1 V ino a mí palabra de Jehová, diciendo:

The Word of the Lord came to me saying,

2 ¿ Qué pensáis vosotros, los que usáis este refrán sobre la tierra de Israel, que dice: Los padres comieron las uvas agrias, y los dientes de los hijos tienen la dentera?

“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’?

3 V ivo yo, dice Jehová el Señor, que nunca más tendréis por qué usar este refrán en Israel.

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

4 H e aquí que todas las almas son mías; como el alma del padre, así el alma del hijo es mía; el alma que pecare, esa morirá.

For 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.

5 Y el hombre que fuere justo, e hiciere según el derecho y la justicia;

But if a man is right and good and does what is right and good,

6 q ue no comiere sobre los montes, ni alzare sus ojos a los ídolos de la casa de Israel, ni violare la mujer de su prójimo, ni se llegare a la mujer menstruosa,

he 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.

7 n i oprimiere a ninguno; que al deudor devolviere su prenda, que no cometiere robo, y que diere de su pan al hambriento y cubriere al desnudo con vestido,

He 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.

8 q ue no prestare a interés ni tomare usura; que de la maldad retrajere su mano, e hiciere juicio verdadero entre hombre y hombre,

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

9 e n mis ordenanzas caminare, y guardare mis decretos para hacer rectamente, éste es justo; éste vivirá, dice Jehová el Señor.

He 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.

10 M as si engendrare hijo ladrón, derramador de sangre, o que haga alguna cosa de estas,

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

11 y que no haga las otras, sino que comiere sobre los montes, o violare la mujer de su prójimo,

that the father never did. He eats at the altars on the mountains, and sins with his neighbor’s wife.

12 a l pobre y menesteroso oprimiere, cometiere robos, no devolviere la prenda, o alzare sus ojos a los ídolos e hiciere abominación,

He 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.

13 p restare a interés y tomare usura; ¿vivirá éste? No vivirá. Todas estas abominaciones hizo; de cierto morirá, su sangre será sobre él.

And 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.

14 P ero si éste engendrare hijo, el cual viere todos los pecados que su padre hizo, y viéndolos no hiciere según ellos;

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

15 n o comiere sobre los montes, ni alzare sus ojos a los ídolos de la casa de Israel; la mujer de su prójimo no violare,

He 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,

16 n i oprimiere a nadie, la prenda no retuviere, ni cometiere robos; al hambriento diere de su pan, y cubriere con vestido al desnudo;

or 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.

17 a partare su mano del pobre, interés y usura no recibiere; guardare mis decretos y anduviere en mis ordenanzas; éste no morirá por la maldad de su padre; de cierto vivirá.

He 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.

18 S u padre, por cuanto hizo agravio, despojó violentamente al hermano, e hizo en medio de su pueblo lo que no es bueno, he aquí que él morirá por su maldad.

As 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.

19 Y si dijereis: ¿Por qué el hijo no llevará el pecado de su padre? Porque el hijo hizo según el derecho y la justicia, guardó todos mis estatutos y los cumplió, de cierto vivirá.

“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.

20 E l alma que pecare, esa morirá; el hijo no llevará el pecado del padre, ni el padre llevará el pecado del hijo; la justicia del justo será sobre él, y la impiedad del impío será sobre él. El camino de Dios es justo (Ez. 33. 10-20)

The 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.

21 M as el impío, si se apartare de todos sus pecados que hizo, y guardare todos mis estatutos e hiciere según el derecho y la justicia, de cierto vivirá; no morirá.

“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.

22 T odas las transgresiones que cometió, no le serán recordadas; en su justicia que hizo vivirá.

None of the sins he has done will be remembered against him. Because of the right and good things he has done, he will live.

23 ¿ Quiero yo la muerte del impío? dice Jehová el Señor. ¿No vivirá, si se apartare de sus caminos?

Am 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.

24 M as si el justo se apartare de su justicia y cometiere maldad, e hiciere conforme a todas las abominaciones que el impío hizo, ¿vivirá él? Ninguna de las justicias que hizo le serán tenidas en cuenta; por su rebelión con que prevaricó, y por el pecado que cometió, por ello morirá.

“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.

25 Y si dijereis: No es recto el camino del Señor; oíd ahora, casa de Israel: ¿No es recto mi camino? ¿no son vuestros caminos torcidos?

Yet 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?

26 A partándose el justo de su justicia, y haciendo iniquidad, él morirá por ello; por la iniquidad que hizo, morirá.

When 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.

27 Y apartándose el impío de su impiedad que hizo, y haciendo según el derecho y la justicia, hará vivir su alma.

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

28 P orque miró y se apartó de todas sus transgresiones que había cometido, de cierto vivirá; no morirá.

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

29 S i aún dijere la casa de Israel: No es recto el camino del Señor; ¿no son rectos mis caminos, casa de Israel? Ciertamente, vuestros caminos no son rectos.

But 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?

30 P or tanto, yo os juzgaré a cada uno según sus caminos, oh casa de Israel, dice Jehová el Señor. Convertíos, y apartaos de todas vuestras transgresiones, y no os será la iniquidad causa de ruina.

“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.

31 E chad de vosotros todas vuestras transgresiones con que habéis pecado, y haceos un corazón nuevo y un espíritu nuevo. ¿Por qué moriréis, casa de Israel?

Turn 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?

32 P orque no quiero la muerte del que muere, dice Jehová el Señor; convertíos, pues, y viviréis.

For 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.”