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Chapter 18
1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: What is the meaning?
2 That you use among you this parable as a proverb in the land of Israel, saying: The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.
3 As I live, said the Lord God, this parable shall be no more to you a proverb in Israel.
4 Behold all souls are mine: as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins, the same shall die.
5 And if a man be just, and do judgment and justice,
6 And has not eaten upon the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel: and has not defiled his neighbour's wife, nor come near to a menstruous woman:
7 And has not wronged any man: but has restored the pledge to the debtor, has taken nothing away by violence: has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment:
8 has not lent upon usury, nor taken any increase: has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, and has executed true judgment between man and man:
9 has walked in my commandments, and kept my judgments, to do truth: he is just, he shall surely live, said the Lord God.
10 And if he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that has done some one of these things:
11 Though he does not all these things, but that eats upon the mountains, and that defiles his neighbour's wife:
12 That grieves the needy and the poor, that takes away by violence, that restores not the pledge, and that lifts up his eyes to idols, that commits abomination:
13 That gives upon usury, and that takes an increase: shall such a one live? he shall not live. Seeing he has done all these detestable things, he shall surely die, his blood shall be upon him.
14 But if he beget a son, who, seeing all his father's sine, which he has done, is afraid, and shall not do the like to them:
15 That has not eaten upon the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and has not defiled his neighbour's wife:
16 And has not grieved any man, nor withholden the pledge, nor taken away with violence, but has given his bread to the hungry, and covered the naked with a garment:
17 That has turned away his hand from injuring the poor, has not taken usury and increase, but has executed my judgments, and has walked in my commandments: this man shall not die for the iniquity of his father, but living he shall live.
18 As for his father, because he oppressed and offered violence to his brother, and wrought evil in the midst of his people, behold he is dead in his own iniquity.
19 And you say: Why has not the son borne the iniquity of his father? Verily, because the son has wrought judgment and justice, has kept all my commandments, and done them, living, he shall live.
20 The soul that sins, the same shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father shall not bear the iniquity of the son: the justice of the just shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
21 But if the wicked do penance for all his sins which he has committed, and keep all my commandments, and do judgment, and justice, living he shall live, and shall not die.
22 I will not remember all his iniquities that he has done: in his justice which he has wrought, he shall live.
23 Is it my will that a sinner should die, said the Lord God, and not that he should be converted from his ways, and live?
24 But if the just man turn himself away from his justice, and do iniquity according to all the abominations which the wicked man uses to work, shall he live? all his justices which he has done, shall not be remembered: in the prevarication, by which he has prevaricated, and in his sin, which he has committed, in them he shall die.
25 And you have said: The way of the Lord is not right. Hear ye, therefore, O house of Israel: Is it my way that is not right, and are not rather your ways perverse?
26 For when the just turns himself away from his justice, and commits iniquity, he shall die therein: in the injustice that he has wrought he shall die.
27 And when the wicked turns himself away from his wickedness, which he has wrought, and does judgment, and justice: he shall save his soul alive.
28 Because he considers and turns away himself from all his iniquities which he has wrought, he shall surely live, and not die.
29 And the children of Israel say: The way of the Lord is not right. Are not my ways right, O house of Israel, and are not rather your ways perverse?
30 Therefore will I judge every man according to his ways, O house of Israel, said the Lord God. Be converted, and do penance for all your iniquities: and iniquity shall not be your ruin.
31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, by which you have transgressed, and make to yourselves a new heart, and a new spirit: and why will you die, O house of Israel?
32 For I desire not the death of him that dies, said the Lord God, return ye and live.