Ezechiel 18

1And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: What is the meaning?

2That you use among you this parable as a proverb in the land of Israel, saying: The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.

3As I live, saith the Lord God, this parable shall be no more to you a proverb in Israel.

4Behold all souls are mine: as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, the same shall die.

5And if a man be just, and do judgment and justice,

6And hath not eaten upon the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel: and hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife, nor come near to a menstruous woman:

7And hath not wronged any man: but hath restored the pledge to the debtor, hath taken nothing away by violence: hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment:

8Hath not lent upon usury, nor taken any increase: hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, and hath executed true judgment between man and man:

9Hath walked in my commandments, and kept my judgments, to do truth: he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God.

10And if he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that hath done some one of these things:

11Though he doth not all these things, but that eateth upon the mountains, and that defileth his neighbour’s wife:

12That grieveth the needy and the poor, that taketh away by violence, that restoreth not the pledge, and that lifteth up his eyes to idols, that committeth abomination:

13That giveth upon usury, and that taketh an increase: shall such a one live? he shall not live. Seeing he hath done all these detestable things, he shall surely die, his blood shall be upon him.

14But if he beget a son, who, seeing all his father’s sins, which he hath done, is afraid, and shall not do the like to them:

15That hath not eaten upon the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife:

16And hath not grieved any man, nor withholden the pledge, nor taken away with violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and covered the naked with a garment:

17That hath turned away his hand from injuring the poor, hath not taken usury and increase, but hath executed my judgments, and hath walked in my commandments: this man shall not die for the iniquity of his father, but living he shall live.

18As for his father, because he oppressed and offered violence to his brother, and wrought evil in the midst of his people, behold he is dead in his own iniquity.

19And you say: Why hath not the son borne the iniquity of his father? Verily, because the son hath wrought judgment and justice, hath kept all my commandments, and done them, living, he shall live.

20The soul that sinneth, the same shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father shall not bear the iniquity of the son: the justice of the just shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

21But if the wicked do penance for all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all my commandments, and do judgment, and justice, living he shall live, and shall not die.

22I will not remember all his iniquities that he hath done: in his justice which he hath wrought, he shall live.

23Is it my will that a sinner should die, saith the Lord God, and not that he should be converted from his ways, and live?

24But if the just man turn himself away from his justice, and do iniquity according to all the abominations which the wicked man useth to work, shall he live? all his justices which he hath done, shall not be remembered: in the prevarication, by which he hath prevaricated, and in his sin, which he hath committed, in them he shall die.

25And you have said: The way of the Lord is not right. Hear ye, therefore, O house of Israel: Is it my way that is not right, and are not rather your ways perverse?

26For when the just turneth himself away from his justice, and committeth iniquity, he shall die therein: in the injustice that he hath wrought he shall die.

27And when the wicked turneth himself away from his wickedness, which he hath wrought, and doeth judgment, and justice: he shall save his soul alive.

28Because he considereth and turneth away himself from all his iniquities which he hath wrought, he shall surely live, and not die.

29And the children of Israel say: The way of the Lord is not right. Are not my ways right, O house of Israel, and are not rather your ways perverse?

30Therefore will I judge every man according to his ways, O house of Israel, saith the Lord God. Be converted, and do penance for all your iniquities: and iniquity shall not be your ruin.

31Cast away from you all your transgressions, by which you have transgressed, and make to yourselves a new heart, and a new spirit: and why will you die, O house of Israel?

32For I desire not the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God, return ye and live.

1Et factus est sermo Domini ad me, dicens:

2Quid est quod inter vos parabolam vertitis in proverbium istud in terra Israël, dicentes: Patres comederunt uvam acerbam, et dentes filiorum obstupescunt?

3Vivo ego, dicit Dominus Deus, si erit ultra vobis parabola hæc in proverbium in Israël.

4Ecce omnes animæ meæ sunt: ut anima patris, ita et anima filii mea est: anima quæ peccaverit, ipsa morietur.

