1 ث ُمَّ أتَتْ إلَيَّ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ:

¶ The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,

2 « ماذا تعنُونَ أيُّها النّاسُ حِينَ تَقتَبِسُونَ هَذا المَثلَ عَنْ إسْرائِيلَ: ‹الآباءُ يَأكُلُونَ الحُصرُمَ، وَأسنانُ الأبناءِ تَضرَسُ؟›»

What mean ye, that ye use this saying concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge?

3 ي َقُولُ الرَّبُّ الإلَهُ: «أُقْسِمُ بِذاتِي إنَّكُمْ لَنْ تَعُودُوا تَقتَبِسُونَ هَذا المَثَلَ فِي إسْرائِيلَ.

As I live, said the Lord GOD, ye shall never again have reason to use this saying in Israel.

4 ف َاعلَمُوا أنَّ حَياةَ النّاسِ جَميعاً لِي: حَياةُ الوالِدِ وَحَياةُ المَولودِ كِلاهُما لِي. الإنسانُ الَّذِي يُخطِئُ هُوَ يَمُوتُ.

Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine; the soul that sins, it shall die.

5 أ مّا البارُّ فَهُوَ الَّذِي يَصْنَعُ العَدلَ وَالبِرَّ،

But if a man is just and does judgment and righteousness,

6 و َلا يَأكُلُ عَلَى مَزاراتِ الجِبالِ، وَلا يُقَدِّمُ ذَبائِحَ لأصْنامِ بَني إسْرائِيلَ البَغِيضَةِ، وَلا يُنَجِّسُ زَوجَةَ جارِهِ، أوْ يُعاشِرَ امْرأةً خِلالَ حَيضِها.

that he does not eat upon the mountains, neither lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither defile his neighbour’s wife, neither come near to the menstruous woman,

7 ل ا يَستَغِلُّ النّاسَ، بَلْ يَرُدُّ الرَّهنَ لِمَنْ يَقْتَرِضُ مِنهُ. يُعطِي طَعاماً للِجائِعِ، وَيُلبِسُ مَنْ لا ثِيابَ لَهُ.

neither oppress any, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, gives his bread to the hungry, and covers the naked with a garment,

8 و َلا يَأخُذُ رِباً أوْ رِبحاً زائِداً. يَتَجَنَّبُ الإثْمَ، وَيَحْكُمُ بالعَدلِ بَينَ المُتَخاصِمِينَ.

neither lends at interest, neither takes any increase, withdraws his hand from iniquity, executes true judgment between man and man,

9 ي َتبَعُ شَرائِعِي وَيَحفَظُ أحكامِي. لِيَعمَلَ ما هُوَ حَقٌّ وَعَدلٌ. فَهَذا إنسانٌ بارٌّ، وَسَيَحيا.» يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ الإلَهُ.

walks in my statutes, and keeps my rights, to do according to the truth: he is just; he shall surely live, said the Lord GOD.

10 « لَكِنْ قَدْ يَكُونُ لِذَلِكَ الإنسانِ ابنٌ قاتِلٌ مُتَمَرِّدٌ،

¶ If he begets a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that does the like of any one of these things,

11 ي َعمَلُ أُموراً كَهَذِهِ – مَعَ أنَّ أبيهِ لا يَفعَلُها: يَأكُلُ فِي مَزاراتِ الجِبالِ، يُنَجِّسُ زَوجَةَ جارِهِ،

and that does not do any of those duties, but, on the other hand, he does eat upon the mountains, or defiles his neighbour’s wife,

12 ي َظلُمُ الفَقِيرَ وَالعاجِزَ، يَسرِقُ وَلا يَرُدُّ رَهناً، يَعبُدُ الأوثانَ، يقتَرِفُ خَطايا بَغيضَةً،

oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore the pledge, or lifts up his eyes to the idols, or makes an abomination,

13 ي أخُذُ رِباً وَرِبحاً زائِداً. أفَيحيا ذَلِكَ الإنسانُ؟ لا بَلْ يَمُوتُ. فَلِأنَّهُ عَمِلَ كُلَّ هَذِهِ الخَطايا الكَرِيهَةِ، يَنْبَغِي أنْ يَمُوتَ.

gives forth upon usury and takes increase, shall he then live? He shall not live; he has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.

