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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 this man fathers a son who sees all the sins that his father has done; he sees, and does not do likewise: 15 he 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 oppress anyone, (A)exacts no pledge, (B)commits no robbery, (C)but gives his bread to the hungry (D)and covers the naked with a garment, 17 withholds his hand from iniquity,[a] takes no interest or profit, obeys my rules, (E)and walks in my statutes; he shall not die for his father's iniquity; (F)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, (G)behold, he shall die for his iniquity.

19 “Yet you say, (H)‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done (I)what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, (J)he shall surely live. 20 (K)The soul who sins shall die. (L)The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. (M)The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, (N)and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 18:17 Septuagint; Hebrew from the poor