Ezekiel
Chapter
18
1
The word/'doctrinal communication' {dabar} of Jehovah/God
came
unto me again, saying, 2
"What
do you mean,
that
you use this proverb
concerning
the land of Israel, saying,
'The
fathers have eaten sour grapes,
and
the children's teeth are set on edge?' "
3
"As I live," said the Lord/'Adonay God/Jehovah,
"you
shall not have occasion any more
to
use this 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, it shall die. 5
But
if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right, 6
and
has not eaten upon the mountains,
neither
has lifted up his eyes
to
the idols of the house of Israel,
neither
has defiled his neighbor's wife,
neither
has come near to a menstruous woman, 7
and
has not oppressed any,
but
has restored to the debtor his pledge,
has
spoiled none by violence,
has
given his bread to the hungry,
and
has covered the naked with a garment . . . 8
he
who has not given forth upon usury,
neither
has taken any increase,
that
has withdrawn his hand from iniquity,
has
executed true judgment between man and man, 9
has
walked in My statutes,
and
has kept My judgments,
to
deal truly . . .
he
is just, he shall surely live,"
said
the Lord/'Adonay God/Jehovah.
10
"If he beget a son that is a robber,
a
shedder of blood,
and
who does the like to any one of these things, 11
and
who does not any of those duties,
but
even has eaten upon the mountains,
and
defiled his neighbor's wife . . . 12
has
oppressed the poor and needy,
has
spoiled by violence,
has
not restored the pledge,
and
has lifted up his eyes to the idols . . .
has
committed abomination . . . 13
has
given forth upon usury,
and
has taken increase . . .
shall
he then live?
He
shall not live.
He
has done all these abominations.
He
shall surely die.
His
blood shall be upon him."
14
"Now, lo, if he beget a son,
who
sees all his father's sins which he has done,
and
considers, and does not such like, 15
who
has not eaten upon the mountains,
neither
has lifted up his eyes
to
the idols of the house of Israel,
has
not defiled his neighbor's wife, 16
neither
has oppressed any,
has
not withholden the pledge,
neither
has spoiled by violence,
but
has given his bread to the hungry,
and
has covered the naked with a garment, 17
who
has taken off his hand from the poor,
who
has not received usury nor increase . . .
has
executed My judgments,
has
Walked in My statutes . . .
he
shall not die for the iniquity of his father . . .
he
shall surely live."
18
"As 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."
19
"Yet say you . . . Why?
Does
not the son bear the iniquity of the father?
When
the son has done that which is lawful and right,
and
has kept all my statutes,
and
has done them,
he
shall surely live. 20
The
soul that sins, 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. 21
But
if the wicked will turn from all his sins
that
he has committed,
and
keep all My statutes,
and
do that which is lawful and right . . .
he
shall surely live . . . he shall not die. 22
All
his transgressions that he has committed,
they
shall not be mentioned unto him . . .
in
his righteousness that he has done . . . he shall live. 23
Have
I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?"
said
the Lord/'Adonay God/Jehovah,
"and
not that he should return from his Ways, and live? 24
But
when the righteous turns away from his righteousness,
and
commits iniquity,
and
does according to all the abominations
that
the wicked man does, shall he live?
All
his righteousness that he has done
shall
not be mentioned.
In
his trespass that he has trespassed,
and
in his sin that he has sinned . . .
in
them shall he die. 25
Yet
you say, The way of the Lord/'Adonay is not equal.
Hear
now, O house of Israel . . .
Is
not My way equal?
Are
not your Ways unequal? 26
When
a righteous man turns away from his righteousness,
and
commits iniquity,
and
dies in them . . .
for
his iniquity that he has done . . . shall he die. 27
Again,
when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness
that
he has committed,
and
does that which is lawful and right . . .
he
shall save his soul alive . . . 28
because
he considered,
and
turned away from all his transgressions
that
he has committed,
he
shall surely live . . . he shall not die. 29
Yet
said the house of Israel,
'The
Way of the Lord/'Adonay is not equal.'
O
house of Israel, are not My Ways equal?
Are
not your ways unequal?"
30
"Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel,
every
one according to his Ways,"
said
the Lord/'Adonay God/Jehovah.
"Repent,
and turn yourselves from all your transgressions
so
iniquity shall not be your ruin. 31
Cast
away from you all your transgressions,
whereby
you have transgressed
and
make you a new heart and a new spirit . . .
for
why will you die, O house of Israel? 32
For
I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies,"
said
the Lord/'Adonay God/Jehovah,
"therefore,
turn yourselves, and live you."
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