The Soul Who Sins Shall Die

18 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “What do you^[a] mean ^(A)by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ^(B)‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge’? ^3 (C)As I live, declares the Lord God, ^(D)this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. ⁴ Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: ^(E)the soul who sins shall die.

¹⁹ “Yet you say, ^(A)‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done ^(B)what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, ^(C)he shall surely live. ^20 (D)The soul who sins shall die. ^(E)The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. ^(F)The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, ^(G)and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

^21 (H)“But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does ^(I)what is just and right, ^(J)he shall surely live; he shall not die. ^22 (K)None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. ^23 (L)Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? ^24 (M)But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? ^(N)None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for ^(O)the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.

^25 (P)“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? ^26 (Q)When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. ²⁷ Again, ^(R)when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. ²⁸ Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. ²⁹ Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?

³⁰ “Therefore ^(S)I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. ^(T)Repent and turn from all your transgressions, ^(U)lest iniquity be your ruin.^{[a] 31 (V)}Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and ^(W)make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! ^(X)Why will you die, O house of Israel? ^32 (Y)For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; ^(Z)so turn, and live.”