Beginning
Chapter 18[a]
Individual Responsibility. 1 This word of the Lord came to me: 2 Why do you insist on repeating this proverb in the land of Israel:
The parents have eaten sour grapes,
and their children’s teeth are set on edge?
3 As I live, says the Lord God, you will no longer repeat this proverb in Israel. 4 Do not forget that all lives are mine. The life of the father and the life of the son are both mine. Only the person who sins shall die.
5 Reflect upon a virtuous man
who does what is lawful and right.
6 He does not eat[b] on the mountains
or lift up his eyes
to the idols of the house of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife
or have relations with a woman
during her menstrual period.
7 He does not oppress anyone
but returns his pledge to a debtor.
He does not commit robbery
but gives his food to the hungry
and his clothes to those who are naked.
8 He does not lend money for profit
or charge interest.
He refrains from evildoing
and judges fairly between a man and his opponent.
9 He obeys my laws
and is careful to observe my ordinances.
Such a man is righteous;
he shall surely live,
says the Lord God.
10 But this man may have a son who is violent and sheds blood, 11 or does any of these other deeds, even though his father has done none of them:
He eats at the mountain shrines
and defiles his neighbor’s wife.
12 He oppresses the poor and the needy,
commits robbery,
and does not return pledges.
He lifts his eyes to idols,
does abominable things,
13 and lends for profit or charges interest.
Will such a man live? He will not. Since he has done all of these detestable acts, he shall surely be put to death, and his blood will be on his own head.
14 But suppose this man has a son who observes all the sins his father has committed, and even though he sees them, he refuses to follow in his footsteps:
15 He does not eat on the mountains
or lift up his eyes
to the idols of the house of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife;
16 he does not oppress anyone
or exact a pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
but gives his food to the hungry
and his clothes to those who are naked.
17 He refrains from evildoing
and accepts no usury or excessive profit.
He obeys my laws
and is careful to observe my ordinances.
This man will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live. 18 But his father will die for his iniquity because he practiced extortion, robbed his brothers, and never did what was good for his people.
19 You may ask, “Why should not the son share the guilt of his father?” If the son has done what is lawful and just, and he has been careful to observe all my laws, he will surely live. 20 The person who sins is the one who will die. A son shall not bear the responsibility for his father’s guilt, nor shall a father be charged with the guilt of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man shall be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked man shall be charged against him.
21 However, if the wicked renounce all of the sins that they have committed and keep all my statutes and do what is right and just, they shall surely live; they shall not die. 22 None of the crimes that they have committed shall be remembered against them; they shall live because of the righteous deeds that they have done 23 Do I derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? asks the Lord God. Would I not rather rejoice to see them turn away from their wickedness and live?
24 But if the righteous turn away from their virtuous ways to follow the path of evil and do the same kind of abominable deeds that the wicked do, can they do this and live? None of their virtuous deeds will be remembered. Because of their infidelity and the sins they have committed, they shall die.
25 Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is unjust.” Now listen, O house of Israel! Is my way unfair? Or, rather, is it not your ways that are unfair? 26 When those who are righteous turn away from their righteousness and turn to evil pursuits, they shall die as a result of the iniquity that they have committed.
27 Similarly, when those who are wicked turn away from the wickedness that they have committed and do what is right and just, they shall save their life. 28 Since they have chosen to renounce all of the evil ways that they have followed, they shall surely live; they shall not die.
29 Yet the house of Israel says, “The way of the Lord is unfair.” O house of Israel, are my ways unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair?
30 Therefore, I will judge you, O house of Israel, each one of you according to his ways, says the Lord God. Repent and renounce all your transgressions. Otherwise your iniquity will prove to be your downfall. 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions you have committed, and strengthen yourself with a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, O house of Israel? 32 I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord God. Repent and live!
Chapter 19[c]
Allegory of the Lions[d]
1 Raise a lamentation for the princes of Israel, 2 and say:
What a lioness was your mother
among the lions!
She lay down among the young lions,
rearing her cubs.
3 She raised up one of her cubs;
he grew into a young lion,
and he learned to tear apart his prey;
he devoured men.
4 Then the nations sounded an alarm against him,
and he was caught in their pit.
They dragged him off with hooks
to the land of Egypt.
5 When his mother saw that her hopes were thwarted
and her expectations would not be fulfilled,
she took another of her cubs
and made a young lion of him.
6 He prowled among the lions
and grew into a young lion.
He learned to seize his prey;
he devoured men.
7 He ravaged their strongholds
and laid waste their cities.
The land and all of its inhabitants were terrified
at the sound of his roars.
8 The nations came forth against him
from the surrounding regions.
They spread their net over him,
and he was trapped in their pit.
9 With hooks they dragged him into a cage
and took him away to the king of Babylon.
He was imprisoned, and his roars were no longer heard
on the mountains of Israel.
Allegory of the Vine Branch
10 Your mother was like a vine
planted by the water.
It was fruitful and full of branches
because of the abundant water.
11 Its branches were strong,
suitable for a ruler’s scepter.
It towered in stately height
among the dense foliage.
It was conspicuous for its height
and its many branches.
12 However, it was uprooted in fury
and thrown to the ground.
Its strong branches became withered
and were consumed by fire.
13 Now it has been transplanted to the desert,
to a dry and thirsty land.
14 Fire burst forth from its stem,
devouring its branches and fruit.
