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14 “But suppose he in turn has a son who notices all the sins his father commits, considers them, and does not follow his father’s example.[a] 15 He does not eat pagan sacrifices on the mountains, does not pray to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife, 16 does not oppress anyone or keep what has been given in pledge, does not commit robbery, gives his food to the hungry and clothes the naked, 17 refrains from wrongdoing,[b] does not engage in usury or charge interest, carries out my regulations, and follows my statutes. He will not die for his father’s iniquity;[c] he will surely live. 18 As for his father, because he practices extortion, robs his brother, and does what is not good among his people, he will die for his iniquity.

19 “Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not suffer[d] for his father’s iniquity?’ When the son does what is just and right, and observes all my statutes and carries them out, he will surely live. 20 The person who sins is the one who will die. A son will not suffer[e] for his father’s iniquity, and a father will not suffer[f] for his son’s iniquity; the righteous person will be judged according to his righteousness, and the wicked person according to his wickedness.[g]

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 18:14 tn Heb “and he sees and does not do likewise.”
  2. Ezekiel 18:17 tc This translation follows the LXX. The MT reads: “restrains his hand from the poor,” which makes no sense here.
  3. Ezekiel 18:17 tn Or “in his father’s punishment.” The phrase “in/for [a person’s] iniquity/punishment” occurs fourteen times in Ezekiel: here and in vv. 18, 19, 20; 3:18, 19; 4:17; 7:13, 16; 24:23; 33:6, 8, 9; 39:23. The Hebrew word for “iniquity” may also mean the “punishment for iniquity.”
  4. Ezekiel 18:19 tn Heb “lift up, bear.”
  5. Ezekiel 18:20 tn Heb “lift up, bear.”
  6. Ezekiel 18:20 tn Heb “lift up, bear.”
  7. Ezekiel 18:20 tn Heb “the righteousness of the righteous one will be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked one will be upon him.”

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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