14 و َقَدْ يَكُونُ لِهَذا الإنسانِ ابنٌ رَأى كُلَّ الخَطايا الَّتِي ارتَكَبَها أبُوهُ، فَفَهِمَ وَلَمْ يَعمَلْ ما عَمِلَهُ أبُوهُ.

But if he begets a son that sees all his father’s sins which he has done and seeing them, does not do according to them,

15 ل َمْ يأكُلْ فِي مَزاراتِ الجِبالِ، وَلَمْ يَعبُدْ أوثانَ بَني إسْرائِيلَ، وَلَمْ يُنَجِّسُ زَوجَةَ جارِهِ.

that he does not eat upon the mountains, neither lifts up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, nor defiles his neighbour’s wife,

16 ل َمْ يَظلِمُ أحَداً، وَلَمْ يَحتَفِظُ بِرَهنٍ أوْ يَسْرِقْ. لَكِنَّهُ يُعطِي مِنْ طَعامِهِ لِلجائِعِ، ويُلبِسُ العُريانَ ثِيابَهُ.

neither oppresses any, nor withholds the pledge, neither commits robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry, and covers the naked with a garment,

17 ي َتَجَنَّبُ الإثمَ، وَلا يأخُذُ رِباً أوْ رِبحاً زائِداً. يَحفَظُ أحكامِي وَيُطِيعُ فَرائِضِي. فَلا يَهلِكُ مِثلُ هَذا بِسَبَبِ إثمِ أبِيهِ، بَلْ يَحيا.

takes off his hand from oppressing the poor, does not receive usury nor increase, acts according to my rights, and walks in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father; he shall surely live.

18 ف َإنْ كانَ أبُوهُ ظَلَمَ النّاسَ، وَسَرَقَ أخِيهِ، وَعَمِلَ شُرُوراً كَثِيرَةً وَسَطَ شَعبِهِ. فَهَذا سَيَهلِكُ بِذَنبِهِ.

As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, behold, even he shall die for his iniquity.

19 ف َلِماذا أيُّها النّاسُ تَسألُونَ لِماذا لا يُعانِي الابنُ بِسَبَبِ ما فَعَلَهُ أبُوهُ؟ كانَ الِابنُ عادِلاً وَعَمِلَ ما هُوَ صالِحٌ، وَأطاعَ شَرائِعِي وَعَمِلَ بِها، وَلِذا فَهُوَ بَريءٌ وَسَيَحيا.

Yet if ye say, Why does not the son bear the iniquity of the father? Because the son has lived according to judgment and righteousness and has kept all my statutes and has done them, he shall surely live.

20 ا لإنسانُ الَّذِي يُخطِئُ هُوَ الَّذِي يَمُوتُ. وَلَنْ يُعاقَبَ الأبُ عَلَى خَطايا ابنِهِ. الإنسانُ الصّالِحُ مَسؤُولٌ عَنْ صَلاحِهِ، وَالإنسانُ الشِّرِّيرُ مَسؤُولٌ عَنْ شَرِّهِ.

The soul that sins, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him who is righteous, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him who is wicked.

21 و َإنْ تابَ إنسانٌ شِرِّيرٌ عَنْ خَطاياهُ، وَحَفِظَ شَرائِعِي وَعَمِلَ ما هُوَ عَدلٌ وَصَلاحٌ، فَإنَّهُ لَنْ يَهلِكَ.

¶ But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he has committed and keep all my statutes and live according to judgment and righteousness, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

22 و َلَنْ تُذكَرَ أيُّ خَطيَّةٍ مِنْ خَطاياهُ السّابِقَةِ لِيُحاسَبَ عَنها. وَبِسَبَبِ الصَّلاحِ الَّذِي يَعمَلُهُ فَإنَّهُ سَيَحيا.»

All his rebellions that he has committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him; by his righteousness that he has done he shall live.

23 ي َقُولُ الرَّبُّ الإلَهُ: «هَلْ أُسَرُّ بِمُوتَ الشِّرِّيرُ، أمْ بِأنْ يَتُوبَ عَنْ شَرِّهِ فَيَحيا.»

