1 T he word of the Lord came to me again, saying,

ثُمَّ أتَتْ إلَيَّ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ:

2 “ What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children’s teeth are set on edge’?

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

3 “ As I live,” says the Lord God, “you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel.

يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ الإلَهُ: «أُقْسِمُ بِذاتِي إنَّكُمْ لَنْ تَعُودُوا تَقتَبِسُونَ هَذا المَثَلَ فِي إسْرائِيلَ.

4 “ Behold, 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.

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

5 B ut if a man is just And does what is lawful and right;

أمّا البارُّ فَهُوَ الَّذِي يَصْنَعُ العَدلَ وَالبِرَّ،

6 I f he has not eaten on the mountains, Nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, Nor defiled his neighbor’s wife, Nor approached a woman during her impurity;

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

7 I f he has not oppressed anyone, But has restored to the debtor his pledge; Has robbed no one by violence, But has given his bread to the hungry And covered the naked with clothing;

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

8 I f he has not exacted usury Nor taken any increase, But has withdrawn his hand from iniquity And executed true judgment between man and man;

وَلا يَأخُذُ رِباً أوْ رِبحاً زائِداً. يَتَجَنَّبُ الإثْمَ، وَيَحْكُمُ بالعَدلِ بَينَ المُتَخاصِمِينَ.

9 I f he has walked in My statutes And kept My judgments faithfully— He is just; He shall surely live!” Says the Lord God.

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

10 “ If he begets a son who is a robber Or a shedder of blood, Who does any of these things

«لَكِنْ قَدْ يَكُونُ لِذَلِكَ الإنسانِ ابنٌ قاتِلٌ مُتَمَرِّدٌ،

11 A nd does none of those duties, But has eaten on the mountains Or defiled his neighbor’s wife;

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

12 I f he has oppressed the poor and needy, Robbed by violence, Not restored the pledge, Lifted his eyes to the idols, Or committed abomination;

يَظلُمُ الفَقِيرَ وَالعاجِزَ، يَسرِقُ وَلا يَرُدُّ رَهناً، يَعبُدُ الأوثانَ، يقتَرِفُ خَطايا بَغيضَةً،

13 I f he has exacted usury Or taken increase— Shall he then live? He shall not live! If he has done any of these abominations, He shall surely die; His blood shall be upon him.

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

14 “ If, however, he begets a son Who sees all the sins which his father has done, And considers but does not do likewise;

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

15 W ho has not eaten on the mountains, Nor lifted his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, Nor defiled his neighbor’s wife;

لَمْ يأكُلْ فِي مَزاراتِ الجِبالِ، وَلَمْ يَعبُدْ أوثانَ بَني إسْرائِيلَ، وَلَمْ يُنَجِّسُ زَوجَةَ جارِهِ.

16 H as not oppressed anyone, Nor withheld a pledge, Nor robbed by violence, But has given his bread to the hungry And covered the naked with clothing;

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

17 W ho has withdrawn his hand from the poor And not received usury or increase, But has executed My judgments And walked in My statutes— He shall not die for the iniquity of his father; He shall surely live!

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

18 “ As for his father, Because he cruelly oppressed, Robbed his brother by violence, And did what is not good among his people, Behold, he shall die for his iniquity. Turn and Live

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

19 “ Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live.

فَلِماذا 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.

20 T he soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

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

21 “ But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

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

22 N one of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live.

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

23 D o I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord God, “ and not that he should turn from his ways and live?

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

24 “ But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.

«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.

25 “ Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair?

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

26 W hen a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies.

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

27 A gain, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive.

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

28 B ecause he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

فَإنْ فَهِمَ وَتابَ عَنْ آثامِهِ وَخَطاياهُ الَّتِي عَمِلَها، فَإنَّهُ سَيَحيا وَلَنْ يَهلِكَ.

29 Y et the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair?

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

30 “ Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin.

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

31 C ast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?

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

32 F or I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!”

أنا لا أُسَرُّ بِمَوتِ أحَدٍ. تُوبُوا عَنِ الشَّرِّ وَاحيُوا.» يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ الإلَهُ.