18:1 The word of the LORD came to me:
18:2 “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: “‘The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
18:3 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel.
18:4 For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son–both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die.
18:5 “Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right.
18:6 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 or lie with a woman during her period.
18:7 He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked.
18:8 He does not lend at usury or take excessive interest. He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between man and man.
18:9 He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Sovereign LORD.
18:10 “Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things
18:11 (though the father has done none of them): “He eats at the mountain shrines. He defiles his neighbor’s wife.
18:12 He oppresses the poor and needy. He commits robbery. He does not return what he took in pledge. He looks to the idols. He does detestable things.
18:13 He lends at usury and takes excessive interest. Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he will surely be put to death and his blood will be on his own head.
18:14 “But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things:
18:15 “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.
18:16 He does not oppress anyone or require a pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked.
18:17 He withholds his hand from sin and takes no usury or excessive interest. He keeps my laws and follows my decrees. He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live.
18:18 But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.
18:19 “Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live.
18:20 The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him.
18:21 “But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die.
18:22 None of the offenses he has committed will be remembered against him. Because of the righteous things he has done, he will live.
18:23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
18:24 “But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die.
18:25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear, O house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust?
18:26 If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die.
18:27 But if a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life.
18:28 Because he considers all the offenses he has committed and turns away from them, he will surely live; he will not die.
18:29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?
18:30 “Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall.
18:31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel?
18:32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!
18:1 Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
18:2 What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?
18:3 As I live, declares the Lord Jehovah, the use of this parable will no longer be with you in Israel.
18:4 Indeed all souls are Mine; indeed as is the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins, he shall die.
18:5 But if a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness,
18:6 And does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and does not defile his neighbor’s wife or come near a menstruous woman;
18:7 And if a man does not oppress anyone but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not plunder but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment;
18:8 If he does not lend with interest or collect with an increase; if he withdraws his hand from iniquity and exercises true justice between man and man;
18:9 If he walks in My statutes and keeps My ordinances to do truth ? he is righteous; he shall surely live, declares the Lord Jehovah.
18:10 But if he begets a violent son, one who sheds blood or does only one of these things
18:11 (Though he himself has done none of these things); if he even eats upon the mountains or defiles his neighbor’s wife,
18:12 Oppresses the poor and needy, commits plunder, does not restore the pledge, or lifts his eyes to the idols and commits abomination,
18:13 Lends with interest or collects with an increase; then will he live? He shall not live. He has committed all these abominations; he shall surely die. His blood shall be upon him.
18:14 But if he begets a son, and the son sees all the sins of his father that he has done, and he sees and does not do the like;
18:15 He does not eat upon the mountains and does not lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife,
18:16 Does not oppress anyone, does not keep the pledge and does not plunder, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment,
18:17 Takes his hand off the poor and does not collect with interest or increase, does My ordinances and walks in My statutes; he shall not die for his father’s iniquity; he shall surely live.
18:18 As for his father, because he practiced extortion, plundered his brother, and did that which was not good in the midst of his people, indeed he shall die for his iniquity.
18:19 Yet you say, Why? Does not the son share the punishment for the father’s iniquity? When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has kept all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live.
18:20 The soul who sins, he shall die; the son shall not share the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor shall the father share the punishment for the son’s iniquity. The righteousness of the righteous man shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man shall be upon him.
18:21 But if the wicked man turns from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
18:22 None of his transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of his righteousness that he has practiced he shall live.
18:23 Do I take pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord Jehovah, and not in his turning away from his ways that he may live?
18:24 But when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity and commits all the abominations that the wicked man commits, will he live? None of his righteousness that he has practiced shall be remembered. Because of his unfaithfulness in which he has acted unfaithfully and because of his sin which he has sinned, because of them, he shall die.
18:25 Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not fair. Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not fair? Is it not your ways that are not fair?
18:26 When a righteous man turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity and dies as a consequence, because of his iniquity that he has practiced he shall die.
18:27 Again, when a wicked man turns from his wickedness that he has practiced and practices justice and righteousness, he shall save his life.
18:28 Because he sees and turns from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
18:29 Yet the house of Israel says, The way of the Lord is not fair. Are My ways not fair, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not fair?
18:30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his ways, declares the Lord Jehovah. Repent, and turn away from all your transgressions so that iniquity will not become a stumbling block to you.
18:31 Cast away from you all your transgressions by which you have transgressed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit; for why will you die, O house of Israel?
18:32 For I take no pleasure in the death of him who dies, declares the Lord Jehovah; therefore turn and live.