1 T he Word of the Lord came to me saying,

ثُمَّ أتَتْ إلَيَّ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ:

2 “ What do you mean by using this saying about the land of Israel: ‘The fathers eat the sour grapes, but the children get the sour taste’?

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

3 A s I live,” says the Lord God, “you will never use this saying in Israel again.

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

4 F or all souls belong to Me. Both the soul of the father and the soul of the son are Mine. The soul who sins will 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 right and good and does what is right and good,

أمّا البارُّ فَهُوَ الَّذِي يَصْنَعُ العَدلَ وَالبِرَّ،

6 h e does not eat at the altars on the mountains or look up to the false gods of Israel. He does not sin with his neighbor’s wife or go near a woman during the time she is unclean.

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

7 H e does not make it hard for anyone. He keeps his promise to pay back what he owes. He does not steal, but gives his bread to the hungry, and gives clothing to those who have none.

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

8 H e does not make others pay back more than they owe him. He keeps away from sin, and is an honest judge when men argue.

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

9 H e walks in My Laws and is careful to obey them. This man is right and good, and will live for sure,” says the Lord God.

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

10 “ But he may have a son who acts in anger and kills another man, or does any of these other things

«لَكِنْ قَدْ يَكُونُ لِذَلِكَ الإنسانِ ابنٌ قاتِلٌ مُتَمَرِّدٌ،

11 t hat the father never did. He eats at the altars on the mountains, and sins with his neighbor’s wife.

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

12 H e makes it hard for the poor and those in need, and he steals. He does not keep his promise to pay back what he owes. He looks up to false gods, and does sinful acts.

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

13 A nd he makes people pay back more than they owe him. Will this man live? He will not live! He has done all these sinful acts, and for sure he will die. He will be guilty for his own death.

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

14 “ Now this man may have a son who has seen all the sins his father has done, but does not do the same.

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

15 H e does not eat at the altars on the mountains or look to the false gods of Israel. He does not sin with his neighbor’s wife,

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

16 o r make it hard for anyone. He does not keep what another man has given him in trust for a promise. He does not steal, but he gives his bread to the hungry and clothing to those who have none.

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

17 H e keeps away from sin. He does not make a person pay back more than he owes him. But he walks in My Laws and obeys them. This man will not die for his father’s sin. He will live for sure.

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

18 A s for his father, because he used his power to rob his brother, and did what was wrong among his people, he will die for his sin.

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

19 “ Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not suffer for the father’s sin?’ Since the son has done what is right and good, and has kept and obeyed all My Laws, he will live for sure.

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 person who sins will die. The son will not be punished for the father’s sin. And the father will not be punished for the son’s sin. The right and good man will receive good, and the sinful man will suffer for his sin.

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 the sinful man turns from all the sins he has done and obeys all My Laws and does what is right and good, he will live for sure. He will not die.

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

22 N one of the sins he has done will be remembered against him. Because of the right and good things he has done, he will live.

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

23 A m I pleased with the death of a sinful man?” says the Lord God. “No, instead I would like him to turn from his sinful ways and live.

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

24 “ But when a right and good man turns away from doing what is right and good, and sins, doing all the bad things that a sinful man does, will he live? None of the right and good things he has done will be remembered. Because he has not been faithful and has sinned, he will 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 Y et you say, ‘The Lord is not doing what is right.’ Listen, O people of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?

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

26 W hen a right and good man turns away from doing what is right and good, and sins, and dies because of it, he dies because of the sin he has done.

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

27 B ut when a sinful man turns away from his sin and does what is right and good, he will save his life.

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

28 B ecause he thought about it and turned away from all the sins he had done, he will live for sure. He will not die.

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

29 B ut the people of Israel say, ‘The Lord is not doing what is right.’ Are My ways not right, O people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?

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

30 “ So I will judge you, O people of Israel, each of you by what he has done,” says the Lord God. “Be sorry for all your sins and turn away from them, so sin will not destroy you.

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

31 T urn away from all the sins you have done, and get a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O people of Israel?

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

32 F or I am not pleased with the death of anyone who dies,” says the Lord God. “So be sorry for your sins and turn away from them, and live.”

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