5Et vir si fuerit justus, et fecerit judicium et justitiam,

6in montibus non comederit, et oculos suos non levaverit ad idola domus Israël: et uxorem proximi sui non violaverit, et ad mulierem menstruatam non accesserit:

7et hominem non contristaverit, pignus debitori reddiderit, per vim nihil rapuerit: panem suum esurienti dederit, et nudum operuerit vestimento:

8ad usuram non commodaverit, et amplius non acceperit: ab iniquitate averterit manum suam, et judicium verum fecerit inter virum et virum:

9in præceptis meis ambulaverit, et judicia mea custodierit, ut faciat veritatem: hic justus est; vita vivet, ait Dominus Deus.

10Quod si genuerit filium latronem, effundentem sanguinem, et fecerit unum de istis:

11et hæc quidem omnia non facientem, sed in montibus comedentem, et uxorem proximi sui polluentem:

12egenum et pauperem contristantem, rapientem rapinas, pignus non reddentem, et ad idola levantem oculos suos, abominationem facientem:

13ad usuram dantem, et amplius accipientem: numquid vivet? Non vivet: cum universa hæc detestanda fecerit, morte morietur; sanguis ejus in ipso erit.

14Quod si genuerit filium, qui videns omnia peccata patris sui quæ fecit, timuerit, et non fecerit simile eis:

15super montes non comederit, et oculos suos non levaverit ad idola domus Israël, et uxorem proximi sui non violaverit:

16et virum non contristaverit, pignus non retinuerit, et rapinam non rapuerit: panem suum esurienti dederit, et nudum operuerit vestimento:

17a pauperis injuria averterit manum suam, usuram et superabundantiam non acceperit, judicia mea fecerit, in præceptis meis ambulaverit: hic non morietur in iniquitate patris sui, sed vita vivet.

18Pater ejus, quia calumniatus est, et vim fecit fratri, et malum operatus est in medio populi sui, ecce mortuus est in iniquitate sua.

19Et dicitis: Quare non portavit filius iniquitatem patris? Videlicet quia filius judicium et justitiam operatus est, omnia præcepta mea custodivit, et fecit illa, vivet vita.

20Anima quæ peccaverit, ipsa morietur: filius non portabit iniquitatem patris, et pater non portabit iniquitatem filii: justitia justi super eum erit, et impietas impii erit super eum.

21Si autem impius egerit pœnitentiam ab omnibus peccatis suis quæ operatus est, et custodierit omnia præcepta mea, et fecerit judicium et justitiam, vita vivet, et non morietur.

22Omnium iniquitatum ejus quas operatus est, non recordabor: in justitia sua quam operatus est, vivet.

23Numquid voluntatis meæ est mors impii, dicit Dominus Deus, et non ut convertatur a viis suis, et vivat?

24Si autem averterit se justus a justitia sua, et fecerit iniquitatem secundum omnes abominationes quas operari solet impius, numquid vivet? Omnes justitiæ ejus quas fecerat, non recordabuntur: in prævaricatione qua prævaricatus est, et in peccato suo quod peccavit, in ipsis morietur.

25Et dixistis: Non est æqua via Domini ! Audite ergo, domus Israël: numquid via mea non est æqua, et non magis viæ vestræ pravæ sunt?

26Cum enim averterit se justus a justitia sua, et fecerit iniquitatem, morietur in eis: in injustitia quam operatus est morietur.

27Et cum averterit se impius ab impietate sua quam operatus est, et fecerit judicium et justitiam, ipse animam suam vivificabit:

28considerans enim, et avertens se ab omnibus iniquitatibus suis quas operatus est, vita vivet, et non morietur.

29Et dicunt filii Israël: Non est æqua via Domini ! Numquid viæ meæ non sunt æquæ, domus Israël, et non magis viæ vestræ pravæ?

30Idcirco unumquemque juxta vias suas judicabo, domus Israël, ait Dominus Deus. Convertimini, et agite pœnitentiam ab omnibus iniquitatibus vestris, et non erit vobis in ruinam iniquitas.

