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Ezekiel 18

The Soul Who Sins Shall Die

1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “What do you ^{▼

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The Hebrew for you is plural} mean ^bby repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel ^c‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? 3 ^dAs I live, declares the Lord God ^ethis proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: ^fthe soul who sins shall die.

5 “If a man is righteous and does ^gwhat is just and right— 6 if he ^hdoes not eat upon the mountains or ⁱlift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, ^jdoes not defile his neighbor’s wife ^kor approach ^la woman in her time of menstrual impurity, 7 ^mdoes not oppress anyone, but ⁿrestores to the debtor his pledge ^ocommits no robbery ^pgives his bread to the hungry ^qand covers the naked with a garment, 8 ^rdoes not lend at interest ^sor take any profit ^{▼

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That is, profit that comes from charging interest to the poor; also verses 13, 17 (compare Leviticus 25:36)} withholds his hand from injustice ^uexecutes true justice between man and man, 9 ^vwalks in my statutes, and keeps my rules by acting faithfully—he is righteous; ^whe shall surely live, declares the Lord God.

10 “If he fathers a son who is violent ^xa shedder of blood, who does any of these things 11 (though he himself did none of these things), ^ywho even eats upon the mountains, ^zdefiles his neighbor’s wife, 12 oppresses the poor and needy ^aacommits robbery ^abdoes not restore the pledge ^aclifts up his eyes to the idols ^adcommits abomination, 13 ^aelends at interest, and takes profit; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; ^afhis blood shall be upon himself.

14 “Now suppose this man fathers a son who sees all the sins that his father has done; he sees, and does not do likewise: 15 he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife, 16 does not oppress anyone, ^agexacts no pledge, ^ahcommits no robbery, ^aibut gives his bread to the hungry ^ajand covers the naked with a garment, 17 withholds his hand from iniquity ^{▼

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Septuagint; Hebrew from the poor} takes no interest or profit, obeys my rules ^aland walks in my statutes; he shall not die for his father’s iniquity; ^amhe shall surely live. 18 As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, ^anbehold, he shall die for his iniquity.

19 “Yet you say ^ao‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done ^apwhat is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes ^aqhe shall surely live. 20 ^arThe soul who sins shall die. ^asThe son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. ^atThe righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, ^auand the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

21 ^av“But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does ^awwhat is just and right ^axhe shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 ^ayNone of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. 23 ^azHave I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? 24 ^baBut when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? ^bbNone of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for ^bcthe treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.

25 ^bd“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? 26 ^beWhen a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. 27 Again, ^bfwhen a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. 28 Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?

30 “Therefore ^bgI will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. ^bhRepent and turn from all your transgressions ^bilest iniquity be your ruin. ^{▼

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Or lest iniquity be your stumbling block} 31 ^bkCast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and ^blmake yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! ^bmWhy will you die, O house of Israel? 32 ^bnFor I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; ^boso turn, and live.”