KJ3 Literal Translation
Ezekiel 18
Jehovah reproves the unjust parable of sour grapes. He exhorts to repentance.
1And the Word of Jehovah was to me, saying,
2What is it to you that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the teeth of the sons are dull?
3As I live, there is not any longer occasion to you to use this proverb in Israel, a statement of the Lord Jehovah.
4Behold, they are all My souls. As the soul of the father, also the soul of the son; they are Mine. The soul that sins, it shall die.
5But a man that is a righteous one and does that which is just and right,
6who has not eaten on the mountains, and his eyes have not lifted up to the idols of the house of Israel, and has not defiled his neighbor's wife, and has not come near to a menstruating woman,
7and has not oppressed a man. he returns his pledge to the debtor and has not robbed by robbery; he has given his bread to the hungry, and he has covered the naked one with clothing.
8He has not given on interest, and he has not taken increase; he has turned his hand from injustice, having done true judgment between man and man.
9He has walked in My statutes and has kept My judgments to act truly; he is a righteous man, living he shall live, a statement of the Lord Jehovah.
10And if he fathers a son, a breaker, who spills blood and does to a brother any of these;
11and if he does not do any of these himself; yet even the son has eaten on the mountains, and has defiled his neighbor's wife;
12he has oppressed the poor and needy ones; plundering he plundered; he has not returned the pledge, and has lifted up his eyes to the idols; he has done abominations;
13he has given on interest and has taken increase; shall he also live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations; dying he shall die; his blood shall be on him.
14And, behold! If he fathers a son who sees all his father's sins which he has done, and sees, and does not do like them;
15he has not eaten on the mountains, and has not lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel; he has not defiled his neighbor's wife,
16and has not oppressed a man, has not withheld the pledge, and plundering he has not plundered; he has given his bread to the hungry, and he has covered the naked ones with clothing,
17has held back his hand off the poor, and has not received interest and increase. He has done My judgments, has walked in My statutes. He shall not die for the iniquity of his father, living he shall live.
18His father, because he did extortion, plundering his brother by plunder, and did not do the good thing among his people, behold, even he shall die in his iniquity.
19Yet you say, Why? Does not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son has done judgment and righteousness, he has kept all My statutes and has done them, living he shall live.
20The soul that sins, it shall die. A son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and a father shall not bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous one shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked one shall be on him.
21But the wicked one, if he will turn from all his sins which he has done, and keep all My statutes, and do justice and righteousness, living he shall live; he shall not die.
22All his transgressions that he has done, they shall not be recalled to him in his righteousness which he has done; he shall live.
23Delighting, do I delight in the death of the wicked one? a statement of the Lord Jehovah. Is it not that he should turn from his ways and live?
24But when the righteous one turns from his righteousness and does injustice, according to all the disgusting things that the wicked one has done, he does, shall he live? All his righteousness that he has done shall not be remembered in his acting unfaithfully that he has done in his unfaithful act, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them he shall die.
25Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not made even. Hear now, O house of Israel. Is My way not made even? Are your ways the ones not made even?
26When a righteous one turns back from his righteousness and does injustice and dies in them, he shall die for his injustice which he has done.
27And when the wicked one turns back from his wickedness that he has done and does justice and righteousness, he shall keep his soul alive.
28Because he sees and turns back from all his transgressions that he has done, living he shall live; he shall not die.
29But the house of Israel says, The way of the Lord is not made even. Are My ways not made even, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not made even?
30I will judge you, each man by his ways, O house of Israel, a statement of the Lord Jehovah. Turn and be made to turn back from all your transgressions, and iniquity shall not be a stumbling-block to you.
31Cast away all your transgressions from you by which you have transgressed in them, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit; for why will you die, O house of Israel?
32For I do not have delight in the death of him who dies, a statement of the Lord Jehovah: even turn and live.
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