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

Y vino a mí la palabra del Señor, diciendo:

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’?

¿Qué queréis decir al usar este proverbio acerca de la tierra de Israel, que dice: “Los padres comen las uvas agrias, pero los dientes de los hijos tienen la dentera ”?

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

Vivo yo —declara el Señor Dios — que no volveréis a usar más este proverbio en Israel.

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.

He aquí, todas las almas son mías; tanto el alma del padre como el alma del hijo mías son. El alma que peque, ésa morirá.

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

Pero el hombre que es justo, y practica el derecho y la justicia,

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;

y no come en los santuarios de los montes ni levanta sus ojos a los ídolos de la casa de Israel, ni amancilla a la mujer de su prójimo, ni se acerca a una mujer durante su menstruación;

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;

el hombre que no oprime a nadie, sino que devuelve al deudor su prenda; que no comete robo, sino que da su pan al hambriento y cubre al desnudo con ropa,

8 I f he has not exacted usury Nor taken any increase, But has withdrawn his hand from iniquity And executed true judgment between man and man;

que no presta dinero a interés ni exige con usura, que retrae su mano de la maldad y hace juicio verdadero entre hombre y hombre,

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.

que anda en mis estatutos y mis ordenanzas obrando fielmente, ése es justo; ciertamente vivirá —declara el Señor Dios.

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

Pero si engendra un hijo violento que derrama sangre y que hace cualquiera de estas cosas a un hermano

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

(aunque él mismo no hizo ninguna de estas cosas), que también come en los santuarios de los montes y amancilla a la mujer de su prójimo,

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;

oprime al pobre y al necesitado, comete robo, no devuelve la prenda, que levanta sus ojos a los ídolos y comete abominación,

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.

que presta a interés y exige con usura; ¿vivirá? ¡No vivirá! Ha cometido todas estas abominaciones, ciertamente morirá; su sangre será sobre él.

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

Mas he aquí, si engendra un hijo que observa todos los pecados que su padre ha cometido, y viéndo lo no hace lo mismo,

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;

no come en los santuarios de los montes, ni levanta sus ojos a los ídolos de la casa de Israel, ni amancilla a la mujer de su prójimo,

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;

que no oprime a nadie, ni retiene la prenda, ni comete robo, sino que da su pan al hambriento y cubre al desnudo con ropa,

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!

que retrae su mano del pobre, no cobra interés ni usura, cumple mis ordenanzas y anda en mis estatutos, ése no morirá por la iniquidad de su padre, ciertamente vivirá.

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

Su padre, que practicó la extorsión, robó a su hermano e hizo lo que no era bueno en medio de su pueblo, he aquí, morirá por su iniquidad.

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.

Y vosotros decís: “¿Por qué no carga el hijo con la iniquidad de su padre ?” Cuando el hijo ha practicado el derecho y la justicia, ha observado todos mis estatutos y los ha cumplido, ciertamente vivirá.

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.

El alma que peque, ésa morirá. El hijo no cargará con la iniquidad del padre, ni el padre cargará con la iniquidad del hijo; la justicia del justo será sobre él y la maldad del impío será sobre él.

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.

Pero si el impío se aparta de todos los pecados que ha cometido, guarda todos mis estatutos y practica el derecho y la justicia, ciertamente vivirá, no morirá.

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.

Ninguna de las transgresiones que ha cometido le serán recordadas; por la justicia que ha practicado, vivirá.

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?

¿Acaso me complazco yo en la muerte del impío —declara el Señor Dios — y no en que se aparte de sus caminos y viva ?

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.

Pero si el justo se aparta de su justicia y comete iniquidad, actuando conforme a todas las abominaciones que comete el impío, ¿vivirá? Ninguna de las obras justas que ha hecho le serán recordadas; por la infidelidad que ha cometido y el pecado que ha cometido, por ellos morirá.

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?

Y vosotros decís: “No es recto el camino del Señor.” Oíd ahora, casa de Israel: ¿No es recto mi camino? ¿No son vuestros caminos los que no son rectos ?

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.

Cuando el justo se aparta de su justicia, comete iniquidad y muere a causa de ello, por la iniquidad que ha cometido, morirá.

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.

Y cuando el impío se aparta de la maldad que ha cometido y practica el derecho y la justicia, salvará su vida.

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

Porque consideró y se apartó de todas las transgresiones que había cometido, ciertamente vivirá, no morirá.

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?

Pero la casa de Israel dice: “El camino del Señor no es recto.” ¿No son rectos mis caminos, oh casa de Israel? ¿No son vuestros caminos los que no son rectos?

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.

Por tanto, os juzgaré, a cada uno conforme a su conducta, oh casa de Israel —declara el Señor Dios —. Arrepentíos y apartaos de todas vuestras transgresiones, para que la iniquidad no os sea piedra de tropiezo.

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?

Arrojad de vosotros todas las transgresiones que habéis cometido, y haceos un corazón nuevo y un espíritu nuevo. ¿Por qué habéis de morir, casa de Israel?

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

Pues yo no me complazco en la muerte de nadie —declara el Señor Dios —. Arrepentíos y vivid.