The
Soul Who Sins Will Die
The
Word of the Lord 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 teeth are set on edge'?
3
'AS SURELY AS I LIVE DECLARES THE SOVEREIGN LORD,
You
will no longer quote this Proverb in Israel.
4
FOR EVERY LIVING SOUL BELONGS TO ME,
The
father as well as the son--
Both
alike belong to Me.
THE
SOUL WHO SINS IS THE ONE WHO WILL DIE.
5
'Suppose there is a righteous man
Who
does what is Just and Right.
6
He does not eat at the mountain Shrines
Or
lie with a woman during her period.
7
He does not Oppress anyone,
But
returns what he took on Pledge for a Loan.
He
does not commit Robbery
But
gives his food to the Hungry
And
Provides clothing for the Naked.
8
He does not lend at Usury or take excessive interest.
He
withholds his hand from doing Wrong
And
Judges Fairly between man and man.
9
He follows My Decrees and Faithfully keeps My Laws.
THAT
MAN IS RIGHTEOUS; HE WILL SURELY LIVE
DECLARES
THE SOVEREIGN LORD.
10
'Suppose he has a Violent son,
Who
sheds blood or does any of these other things
11
(though the father has done none of them):
'He
eats at the Mountain Shrines.
He
Defiles his neighbor's wife.
12
He Oppresses the poor and needy.
He
commits Robbery.
He
does not return what he took in Pledge.
He
looks to the Idols.
He
does Detestable things.
13
He lends at Usury and takes excessive interest.
WILL
SUCH A MAN LIVE? HE WILL NOT!
Because
he has done all these Detestable things,
He
will surely be put to death
And
his blood will be on his own head.
14
'But suppose this son has a son
Who
sees all the Sins his father commits,
And
though he sees them, he does not do such things:
15
'He does not eat at the Mountain Shrines
Or
look to the Idols of the House of Israel.
He
does not Defile his neighbor's wife.
16
He does not Oppress anyone
Or
require a Pledge for a loan.
He
does not commit Robbery
But
gives his food to the Hungry
And
Provides clothing for the Naked.
17
He withholds his and from Sin
And
takes no Usury or excessive interest.
He
keep My Laws and follows My Decrees.
HE
WILL SURELY NOT DIE FOR HIS FATHER'S SIN;
HE
WILL SURELY LIVE.
18
But his father will Die for his own Sin,
Because
he Practiced Extortion, robbed his brother
And
did what was Wrong among his people.
19
'Yet you ask, '
Why
does the son not share the Guilt of his father?'
Since
the son has done what is Just and Right
and
has been careful to keep all My Decrees,
HE
WILL SURELY LIVE.
20
THE SOUL WHO SINS IS THE ONE WHO WILL DIE.
The
son will not share the guilt of the father,
Nor
will the father share the Guilt of the son.
The
Righteousness of the Righteous man
Will
be Credited to him,
And
the Wickedness of the Wicked
Will
be Charged against him.
21
'But if the Wicked man
Turns
away from all the Sins he has committed
And
keeps all My Decrees and does what is Just and Right,
HE
WILL SURELY LIVE; HE WILL NOT DIE.
22
None of the Offenses he has Committed
Will
be remembered against him.
Because
of the Righteous things he has done,
HE
WILL LIVE.
23
DO I TAKE ANY PLEASURE IN THE DEATH OF THE WICKED?
DECLARES
THE SOVEREIGN LORD.
Rather,
am I not Pleased
When
they turn from their ways and LIVE?
24
'But if a Righteous man turns from his Righteousness
And
commits Sin
And
does the same Detestable things the Wicked man does,
WILL
HE LIVE?
NONE
OF THE RIGHTEOUS THINGS HE HAS DONE
WILL
BE REMEMBERED.
Because
of the Unfaithfulness he is Guilty of
And
because of the Sins he has Committed,
HE
WILL DIE.
25
'Yet you say,
'THE
WAY OF THE LORD IS NOT JUST.'
Hear,
O House of Israel: IS MY WAY UNJUST?
26
If a Righteous man turns from his Righteousness
And
Commits Sin, HE WILL DIE FOR IT;
Because
of the Sin he has Committed HE WILL DIE.
27
But if a Wicked man turns away
From
the Wickedness he has Committed
And
does what is Just and Right,
HE
WILL SAVE HIS LIFE.
26
Because he considered all the Offenses he has Committed
And
turns away from them,
HE
WILL SURELY LIVE; HE WILL NOT DIE.
29
Yet the House of Israel says,
'THE
WAY OF THE LORD IS NOT JUST.'
ARE
MY WAYS UNJUST, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL?
IS
IT NOT YOUR WAYS THAT ARE UNJUST?
30
'Therefore, O House of Israel,
I
WILL JUDGE YOU, EACH ONE ACCORDING TO HIS WAYS,
DECLARES
THE SOVEREIGN LORD.
REPENT!
TURN AWAY FROM ALL YOUR OFFENSES;
THEN
SIN WILL NOT BE YOUR DOWNFALL.
31
RID YOURSELVES OF ALL THE OFFENSES YOU HAVE COMMITTED,
AND
GET A NEW HEART AND A NEW SPIRIT.
WHY
WILL YOU DIE, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL?
FOR
I TAKE NO PLEASURE IN THE DEATH OF ANYONE,
DECLARES
THE SOVEREIGN LORD.
REPENT
AND LIVE!
(Ezekiel
18)
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