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

Yahweh’s word came to me again, saying,

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’?

What do you mean, that 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?

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

As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, you shall not use this proverb any more in Israel.

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.

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

5 B ut if a man is right and good and does what is right and good,

But if a man is just, and does that which is lawful and right,

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.

and has not eaten on the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither has defiled his neighbor’s wife, neither has come near to a woman in her impurity,

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.

and has not wronged any, but has restored to the debtor his pledge, has taken nothing by robbery, has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;

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.

he who has not lent on interest, neither has taken any increase, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man,

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.

has walked in my statutes, and has kept my ordinances, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, says the Lord Yahweh.

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

If he fathers a son who is a robber who sheds blood, and who does any one of these things,

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

or who does not do any of those things, but even has eaten on the mountains, and defiled his neighbor’s wife,

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.

has wronged the poor and needy, has taken by robbery, has not restored the pledge, and has lifted up his eyes to the idols, has committed abomination,

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.

has lent on interest, and has taken increase; shall he then live? he shall not live: he has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be on him.

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

Now, behold, if he fathers a son, who sees all his father’s sins, which he has done, and fears, and does not such like;

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,

who has not eaten on the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled his neighbor’s wife,

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.

neither has wronged any, has not taken anything to pledge, neither has taken by robbery, but has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;

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.

who has withdrawn his hand from the poor, who has not received interest nor increase, has executed my ordinances, has walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.

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.

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

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.

Yet you say, Why doesn’t the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son has done that which is lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he shall surely live.

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.

The soul who sins, he 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 on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.

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.

But if the wicked turn from all his sins that he has committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

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.

None of his transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him: in his righteousness that he has done he shall live.

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.

Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? says the Lord Yahweh; and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?

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.

But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? None of his righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered: in his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them shall he die.

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?

Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, house of Israel: Is my way not equal? Aren’t your ways unequal?

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.

When the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies therein; in his iniquity that he has done shall he die.

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

Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.

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.

Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

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?

Yet the house of Israel says, “The way of the Lord is not fair.” House of Israel, aren’t my ways fair? Aren’t your ways unfair?

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.

Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, everyone according to his ways, says the Lord Yahweh. Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

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?

Cast away from you all your transgressions, in which you have transgressed; and make yourself a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, house of Israel?

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.”

For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies, says the Lord Yahweh: therefore turn yourselves, and live.