Ezekiel, 18

1. Thus the word of the LORD came to me: Son of man,

1. The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,

2. what is the meaning of this proverb that you recite in the land of Israel: "Fathers have eaten green grapes, thus their children's teeth are on edge"?

2. 'Why do you keep repeating this proverb in the land of Israel: The parents have eaten unripe grapes; and the children's teeth are set on edge?

3. As I live, says the Lord GOD: I swear that there shall no longer be anyone among you who will repeat this proverb in Israel.

3. 'As I live -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- you will have no further cause to repeat this proverb in Israel.

4. For all lives are mine; the life of the father is like the life of the son, both are mine; only the one who sins shall die.

4. Look, all life belongs to me; the father's life and the son's life, both alike belong to me. The one who has sinned is the one to die.

5. If a man is virtuous--if he does what is right and just,

5. 'But if a man is upright, his actions law-abiding and upright,

6. if he does not eat on the mountains, nor raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel; if he does not defile his neighbor's wife, nor have relations with a woman in her menstrual period;

6. and he does not eat on the mountains or raise his eyes to the foul idols of the House of Israel, does not defile his neighbour's wife or touch a woman during her periods,

7. if he oppresses no one, gives back the pledge received for a debt, commits no robbery; if he gives food to the hungry and clothes the naked;

7. oppresses no one, returns the pledge on a debt, does not rob, gives his own food to the hungry, his clothes to those who lack clothing,

8. if he does not lend at interest nor exact usury; if he holds off from evildoing, judges fairly between a man and his opponent;

8. does not lend for profit, does not charge interest, abstains from evil, gives honest judgement between one person and another,

9. if he lives by my statutes and is careful to observe my ordinances, that man is virtuous--he shall surely live, says the Lord GOD.

9. keeps my laws and sincerely respects my judgements -- someone like this is truly upright and will live -- declares the Lord Yahweh.

10. But if he begets a son who is a thief, a murderer, or who does any of these things

10. 'But if he has a son prone to violence and bloodshed, who commits one of these misdeeds-

11. (though the father does none of them), a son who eats on the mountains, defiles the wife of his neighbor,

11. even though the father never has -- a son who dares to eat on the mountains, who defiles his neighbour's wife,

12. oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not give back a pledge, raises his eyes to idols, does abominable things,

12. who oppresses the poor and needy, robs, fails to return pledges, raises his eyes to foul idols, engages in loathsome practices,

13. lends at interest and exacts usury--this son certainly shall not live. Because he practiced all these abominations, he shall surely die; his death shall be his own fault.

13. lends for profit, or charges interest, such a person will by no means live; having committed all these appalling crimes he will die, and his blood be on his own head.

14. On the other hand, if a man begets a son who, seeing all the sins his father commits, yet fears and does not imitate him;

14. 'But if he in turn has a son who, in spite of seeing all the sins that his father has committed, does not imitate him,

15. a son who does not eat on the mountains, or raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor's wife;

15. does not eat on the mountains or raise his eyes to the foul idols of the House of Israel, does not defile his neighbour's wife,

16. who does not oppress anyone, or exact a pledge, or commit robbery; who gives his food to the hungry and clothes the naked;

16. oppresses no one, takes no pledges, does not rob, gives his own food to the hungry, his clothes to those who lack clothing,

17. who holds off from evildoing, accepts no interest or usury, but keeps my ordinances and lives by my statutes--this one shall not die for the sins of his father, but shall surely live.

17. abstains from evil, does not lend for profit or charge interest, respects my judgements and keeps my laws, he will not die for his father's sins: he will most certainly live.

18. Only the father, since he violated rights, and robbed, and did what was not good among his people, shall in truth die for his sins.

18. But his father, because he was violent, robbed others and never did good among his people, will most certainly die in his guilt.

19. You ask: "Why is not the son charged with the guilt of his father?" Because the son has done what is right and just, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live.

19. 'Now, you say, "Why doesn't the son bear his father's guilt?" If the son has been law-abiding and upright, has kept all my laws and followed them, most certainly he will live.

20. Only the one who sins shall die. The son shall not be charged with the guilt of his father, nor shall the father be charged with the guilt of his son. The virtuous man's virtue shall be his own, as the wicked man's wickedness shall be his own.

20. The one who has sinned is the one who must die; a son is not to bear his father's guilt, nor a father his son's guilt. The upright will be credited with his uprightness, and the wicked with his wickedness.

21. But if the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

21. 'If the wicked, however, renounces all the sins he has committed, respects my laws and is law-abiding and upright, he will most certainly live; he will not die.

22. None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him; he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced.

22. None of the crimes he committed will be remembered against him from then on; he will most certainly live because of his upright actions.

23. Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? says the Lord GOD. Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live?

23. Would I take pleasure in the death of the wicked -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- and not prefer to see him renounce his wickedness and live?

24. And if the virtuous man turns from the path of virtue to do evil, the same kind of abominable things that the wicked man does, can he do this and still live? None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered, because he has broken faith and committed sin; because of this, he shall die.

24. 'But if the upright abandons uprightness and does wrong by copying all the loathsome practices of the wicked, is he to live? All his upright actions will be forgotten from then on; for the infidelity of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, he will most certainly die.

25. You say, "The LORD'S way is not fair!" Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?

25. 'Now, you say, "What the Lord does is unjust." Now listen, House of Israel: is what I do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust?

26. When a virtuous man turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.

26. When the upright abandons uprightness and does wrong and dies, he dies because of the wrong which he himself has done.

27. But if a wicked man, turning from the wickedness he has committed, does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life;

27. Similarly, when the wicked abandons wickedness to become law-abiding and upright, he saves his own life.

28. since he has turned away from all the sins which he committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

28. Having chosen to renounce all his previous crimes, he will most certainly live: he will not die.

29. And yet the house of Israel says, "The LORD'S way is not fair!" Is it my way that is not fair, house of Israel, or rather, is it not that your ways are not fair?

29. And yet the House of Israel says, "What the Lord does is unjust." Is what I do unjust, House of Israel? Is it not what you do that is unjust?

30. Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, each one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD. Turn and be converted from all your crimes, that they may be no cause of guilt for you.

30. So in future, House of Israel, I shall judge each of you by what that person does -- declares the Lord Yahweh. Repent, renounce all your crimes, avoid all occasions for guilt.

31. Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, O house of Israel?

31. Shake off all the crimes you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why die, House of Israel?

32. For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, says the Lord GOD. Return and live!

32. I take no pleasure in the death of anyone -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- so repent and live!'