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14 But if this son has a son who sees all the sins that his father has done, considers, and does not do likewise,(A) 15 who does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife, 16 does not wrong anyone, exacts no pledge, commits no robbery but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment,(B) 17 withholds his hand from iniquity,[a] takes no advance or accrued interest, observes my ordinances, and follows my statutes, he shall not die for his father’s iniquity; he shall surely live. 18 As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, he died for his iniquity.

19 Yet you say, “Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?” When the son has done what is lawful and right and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live.(C) 20 The person who sins shall die. A child shall not suffer for the iniquity of a parent nor a parent suffer for the iniquity of a child; the righteousness of the righteous shall be their own, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be their own.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 18.17 Gk: Heb the poor

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)