¹ The word of Jehovah came unto me again, saying,

^{2 Ref} What mean ye, that ye 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 Ref} As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, ye shall not have `occasion' any more to use this proverb in Israel.

^{4 Ref} Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

^{5 Ref} But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,

^{6 Ref} and hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbor's wife, neither hath come near to a woman in her impurity,

^{7 Ref} and hath not wronged any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath taken nought by robbery, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;

^{8 Ref} he that hath not given forth upon interest, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true justice between man and man,

^{9 Ref} hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept mine ordinances, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord Jehovah.

^{10 Ref} If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth any one of these things,

^{11 Ref} and that doeth not any of those `duties', but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbor's wife,

^{12 Ref} hath wronged the poor and needy, hath taken by robbery, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,

^{13 Ref} hath given forth upon interest, and hath taken increase; shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.

^{14 Ref} Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father's sins, which he hath done, and feareth, and doeth not such like;

^{15 Ref} that hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbor's wife,

^{16 Ref} neither hath wronged any, hath not taken aught to pledge, neither hath taken by robbery, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;

^{17 Ref} that hath withdrawn his hand from the poor, that hath not received interest nor increase, hath executed mine ordinances, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.

^{18 Ref} 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 Ref} Yet say ye, Wherefore doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? when the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.

^{20 Ref} The soul that sinneth, it 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 upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

^{21 Ref} But if the wicked turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

^{22 Ref} None of his transgressions that he hath committed shall be remembered against him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

^{23 Ref} Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? saith the Lord Jehovah; and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?

^{24 Ref} But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? None of his righteous deeds that he hath done shall be remembered: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

^{25 Ref} Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel: Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?

²⁶ When the righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth therein; in his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.

^{27 Ref} Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.

^{28 Ref} Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

^{29 Ref} Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?

^{30 Ref} Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord Jehovah. Return ye, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

^{31 Ref} Cast away from you all your transgressions, wherein ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

^{32 Ref} For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord Jehovah: wherefore turn yourselves, and live.

¹ `And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying:

^{2 Ref} `What -- to you, ye -- using this simile Concerning the ground of Israel, saying: Fathers do eat unripe fruit, And the sons' teeth are blunted?

^{3 Ref} I live -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Ye have no more the use of this simile in Israel.

^{4 Ref} Lo, all the souls are Mine, As the soul of the father, So also the soul of the son -- they are Mine, The soul that is sinning -- it doth die.

^{5 Ref} And a man, when he is righteous, And hath done judgment and righteousness,

^{6 Ref} On the mountains he hath not eaten, And his eyes he hath not lifted up Unto idols of the house of Israel, And the wife of his neighbour defiled not, And to a separated woman cometh not near,

^{7 Ref} A man -- he doth not oppress, His pledge to the debtor he doth return, Plunder he doth not take away, His bread to the hungry he doth give, And the naked doth cover with a garment,

^{8 Ref} In usury he doth not give, and increase taketh not, From perversity he turneth back his hand, True judgment he doth between man and man.

^{9 Ref} In My statutes he doth walk, And My judgments he hath kept -- to deal truly, Righteous `is' he, he surely liveth, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

^{10 Ref} And -- he hath begotten a son, A burglar -- a shedder of blood, And he hath made a brother of one of these,

^{11 Ref} And he all those hath not done, For even on the mountains he hath eaten, And the wife of his neighbour he hath defiled,

^{12 Ref} The afflicted and needy he hath oppressed, Plunder he hath taken violently away, A pledge he doth not return, And unto the idols he hath lifted up his eyes, Abomination he hath done!

^{13 Ref} In usury he hath given, and increase taken, And he liveth: he doth not live, All these abominations he hath done, He doth surely die, his blood is on him.

^{14 Ref} And -- lo, he hath begotten a son, And he seeth all the sins of his father, That he hath done, and he feareth, And doth not do like them,

^{15 Ref} On the mountains he hath not eaten, And his eyes he hath not lifted up Unto idols of the house of Israel, The wife of his neighbour he hath not defiled,

^{16 Ref} A man -- he hath not oppressed, A pledge he hath not bound, And plunder he hath not taken away, His bread to the hungry he hath given, And the naked he covered with a garment,

^{17 Ref} From the afflicted he hath turned back his hand, Usury and increase he hath not taken, My judgments he hath done, In My statutes he hath walked, He doth not die for the iniquity of his father, He doth surely live.

^{18 Ref} His father -- because he used oppression, Did violently Plunder a brother, And that which `is' not good did in the midst of his people, And lo, he is dying in his iniquity.

^{19 Ref} And ye have said, Wherefore hath not the son, Borne of the iniquity of the father? And -- the son judgment and righteousness hath done, All My statutes he hath kept, And he doeth them, he surely liveth.

^{20 Ref} The soul that doth sin -- it doth die. A son doth not bear of the iniquity of the father, And a father doth not bear of the iniquity of the son, The righteousness of the righteous is on him, And the wickedness of the wicked is on him.

^{21 Ref} And the wicked -- when he turneth back From all his sins that he hath done, And he hath kept all My statutes, And hath done judgment and righteousness, He doth surely live, he doth not die.

^{22 Ref} All his transgressions that he hath done Are not remembered to him, In his righteousness that he hath done he liveth.

^{23 Ref} Do I at all desire the death of the wicked? An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Is it not in his turning back from his way -- And he hath lived?

^{24 Ref} And in the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, And he hath done perversity, According to all the abominations That the wicked hath done, he doth -- thus he liveth, All his righteousnesses that he hath done are not remembered, For his trespass that he hath trespassed, And for his sin that he hath sinned, For them he doth die.

^{25 Ref} And ye have said, Not pondered is the way of the Lord. Hear, I pray you, O house of Israel, My way -- is it not pondered? Are not your ways unpondered?

²⁶ In the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, And he hath done perversity, And he is dying by them, for his perversity That he hath done he dieth.

^{27 Ref} And in the turning back of the wicked From his wickedness that he hath done, And he doth judgment and righteousness, He his soul doth keep alive.

^{28 Ref} And he seeth and turneth back, From all his transgressions that he hath done, He doth surely live, he doth not die,

^{29 Ref} And the house of Israel have said, Not pondered is the way of the Lord, My ways -- are they not pondered? O house of Israel -- are not your ways unpondered?

^{30 Ref} Therefore, each according to his ways I judge you, O house of Israel? An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Turn ye back, yea, turn yourselves back, From all your transgressions, And iniquity is not to you for a stumbling-block,

^{31 Ref} Cast from off you all your transgressions, By which ye have transgressed, And make to you a new heart, and a new spirit, And why do ye die, O house of Israel?

^{32 Ref} For I have no pleasure in the death of the dying, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, And turn ye back and live!