14 “Now suppose he has a son who sees all the sins his father has committed, and though he sees them, he does not do likewise. 15 He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife. 16 He doesn’t oppress anyone, hold collateral, or commit robbery. He gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing. 17 He keeps his hand from harming the poor, not taking interest or profit on a loan. He practices my ordinances and follows my statutes. Such a person will not die for his father’s iniquity. He will certainly live.

18 “As for his father, he will die for his own iniquity because he practiced fraud, robbed his brother, and did among his people what was not good.(A) 19 But you may ask, ‘Why doesn’t the son suffer punishment for the father’s iniquity?’ (B) Since the son has done what is just and right, carefully observing all my statutes, he will certainly live. 20 The person who sins is the one who will die.(C) A son won’t suffer punishment for the father’s iniquity, and a father won’t suffer punishment for the son’s iniquity.(D) The righteousness of the righteous person will be on him,(E) and the wickedness of the wicked person will be on him.(F)

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14 “And look! He has a son, and he sees all of the sin of his father that he did, and he sees it, but he does not do it. 15 On the mountains he does not eat, and he does not lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and the wife of his neighbor he does not defile. 16 And he oppresses no one; he requires no pledge for a loan, and he does not commit robbery;[a] he gives his bread to the hungry, and he covers the naked person with a garment. 17 He brings back[b] his hand from iniquity;[c] he does not take interest and usury; he does my regulations; he goes[d] in my statutes. He will not die because of the guilt of his father; he will surely live! 18 Because his father oppressed severely;[e] he stole from his brother;[f] that which is not good he did in the midst of his people, and look! He will die through[g] his guilt.

19 “Yet[h] you say, ‘Why does the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ And since the son does justice and righteousness and he keeps all of my statutes and does them, he shall surely live! 20 The person,[i] the one sinning, will die. A son shall not bear the guilt of the father, and a father shall not bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be on him; the wickedness of the wicked[j] shall be on him.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 18:16 Literally “robbed things not does he seize”
  2. Ezekiel 18:17 Or “holds back”
  3. Ezekiel 18:17 Cf. verse 8
  4. Ezekiel 18:17 Or “walks”
  5. Ezekiel 18:18 Literally “he oppressed oppression”
  6. Ezekiel 18:18 Literally “he seized robbed things of a brother”
  7. Ezekiel 18:18 Or “in”
  8. Ezekiel 18:19 Or “And”
  9. Ezekiel 18:20 Or “soul,” or “life”
  10. Ezekiel 18:20 According to the reading tradition (Qere)