The Soul Who Sins Will Die

18 Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, ² “^(A)What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying,

³ As I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “you are surely not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore. ⁴ Behold, ^(C)all ^[b]souls are Mine; the ^[c]soul of the father as well as the ^[d]soul of the son is Mine. The ^[e]soul who ^(D)sins will die.

⁵ “But if a man is righteous and does justice and righteousness, ⁶ and does not ^(E)eat at the mountain shrines or ^(F)lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or ^(G)defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period— ⁷ if a man does not mistreat anyone, but ^(H)returns to the debtor his pledge, ^(I)does not commit robbery, but ^(J)gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, ⁸ if he does not lend money on ^(K)interest or take ^(L)increase, if he turns his hand from injustice and ^(M)does true justice between man and man, ⁹ if he walks in ^(N)My statutes and My judgments and is careful to do the truth—^(O)he is righteous and will surely ^(P)live,” declares Lord Yahweh.

¹⁰ “Then he may ^[f]have a violent son who sheds blood and who does any of these things to a brother ¹¹ (though he himself did not do any of these things), that is, he even eats at the mountain shrines and ^(Q)defiles his neighbor’s wife; ¹² he mistreats the ^(R)afflicted and needy, ^(S)commits robbery, does not return a pledge, but lifts up his eyes to the idols and ^(T)does abominations; ¹³ he ^(U)lends money on interest and takes increase; will he live? He will not live! He has done all these abominations; he will surely be put to death; his ^(V)blood will be on himself.

¹⁴ “Now behold, he ^[g]has a son who has seen all his father’s sins which he has done. And he ^(W)saw this but does not do likewise. ¹⁵ He does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor’s wife ¹⁶ or mistreat anyone, or retain a pledge or commit robbery, but he ^(X)gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing; ¹⁷ he turns his hand away from ^[h]the afflicted, does not take interest or increase, but does My judgments and walks in My statutes; ^(Y)he will not die for his father’s iniquity; he will surely live. ¹⁸ As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what was not good among his people, behold, he will die for his iniquity.

¹⁹ “Yet you say, ‘^(Z)Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity?’ But the son has done ^(AA)justice and righteousness and has kept all My statutes and done them. He shall surely live. ²⁰ The soul who ^(AB)sins will die. The ^(AC)son will not bear the iniquity of the father, nor will the father bear the iniquity of the son; the ^(AD)righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.

²¹ “But if the ^(AE)wicked man turns from all his sins which he has done and keeps all My statutes and does justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die. ^22 (AF)All his transgressions which he has done will not be remembered against him; because of his ^(AG)righteousness which he has done, he will live. ^23 (AH)Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares Lord Yahweh, “is it not that he should ^(AI)turn from his ways and live?

²⁴ “But when a righteous man ^(AJ)turns away from his righteousness, does injustice, and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? ^(AK)All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his ^(AL)unfaithfulness which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die. ²⁵ Yet you say, ‘^(AM)The way of the Lord is not right.’ Hear now, O house of Israel! Is ^(AN)My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right? ²⁶ When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, does injustice, and dies because of it, for his injustice which he has done he will die. ²⁷ Again, when a wicked man turns away ^(AO)from his wickedness which he has done and does justice and righteousness, he will preserve his life. ²⁸ Again, he considered and turned away from all his transgressions which he had done; he shall surely live; he shall not die. ²⁹ But the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Are My ways not right, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?

³⁰ “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his way,” declares Lord Yahweh. “^[i](AP)Turn back and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you. ^31 (AQ)Cast away from yourselves all your transgressions which you have committed and ^[j]make yourselves a ^(AR)new heart and a new spirit! Now why will you die, O house of Israel? ³² For I have ^(AS)no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares Lord Yahweh. “Therefore, ^[k]turn back and live.”