It no longer has any strong branch
that could serve as a ruler’s scepter.
This is a lamentation, and it is used for this purpose.
Chapter 20
History of Israel’s Infidelity. 1 In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of the elders of Israel came to consult the Lord and were sitting with me.
2 Then this word of the Lord came to me: 3 Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Have you come to consult me? As I live, I will refuse to be consulted by you, says the Lord God.
4 Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Then make clear to them the abominations of their ancestors, 5 and say to them: The Lord says: On the day when I chose Israel, I swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob and revealed myself to the land of Egypt, declaring: I am the Lord, your God.
6 On that day I swore that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had personally chosen for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the fairest of all lands. 7 And I said to them, “Each one of you must cast away the loathsome things upon which your eyes have feasted and refuse to defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord, your God.”
8 However, they rebelled against me and refused to listen to me. Not a single one of them cast aside the loathsome things that seemed so desirable, nor did any of them forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I resolved to pour out my wrath on them, and to vent my anger against them in the land of Egypt. 9 However, for the sake of my name I acted in such a way that it would not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, and I promised to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
10 Therefore, I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the desert. 11 I gave them my laws and made known to them my ordinances according to the observance of which they would live. 12 And I also gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between me and them so that they would know that I, the Lord, made them holy.
13 However, the house of Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They refused to obey my statutes, and they rejected my ordinances whose observance is necessary for life. Furthermore, they profaned my Sabbaths. I then resolved to pour out my fury on them in the desert and destroy them. 14 But I acted for the sake of my name so that it would not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose presence I had brought them out.
15 Furthermore, I swore to them in the desert that I would not bring them into the land I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the fairest of all lands, 16 because they rejected my ordinances, they did not observe my statutes, and they desecrated my Sabbaths, for their hearts were devoted to their idols. 17 Nevertheless, I pitied them too much to destroy them, and I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.
18 Then I gave this warning to their children in the desert: Do not follow the statutes of your parents or observe their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I, the Lord, am your God. You must obey my laws and be careful to observe my ordinances. 20 Keep holy my Sabbaths as a sign between me and you so that you will know that I am the Lord, your God.
21 However, the children rebelled against me. They did not observe my statutes or keep my ordinances, even though observance of them would lead to life. Moreover, they profaned my Sabbaths. Then I again resolved to pour forth my wrath against them and vent my anger on them in the wilderness. 22 But I restrained my hand and acted for the sake of my name, so that it would not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose presence I had brought them out.
23 Nevertheless, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them over the earth, 24 because they had rejected my laws and profaned my Sabbaths and had regard only for the idols of their ancestors. 25 Furthermore, I imposed on them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could never live. 26 I also defiled them through their offerings, making them sacrifice their firstborn son, in order to fill them with revulsion. Thus they would know that I am the Lord.
27 Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: In this way also your ancestors blasphemed me by dealing treacherously with me. 28 For when I had brought them into the land I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices and made offerings that aroused my anger; there they sent up offerings of pleasing odors, and there they poured out their drink offerings. 29 I then said to them, “What is this high place to which you go?” And ever since it has been called Bamah.
30 Therefore, say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Will you defile yourselves the way your fathers did and lust after their loathsome gods? 31 When you offer your gifts and burn your children as sacrifices, you defile yourselves with all your idols even to this day. Shall I allow myself to be consulted by you, O house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord God, I swear that I will not allow myself to be consulted by you.
32 When you say to yourselves, “We shall become like the nations and peoples of foreign lands, worshiping wood and stone,” you are making plans for something that will never occur. 33 As I live, says the Lord God, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with my wrath poured out, I shall reign over you. 34 I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you have been dispersed with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with my wrath poured out.
35 Then I will lead you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will bring you to judgment face to face. 36 As I judged your ancestors in the Desert[e] of Egypt, so will I judge you, says the Lord God. 37 I will make you pass under the staff and bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38 I will purge out those of you who revolt and rebel against me. I will bring them out of the land where they reside as aliens, but they will not set foot on the soil of Israel. Thus, you will know that I am the Lord.
39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God: Continue, each one of you, to serve your idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me. But later on you will listen to me and never again profane my name with your gifts and your idols. 40 For on my holy mountain, on the mountain heights of Israel, there in the land the entire house of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your presents and your choicest offerings and all your consecrated gifts. 41 I will accept you as a pleasing odor when I bring you back from the peoples and gather you out of the countries to which you have been scattered. Through you I will manifest my holiness in the sight of all the nations.
42 You shall know that I am the Lord when I bring you back to the land of Israel, to the country that I swore to give to your ancestors. 43 There you will remember your past conduct and all the deeds by which you have defiled yourselves. Then you will loathe yourselves for all the wickedness you have committed. 44 You will know that I am the Lord when I deal with you thus for your name’s sake, and not as your wicked behavior and corrupt deeds deserve, O house of Israel, says the Lord God.
45 The word of the Lord came to me: 46 Son of man, turn your face to the south. Preach against the south and prophesy against the forest land of the Negeb. 47 Say to the forest of the Negeb: Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God: I am about to kindle a fire in you, and it will burn up every green tree in you and every dry tree. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and from south to north every face shall be scorched by it. 48 All flesh shall see that I, the Lord, have kindled it, and it will not be extinguished. 49 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God, they are always saying of me, ‘He only speaks in riddles.’ ”
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