1A message from the LORD came to me. The LORD said,2‘You people have a proverb about the land of Israel. What do you mean by it? It says, ‘ “The parents eat sour grapes. But the children have a bitter taste in their mouths.”3‘You will not use that proverb in Israel anymore,’ announces the LORD and King. ‘And that is just as sure as I am alive.4Everyone belongs to me. Parents and children alike belong to me. A person will die because of their own sins.5‘Suppose there is a godly man who does what is fair and right.6And he does not eat at the mountain temples. He does not worship the statues of Israel’s gods. He does not sleep with another man’s wife. He does not have sex with his own wife during her monthly period.7He does not treat anyone badly. Instead, he always returns things he takes to make sure loans are paid back. He does not steal. Instead, he gives his food to hungry people. He provides clothes for those who are naked.8He does not charge interest when he lends money to them. He does not make money from them. He keeps himself from doing what is wrong. He judges cases fairly.9He obeys my rules. He is faithful in keeping my laws. He always does what is right. You can be sure he will live,’ announces the LORD and King.10‘But suppose he has a mean son who harms other people. The son commits murder. Or he does some other things that are wrong.11Suppose he does these things even though his father never did. ‘Suppose the son eats at the mountain temples. And he sleeps with another man’s wife.12He treats poor and needy people badly. He steals. He does not pay back what he owes. He worships statues of gods. He does other things I hate.13He charges interest when he lends money to poor people. He makes money from them. Will a man like that live? He will not! He must be put to death. And what happens to him will be his own fault. He did many things I hate.14‘But suppose this son has a son of his own. And the son sees all the sins his father commits. He sees them, but he does not do them.15‘Suppose he does not eat at the mountain temples. And he does not worship the statues of Israel’s gods. He does not sleep with another man’s wife.16He does not treat anyone badly. He does not make people give him something to prove they will pay back what they owe him. He does not steal. Instead, he gives his food to hungry people. He provides clothes for those who are naked.17He keeps himself from committing sins. He does not charge interest when he lends money to poor people. He does not make money from them. He keeps my laws and obeys my rules. He will not die because of his father’s sin. You can be sure he will live.18But his father will die because of his own sin. He got rich by cheating others. He robbed his relatives. He also did what was wrong among his people.19‘But you still ask, “Is the son guilty along with his father?” No! The son did what was fair and right. He was careful to obey all my rules. So you can be sure he will live.20A person will die because of their own sins. A child will not be guilty because of what their parent did. And a parent will not be guilty because of what their child did. The right things a godly person does will be added to their account. The wrong things a sinful person does will be charged against them.21‘But suppose a sinful person turns away from all the sins they have committed. And they obey all my rules. They do what is fair and right. Then you can be sure they will live. They will not die.22None of the sins they have committed will be held against them. Because of the godly things they have done, they will live.23When sinful people die, it does not give me any joy,’ announces the LORD and King. ‘But when they turn away from their sins and live, that makes me very happy.24‘Suppose a godly person stops doing what is right. And they sin. They do the same evil things a sinful person does. They do things I hate. Then they will not live. I will not remember any of the right things they have done. They have not been faithful to me. They have also committed many other sins. So they are guilty. They will die.25‘But you say, “What the Lord does isn’t fair.” Listen to me, you Israelites. What I do is always fair. What you do is not.26Suppose a godly person stops doing what is right. And they sin. Then they will die because of it. They will die because of the sin they have committed.27But suppose a sinful person turns away from the evil things they have done. And they do what is fair and right. Then they will save their life.28They think about all the evil things they have done. And they turn away from them. So you can be sure they will live. They will not die.29But the Israelites still say, “What the Lord does isn’t fair.” People of Israel, what I do is always fair. What you do is not.30‘So I will judge you Israelites. I will judge each of you in keeping with what you have done,’ announces the LORD and King. ‘Turn away from your sins! Turn away from all the evil things you have done. Then sin will not bring you down.31Get rid of all the evil things you have done. Let me give you a new heart and a new spirit. Then you will be faithful to me. Why should you die, people of Israel?32When anyone dies, it does not give me any joy,’ announces the LORD and King. ‘So turn away from your sins. Then you will live!
Ezekiel 18
English Standard Version
The Soul Who Sins Shall Die
1The word of the Lord came to me:2“What do you[1] mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? (Jer 31:29; Eze 12:22; Eze 16:44)3As I live, declares the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. (Jer 31:29; Eze 16:48)4Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die. (Eze 18:20)5“If a man is righteous and does what is just and right— (Eze 18:19; Eze 18:21; Eze 18:27)6if 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 or approach a woman in her time of menstrual impurity, (Le 18:19; Eze 18:11; Eze 18:15; Eze 22:9; Eze 22:10; Eze 22:11; Eze 33:25)7does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, (Ex 22:21; Ex 22:26; Isa 58:7; Eze 18:12; Eze 18:16; Eze 18:18; Eze 33:15; Mt 25:35)8does not lend at interest or take any profit,[2] withholds his hand from injustice, executes true justice between man and man, (Ex 22:25; De 1:16; Ps 15:5; Eze 18:13; Eze 18:17; Eze 22:12; Zec 8:16)9walks in my statutes, and keeps my rules by acting faithfully—he is righteous; he shall surely live, declares the Lord God. (Eze 18:17; Eze 18:19; Eze 18:21; Eze 20:11; Am 5:4)10“If he fathers a son who is violent, a shedder of blood, who does any of these things (Eze 16:38)11(though he himself did none of these things), who even eats upon the mountains, defiles his neighbor’s wife, (Le 18:20; Eze 18:6)12oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore the pledge, lifts up his eyes to the idols, commits abomination, (Eze 8:6; Eze 8:17; Eze 18:6; Eze 18:7)13lends at interest, and takes profit; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon himself. (Le 20:9; Le 20:11; Eze 3:18; Eze 18:8; Eze 33:4)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:15he 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,16does not oppress anyone, exacts no pledge, commits no robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, (Eze 18:7; Eze 18:12)17withholds his hand from iniquity,[3] takes no interest or profit, obeys my rules, and walks in my statutes; he shall not die for his father’s iniquity; he shall surely live. (Eze 18:9)18As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, behold, he shall die for his iniquity. (Eze 3:18)19“Yet you say, ‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. (Ex 20:5; Eze 18:2; Eze 18:5; Eze 18:9; Eze 18:21; Eze 18:27)20The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. (2Ki 14:6; Isa 3:10; Eze 18:4; Ro 2:9)21“But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. (Eze 18:5; Eze 18:9; Eze 18:19; Eze 18:27)22None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. (Eze 33:16)23Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? (Eze 18:32; Eze 33:11; 1Ti 2:4; 1Ti 2:6; Tit 2:11; 2Pe 3:9)24But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die. (Eze 3:20; Eze 14:13; Eze 33:12; Eze 33:18; 2Pe 2:20)25“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? (Eze 33:17; Eze 33:20)26When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. (Eze 18:24)27Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. (Eze 13:22; Eze 18:21; Eze 33:11; Eze 33:19)28Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.29Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?30“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin.[4] (Isa 3:8; Eze 7:3; Eze 7:8; Eze 14:6; Eze 33:20; Eze 36:19; Eze 39:24; Ho 14:1)31Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? (Eze 11:19; Eze 20:7; Eze 33:11)32For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.” (Eze 18:23; Eze 18:30)