Ezekiel

The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,

1The word of the LORD came to me again. He said:

2What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?

2"Why do you keep repeating this saying about the land of Israel: 'The fathers ate sour grapes, and the children's teeth hurt'?

3As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.

3As surely as I live, says the Lord GOD, you will not use that saying in Israel anymore.

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

4Look, every life belongs to me. The father's life is mine, and the son's life is mine. The person who sins is the one who will die.

5But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,

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

6And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour’s wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,

6He does not eat meals at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not sleep with his neighbor's wife or with a woman during her monthly period.

Note"Eaten upon the mountains" means sharing a meal at a hilltop shrine, part of worshiping idols there.

7And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;

7He does not push people around. He gives back what a borrower left with him. He does not rob anyone. He feeds the hungry and gives clothes to those who have none.

NoteA "pledge" was something a borrower handed over, like a coat, to promise he would pay a loan back. It was supposed to be returned.

8He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,

8He does not lend money to make a profit off people or charge extra on top. He keeps his hand back from doing wrong and judges fairly between one person and another.

Note"Usury" and "increase" mean lending money and charging interest on it, which the law forbade among fellow Israelites.

9Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD.

9He follows my rules and carefully keeps my laws, dealing honestly. That man is good. He will surely live, says the Lord GOD.

10If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things,

10Now suppose that man has a son who is violent, who kills, or who does any of these wrong things,

11And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour’s wife,

11even though his father did none of them. The son eats at the mountain shrines and sleeps with his neighbor's wife.

12Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,

12He pushes down the poor and needy. He robs people. He keeps what a borrower left with him. He looks to idols and does things God hates.

13Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.

13He lends money to make a profit off people and charges extra on top. Should he live? No, he should not. He has done all these hateful things, so he will surely die. His death is his own fault.

14Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father’s sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like,

14Now suppose this son has a son of his own. He sees all the sins his father did, thinks hard about them, and does not copy him.

15That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife,

15He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not sleep with his neighbor's wife.

16Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment,

16He does not push people around or hold on to what a borrower left with him, and he does not rob anyone. He feeds the hungry and gives clothes to those who have none.

17That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.

17He keeps his hand back from hurting the poor. He takes no profit and charges no extra on loans. He keeps my laws and follows my rules. He will not die for his father's sin. He will surely live.

18As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.

18As for his father, he will die for his own sin, because he cheated people, robbed his own brother, and did wrong among his people.

19Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.

19But you ask, "Why shouldn't the son be punished for what his father did?" Because the son did what is just and right, and carefully kept all my rules. So he will surely live.

20The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

20The person who sins is the one who will die. A son will not be punished for his father's sin, and a father will not be punished for his son's sin. The good person's goodness is his own, and the wicked person's wickedness is his own.

21But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

21But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins he has done, and keeps all my rules, and does what is just and right, he will surely live. He will not die.

22All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

22None of the wrongs he did will be held against him. He will live because of the right things he has done.

23Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

23Do I enjoy seeing a wicked person die? says the Lord GOD. Wouldn't I much rather he turn from his ways and live?

24But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

24But if a good person stops doing right and starts doing wrong, doing the same hateful things wicked people do, will he live? None of the good he did will be remembered. He will die because he broke faith and sinned.

25Yet ye say, The way of the LORD is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?

25Yet you say, "The Lord's way is not fair." Listen, people of Israel. Is my way the unfair one? Isn't it your ways that are unfair?

Note"Equal" in 1611 English meant fair or even-handed, not the same in amount. The people are saying God's way is unjust.

26When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.

26If a good person stops doing right and starts doing wrong, he will die for it. He will die because of the wrong he did.

27Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.

27And if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has done and does what is just and right, he will save his own life.

28Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

28Because he thought it over and turned away from all the wrongs he had done, he will surely live. He will not die.

29Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the LORD is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?

29Yet the people of Israel say, "The Lord's way is not fair." Are my ways unfair, people of Israel? Isn't it your ways that are unfair?

30Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

30So I will judge each of you by your own ways, people of Israel, says the Lord GOD. Turn back. Turn away from all your wrongs, so they do not destroy you.

31Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

31Throw away all the wrongs you have done. Make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, people of Israel?

32For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

32I take no pleasure in anyone's death, says the Lord GOD. So turn back, and live!