Ezekiel 18

1The word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2"What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying,
'The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
and the children's teeth are set on edge'?

3As I live, declares the LORD GOD, you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel. 4Behold, every soul is mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine.
The soul who sins will die.

5If someone is righteous and does justice and righteousness, 6does not eat upon the mountains, nor lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
does not defile his neighbor's wife,
nor approach a woman during her impurity, 7does not oppress anyone, returns a pledge for a loan, does not commit robbery,
gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, 8does not lend at interest or take profit, withholds his hand from iniquity,
executes true justice between one person and another, 9walks in my statutes and keeps my rules, acting faithfully,
he is righteous; he shall surely live, declares the LORD GOD.

10If he fathers a violent son who sheds blood
and does any of these things (although he himself did none of these things), 11who even eats upon the mountains, defiles his neighbor's wife, 12oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not return the pledge,
and lifts his eyes to the idols, commits abomination, 13lends at interest and takes profit, then shall he live?
He shall not live; he has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood will be upon himself.

14But behold, if he fathers a son who sees all the sins his father has done,
he considers and does not do likewise, 15does not eat upon the mountains, nor lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
does not defile his neighbor's wife, 16does not oppress anyone, exacts no pledge, commits no robbery,
gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, 17withholds his hand from iniquity, does not take interest or profit,
keeps my rules and walks in my statutes,
he shall not die for his father's iniquity; he shall surely live.

18As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother,
and did what is not good among his people, behold, he shall die for his iniquity.

19Yet you say, 'Why should not the son bear the iniquity of the father?'
When the son has done what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. 20The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father,
nor shall the father bear the iniquity of the son.
The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself,
and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

21But if a wicked person turns from all his sins that he has committed
and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right,
he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him;
for his righteousness that he has practiced, he shall live. 23Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the LORD GOD,
and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?

24But when a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity,
acting like the abominations that the wicked do, will he live?
None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered.
For the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, he shall die.

25Yet you say, 'The way of the LORD is not right.'
Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?

26When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die for it;
for the iniquity that he has done shall cause him to die. 27Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed
and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. 28Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed,
he shall surely live; he shall not die.

29Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the LORD is not right.'
O house of Israel, are my ways not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?

30Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, everyone according to his ways, declares the LORD GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions,
lest iniquity be your ruin. 31Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed,
and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the LORD GOD;
so turn, and live."