Ezekiel 18

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

1The LORD spoke to me again. This is what 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 saying this old saying about the land of Israel? You say, 'The parents ate sour grapes, and the children's teeth hurt.'"

NoteSour grapes make your teeth feel rough and strange. The saying meant that children were being punished for what their parents did wrong.

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

3"As surely as I am alive, you will not say that saying in Israel anymore. This is what the Lord GOD says."

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.

4"Every person belongs to me. Parents belong to me, and children belong to me. The person who sins is the one who will die."

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

5"Now think about a man who is good. He does what is fair 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 go to the hills to eat food given to idols. Idols are statues that people prayed to instead of God. He does not sleep with someone else's wife. He does not sleep with a woman during her monthly bleeding.

Note"Eaten upon the mountains" means going to places on the hills where people held meals to honor idols.

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 is not cruel to anyone. When someone leaves something with him to hold for a loan, he gives it back. He does not steal or hurt people to take their things. He gives his bread to hungry people. He gives clothes to people who have none.

8He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,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 and make people pay back extra. He keeps his hands away from doing wrong. He is fair when he settles a fight between two people.

Note"Usury" and "increase" mean lending money and making the person pay back more than they borrowed.

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 obeys my rules and keeps my laws honestly. That man is good. He will surely live. This is what the Lord GOD says.

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

10"Now think about that good man's son. This son is violent. He kills people, or he 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,

11His father never did any of those things. But this son eats food given to idols on the hills. He sleeps with someone else'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 is cruel to poor people and to people in need. He steals. He keeps what someone left with him for a loan. He looks to idols. He 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 and makes people pay back extra. Will this son live? No, he will not. He did all these things God hates. He will surely die. He brought that on himself.

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,

14"Now think about that man's son. He sees all the sins his father did. He thinks hard about them. He does not do the same things."

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 food given to idols on the hills. He does not look to the idols of Israel. He does not sleep with someone else'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 is not cruel to anyone. He gives back what someone left with him for a loan. He does not steal. He gives his bread to hungry people. He gives clothes to people 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 does not hurt poor people. He does not make people pay back extra on a loan. He keeps my laws and obeys 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.

18But his father will die for his own sin. He treated people cruelly. He robbed his own brother. He did wrong things 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.

19"Yet you ask, 'Why doesn't the son pay for his father's sin?' The son did what was fair and right. He carefully obeyed 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 pay for his father's sin. A father will not pay for his son's sin. A good person's goodness belongs to him. A bad person's badness belongs to him.

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.

21"But a bad person may turn away from all the sins he did. He may obey all my rules and do what is fair and right. Then 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 wrong things he did will be counted against him. He will live because of the right things he now does.

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?

23"Am I happy when a bad person dies?" says the Lord GOD. "No. I would much rather he change 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.

24"But a good person may stop doing good and start doing wrong. He may do the same hateful things that bad people do. Will he live? No. The good he did before will not be counted for him. He will die because of the wrong he has done."

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?

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

NoteIn the old English of the King James Bible, "equal" here means fair. The people were saying that God was not being fair.

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.

26When a good person stops doing good and starts doing wrong, he will die. He will die because of the wrong he has done.

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 when a bad person turns away from the wrong he did, he changes. If he does what is fair 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.

28He thought about it. He turned away from all the wrong things he did. So 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?

29"Yet the people of Israel say, 'The Lord's way is not fair.' People of Israel, are my ways unfair? 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.

30"So I will judge each of you by what you have done," says the Lord GOD. "Turn back to me. Stop doing all these wrong things. Then your sin will 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?

31"Throw away all the wrong things you have done. Get 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.

32"I am not happy when anyone dies," says the Lord GOD. "So turn back to me and live."