一切罪行,他必因行事正直而活著。 23 主耶和華說,我難道喜歡惡人死亡嗎?我豈不是更願他們痛改前非並活著嗎? 24 義人若棄善行惡,與惡人同流合污,這人豈能活著?他從前的義行不會被記念,他必因自己的背信和罪惡而滅亡。

25 「你們說,主這樣做不公平。以色列人啊,你們聽著,是我的做法不公平呢?還是你們的做法不公平呢? 26 倘若義人離義行惡,他必因犯罪而死。 27 倘若惡人離惡行義,他必救回自己的性命。 28 因為他醒悟過來,痛改前非,必能活著,不致死亡。 29 以色列人卻說,『主這樣做不公平!』以色列人啊,是我的做法不公平呢?還是你們的做法不公平呢?

30 「所以主耶和華說,『以色列人啊,我必按你們各人的行為審判你們。你們要悔改,痛改前非,使你們不致死在罪惡中。 31 你們要離棄從前所有的罪惡,洗心革面。以色列人啊!你們何必走向滅亡呢?』 32 主耶和華說,『我斷不喜歡任何人死亡,你們要悔改,以便存活。』」

18 The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying,

What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?

As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.

Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,

And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,

And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;

He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,

Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God.

10 If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things,

11 And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour's wife,

12 Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,

13 Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.

14 Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father's sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like,

15 That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour's wife,

16 Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment,

17 That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath 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, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.

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.