Ezekiel 18

1The word of Yahweh came to me:

2“What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: ‘The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?

3As surely as I live, declares Lord Yahweh, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel.

4Look, every soul belongs to me. The soul of the father as well as the soul of the son belongs to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die.

5Suppose a man is righteous and does what is just and right.

6He does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her period.

7He does not oppress anyone, but returns what the debtor gave him in pledge. He does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing.

8He does not lend at interest or take profit. He keeps his hand from wrongdoing and judges fairly between one person and another.

9He walks in my statutes and keeps my ordinances, acting faithfully. That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares Lord Yahweh.

10But suppose he has a son who is violent, who sheds blood and does any of these things,

11though he himself did none of them. The son eats at the mountain shrines and defiles his neighbor’s wife.

12He oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, and does not return a pledge. He lifts his eyes to the idols and does abominable things.

13He lends at interest and takes profit. Will such a man live? He will not live! Because he has done all these abominations, he will surely be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.

14But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father has committed, and he considers them and does not do likewise.

15He does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife.

16He does not oppress anyone or demand a pledge, and he does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing.

17He keeps his hand from harming the poor and does not take interest or profit. He keeps my ordinances and walks in my statutes. He will not die for his father’s iniquity; he will surely live.

18As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what was not good among his people, he will die for his iniquity.

19Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not bear the penalty for the father’s iniquity?’ When the son has done what is just and right, and has kept all my statutes and obeyed them, he will surely live.

20The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the penalty for the father’s iniquity, and a father will not bear the penalty for the son’s iniquity. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.

21But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed, keeps all my statutes, and does what is just and right, they will surely live; they will not die.

22None of the transgressions they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteousness they have done, they will live.

23Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares Lord Yahweh? Would I not rather that they turn from their ways and live?

24But if a righteous person turns away from their righteousness and does wrong, doing all the same abominations that the wicked do, will they live? None of the righteous deeds they have done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they have committed and the sin they have committed, they will die.

25Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Listen, house of Israel: Is my way not fair? Is it not your ways that are not fair?

26When a righteous person turns away from their righteousness and does wrong, they will die for it. Because of the wrong they have done, they will die.

27And when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life.

28Because they considered and turned away from all the transgressions they had committed, they will surely live; they will not die.

29Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Are my ways not fair, house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not fair?

30Therefore I will judge each of you according to your ways, house of Israel, declares Lord Yahweh. Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your downfall.

31Throw away all the transgressions you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel?

32For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, declares Lord Yahweh. So repent and live!”