1The word of the LORD came to me again, saying,
2"What do you mean by using this proverb about the land of Israel? You say, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.'"
3As I live, says the Lord GOD, you will no longer have reason to use this proverb in Israel.
4Look, all souls are mine. The soul of the father is mine, and so is the soul of the son. The soul that sins, that soul will die.
5But suppose a man is just, and does what is lawful and right.
6He has not eaten at the mountain shrines, and has not looked up to the idols of the house of Israel. He has not defiled his neighbour's wife, and has not come near a woman during her monthly bleeding.
7He has not oppressed anyone, but has given back to the debtor what he took as a pledge. He has robbed no one by violence. He has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with clothing.
8He has not lent money for interest, and has taken no profit from it. He has held his hand back from doing wrong, and has judged truly between one man and another.
9He has walked in my laws, and has kept my rules, and has acted faithfully. Such a man is just. He will surely live, says the Lord GOD.
10But suppose he has a son who is a robber and sheds blood, and who does any one of these things,
11though the father did none of them. The son eats at the mountain shrines, and defiles his neighbour's wife.
12He oppresses the poor and needy. He robs by violence. He does not give back the pledge. He looks up to the idols, and does what is detestable.
13He lends money for interest, and takes profit from it. Will he then live? He will not live. He has done all these detestable things. He will surely die, and his blood will be on his own head.
14Now look, suppose this man has a son who sees all his father's sins, and thinks about them, and does not do the same.
15He has not eaten at the mountain shrines, and has not looked up to the idols of the house of Israel. He has not defiled his neighbour's wife.
16He has not oppressed anyone, and has not kept back a pledge, and has not robbed by violence. He has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with clothing.
17He has held back his hand from hurting the poor, and has taken no interest or profit. He has kept my rules and walked in my laws. He will not die for the sin of his father. He will surely live.
18As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed others, and robbed his brother by violence, and did what is not good among his people, look, he will die for his own sin.
19Yet you say, 'Why does the son not bear the sin of the father?' When the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all my laws and done them, he will surely live.
20The soul that sins, that soul will die. The son will not bear the sin of the father, and the father will not bear the sin of the son. The righteousness of the righteous will be on himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be on himself.
21But if the wicked man turns from all the sins he has done, and keeps all my laws, and does what is lawful and right, he will surely live. He will not die.
22None of the wrongs he has done will be remembered against him. He will live because of the righteousness he has done.
23Do I take any pleasure at all in the death of the wicked? says the Lord GOD. Would I not rather that he turn from his ways and live?
24But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and does wrong, and does all the detestable things that the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteousness he has done will be remembered. Because of the wrong he has done and the sin he has sinned, he will die.
25Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not fair.' Listen now, house of Israel. Is my way not fair? Are your ways not unfair?
26When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and does wrong, he will die for it. He will die for the wrong he has done.
27Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has done, and does what is lawful and right, he will save his own soul alive.
28Because he thought about it, and turned away from all the wrongs he had done, he will surely live. He will not die.
29Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not fair.' House of Israel, are my ways not fair? Are your ways not unfair?
30So I will judge you, house of Israel, each one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn away from all your wrongs. Then sin will not be your ruin.
31Throw away from you all the wrongs you have done, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, house of Israel?
32"For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, says the Lord GOD. So turn, and live."