31Projicite a vobis omnes prævaricationes vestras in quibus prævaricati estis, et facite vobis cor novum, et spiritum novum: et quare moriemini, domus Israël?

32Quia nolo mortem morientis, dicit Dominus Deus: revertimini, et vivite.

1And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

2“Why is it that you circulate among yourselves this parable, as a proverb in the land of Israel, saying: ‘The fathers ate a bitter grape, and the teeth of the sons have been affected.’

3As I live, says the Lord God, this parable shall no longer be a proverb for you in Israel.

4Behold, all souls are mine. Just as the soul of the father is mine, so also is the soul of the son. The soul that sins, the same shall die.

5And if a man is just, and he accomplishes judgment and justice,

6and if he does not eat upon the mountains, nor lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and if he has not violated the wife of his neighbor, nor approached a menstruating woman,

7and if he has not grieved any man, but has restored the collateral to the debtor, if he has seized nothing by violence, has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment,

8if he has not lent upon usury, nor taken any increase, if he has averted his hand from iniquity, and has executed true judgment between man and man,

9if he has walked in my precepts and kept my judgments, so that he acts in accord with truth, then he is just; he shall certainly live, says the Lord God.

10But if he raises a son who is a robber, who sheds blood, and who does any of these things,

11(even though he himself does not do any of these things,) and who eats upon the mountains, and who defiles the wife of his neighbor,

12who grieves the needy and the poor, who seizes with violence, who does not restore the collateral, and who lifts up his eyes to idols, committing abomination,

13who lends upon usury, and who takes an increase, then shall he live? He shall not live. Since he has done all these detestable things, he shall certainly die. His blood shall be upon him.

14But if he raises a son, who, seeing all his father’s sins that he has done, is afraid and so does not act in a way similar to him,

15who does not eat upon the mountains, nor lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and who does not violate the wife of his neighbor,

16and who has not grieved any man, nor withheld the collateral, nor seized by violence, but instead has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment,

17who has averted his hand from injuring the poor, who has not taken usury and an overabundance, who has acted according to my judgments and walked in my precepts, then this one shall not die for the iniquity of his father; instead, he shall certainly live.

18As for his father, because he oppressed and did violence to his brother, and worked evil in the midst of his people, behold, he has died by his own iniquity.

19And you say, ‘Why has not the son borne the iniquity of the father?’ Clearly, since the son has worked judgment and justice, has observed all my precepts, and has done them, he shall certainly live.

20The soul that sins, the same shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father shall not bear the iniquity of the son. The justice of the just man shall be upon himself, but the impiety of the impious man shall be upon himself.

21But if the impious man does penance for all his sins which he has committed, and if he keeps all my precepts, and accomplishes judgment and justice, then he shall certainly live, and he shall not die.

22I will not remember all his iniquities, which he has worked; by his justice, which he has worked, he shall live.

23How could it be my will that an impious man should die, says the Lord God, and not that he should be converted from his ways and live?

24But if a just man turns himself away from his justice, and does iniquity in accord with all the abominations that the impious man so often does, why should he live? All his justices, which he has accomplished, shall not be remembered. By the transgression, in which he has transgressed, and by his sin, in which he has sinned, by these he shall die.

25And you have said, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Therefore, listen, O house of Israel. How could it be that my way is not fair? And is it not instead your ways that are perverse?

26For when the just man turns himself away from his justice, and commits iniquity, he shall die by this; by the injustice that he has worked, he shall die.

27And when the impious man turns himself away from his impiety, which he has done, and accomplishes judgment and justice, he shall cause his own soul to live.

28For by considering and turning himself away from all his iniquities, which he has worked, he shall certainly live, and he shall not die.

29And yet the sons of Israel say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ How could it be that my ways are not fair, O house of Israel? And is it not instead your ways that are perverse?

30Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge each one according to his ways, says the Lord God. Be converted, and do penance for all your iniquities, and then iniquity will not be your ruin.

31Cast all your transgressions, by which you have transgressed, away from you, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. And then why should you die, O house of Israel?

32For I do not desire the death of one who dies, says the Lord God. So return and live.”