Do I desire perchance the death of the wicked? said the Lord GOD, Shall he not live if he should leave his ways?

24 « هَلْ يَحيا البارُّ، إنْ عادَ عَنْ بِرِّهِ، وَعَمِلَ شُرُوراً كَرِيهَةً كَالأشرارِ؟ بَلْ لَنْ يُذكَرَ شَيءٌ مِنْ أعمالِهِ الصّالِحَةِ القَدِيمَةِ، وَسَيَهلِكُ بِسَبَبِ خِيانَتِهِ وَخَطاياهُ الَّتِي ارْتَكَبَها.

But if the righteous should leave his righteousness and commit iniquity, and do according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All his righteousness that he has done shall not be mentioned; by his rebellion in which he has trespassed and by his sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.

25 و َلَكِنَّكُمْ تَقُولُونَ: ‹طَرِيقُ الرَّبِّ لَيسَتْ مُستَقِيمَةً!› أَطَرِيقِي أنا لَيسَتْ مُستَقِيمَةً يا بَيتَ إسْرائِيلَ، أمْ طُرُقُكُمْ أنتُمْ لَيسَتْ مُستَقِيمَةً؟

And if ye say, The way of the Lord is not straight. Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not straight? Are not your ways crooked?

26 ف َحِينَ لا يَعُودُ الصّالِحُ يَعِيشُ بِالصَّلاحِ وَيَبدَأُ بِعَمَلِ الشَّرِّ، فَإنِّي سَأُمِيتُهُ بِسَبَبِ شُرُورِهِ. سَيَمُوتُ بِسَبَبِ أعمالِهِ الشِّرِّيرَةِ.

When a righteous man leaves his righteousness, and commits iniquity, he shall die in it; for his iniquity that he has done he shall die.

27 و َحِينَ لا يَعُودُ الشِّرِّيرُ يَعمَلُ الشُّرُورَ، وَيَبدَأُ بِعَمَلِ ما هُوَ صالِحٌ وَعادِلٌ، فَإنَّهُ بِهَذا يُنَجِّي نَفسَهُ.

Again, when the wicked man leaves his wickedness that he has committed and lives according to judgment and righteousness, he shall cause his soul to live.

28 ف َإنْ فَهِمَ وَتابَ عَنْ آثامِهِ وَخَطاياهُ الَّتِي عَمِلَها، فَإنَّهُ سَيَحيا وَلَنْ يَهلِكَ.

Because he saw and left all his rebellions that he has committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

29 و َمَعَ هَذا فَإنَّ بَيتَ إسْرائِيلَ يَقُولُونَ: ‹طَرِيقُ الرَّبِّ لَيسَتْ مُستَقِيمَةً!› أَطَرِيقِي أنا لَيسَتْ مُستَقِيمَةً يا بَيتَ إسْرائِيلَ، أمْ طُرُقُكُمْ أنتُمْ لَيسَتْ مُستَقِيمَةً؟»

If even now the house of Israel should say, The way of the Lord is not straight. O house of Israel, are not my ways straight? Certainly your ways are not straight.

30 ي َقُولُ الرّبُّ الإلَهُ: «أنا الَّذِي أحكُمُ عَلَى كُلِّ إنسانٍ بِحَسَبِ سُلُوكِهِ. فَتُوبُوا وَارجِعُوا عَنْ كُلِّ آثامِكُمْ وَخَطاياكُمْ، حَتَّى لا تُدّمِّرَكُمْ آثامُكُمْ.

¶ Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each one according to his ways, said the Lord GOD. Repent and turn yourselves from all your iniquities, so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

31 ت َخَلَّصُوا مِنْ كُلِّ الآثامِ الَّتِي اقتَرَفتُمُوها، وَخُذُوا قَلباً جَدِيداً وَرُوحاً جَدِيدَةً. يا بَني إسْرائِيلَ، لِماذا تَمُوتُونَ؟

Cast away from you all your iniquities by which ye have rebelled, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

32 أ نا لا أُسَرُّ بِمَوتِ أحَدٍ. تُوبُوا عَنِ الشَّرِّ وَاحيُوا.» يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ الإلَهُ.

For I do not desire the death of him that dies, said the Lord GOD; therefore turn yourselves, and ye shall live.