Ezekiel 18
World English Bible
18 Yahweh’s word came to me again, saying, 2 “What do you mean, that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying,
‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
3 “As I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “you shall not use this proverb any more in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine. The soul who sins, he shall die.
5 “But if a man is just,
and does that which is lawful and right,
6 and has not eaten on the mountains,
hasn’t lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
hasn’t defiled his neighbor’s wife,
hasn’t come near a woman in her impurity,
7 and has not wronged any,
but has restored to the debtor his pledge,
has taken nothing by robbery,
has given his bread to the hungry,
and has covered the naked with a garment;
8 he who hasn’t lent to them with interest,
hasn’t taken any increase from them,
who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity,
has executed true justice between man and man,
9 has walked in my statutes,
and has kept my ordinances,
to deal truly;
he is just,
he shall surely live,” says the Lord Yahweh.
10 “If he fathers a son who is a robber who sheds blood, and who does any one of these things, 11 or who does not do any of those things,
but even has eaten at the mountain shrines,
and defiled his neighbor’s wife,
12 has wronged the poor and needy,
has taken by robbery,
has not restored the pledge,
and has lifted up his eyes to the idols,
has committed abomination,
13 has lent with interest,
and has taken increase from the poor;
shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations. He shall surely die. His blood will be on him.
14 “Now, behold, if he fathers a son, who sees all his father’s sins, which he has done, and fears, and does not such like;
15 who hasn’t eaten on the mountains,
hasn’t lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
hasn’t defiled his neighbor’s wife,
16 hasn’t wronged any,
hasn’t taken anything to pledge,
hasn’t taken by robbery,
but has given his bread to the hungry,
and has covered the naked with a garment;
17 who has withdrawn his hand from the poor,
who hasn’t received interest or increase,
has executed my ordinances,
has 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, robbed his brother, and did that which is not good among his people, behold, he will die in his iniquity.
19 “Yet you say, ‘Why doesn’t the son bear the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done that which is lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he will surely live. 20 The soul who sins, he 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 on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.
21 “But if the wicked turns from all his sins that he has committed, and keeps all my statutes, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live. He shall not die. 22 None of his transgressions that he has committed will be remembered against him. In his righteousness that he has done, he shall live. 23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked?” says the Lord Yahweh; “and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?
24 “But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, should he live? None of his righteous deeds that he has done will be remembered. In his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them he shall die.
25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not equal.’ Hear now, house of Israel: Is my way not equal? Aren’t your ways unequal? 26 When the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies therein; in his iniquity that he has done he shall die. 27 Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he will save his soul alive. 28 Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live. He shall not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ House of Israel, aren’t my ways fair? Aren’t your ways unfair?
30 “Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, everyone according to his ways,” says the Lord Yahweh. “Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity will not be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, in which you have transgressed; and make yourself a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies,” says the Lord Yahweh. “Therefore turn yourselves, and live!
Ezekiel 18
Modern English Version
The Soul Who Sins Will Die
18 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying: 2 What do you mean in using this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying:
“The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge”?
3 As I live, says the Lord God, you shall not have occasion anymore to use this proverb in Israel. 4 All souls are Mine. The soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins shall die.
5 But if a man is righteous
and does that which is lawful and right,
6 and has not eaten on the mountains;
nor has he lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
nor has he defiled his neighbor’s wife,
nor has he approached a woman during her impurity;
7 and he has not oppressed anyone,
but has restored to the debtor his pledge;
has devastated no one by violence,
has given his bread to the hungry,
and has covered the naked with a garment;
8 if he has not lent at interest,
nor has taken any increase,
but has withdrawn his hand from iniquity,
has executed true justice between man and man;
9 has walked in My statutes,
and has kept My judgments to deal truly,
he is righteous
and shall surely live,
says the Lord God.
10 If he begets a son who is a robber, a shedder of blood, and who does any of these things to a brother 11 (though he himself does not do any of these things),
but even has eaten on the mountain shrines
and defiled his neighbor’s wife;
12 has oppressed the poor and needy,
has devastated by violence,
has not restored the pledge,
and has lifted up his eyes to the idols,
has committed abomination,
13 has lent at interest, and has taken increase, shall he then live?
He shall not live. He has done all these abominations. He shall surely die. His blood shall be upon his own head.
14 Now if he begets a son who sees all his father’s sins which he has done, and considering does not do likewise:
15 He has not eaten on the mountain shrines,
nor has he lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
has not defiled his neighbor’s wife;
16 nor has he oppressed anyone,
has not withheld a pledge,
nor has he devastated by violence,
but has given his bread to the hungry,
and has covered the naked with a garment;
17 he keeps his hand from the poor,
has not received usury nor increase,
has executed My judgments, and has 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, devastated his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, he shall die for his iniquity.
Repent and Live
19 Yet you say, “Why should the son not bear the punishment of the iniquity of the father?” When the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes, and has done them, he shall surely live. 20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the punishment of the iniquity of the father, nor shall the father bear the punishment of the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
21 But if the wicked turns from all his sins that he has committed, and keeps all My statutes, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live. He shall not die. 22 All his transgressions that he has committed, they shall not be remembered against him. Because of his righteousness that he has done, he shall live. 23 Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord God, but rather that he should turn from his ways and live?
24 But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All his righteousness that he has done shall not be remembered for his trespass that he has committed and in his sin that he has done. In them he shall die.
25 Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is not right.” Hear now, O house of Israel. Is not My way right? Are not your ways not right? 26 When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he dies in it. For his iniquity that he has done he shall die. 27 Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed and does that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul. 28 Because he considered and turned away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live. He shall not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, “The way of the Lord is not right.” O house of Israel, are not My ways right? Are not your ways not right?
30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the Lord God. Repent, and turn away from all your transgressions so that iniquity shall not be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby you have transgressed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, says the Lord God. Therefore, repent and live.
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The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.