Ezekiel 18

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,	1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: What is the meaning?
2 'Why do you keep repeating this proverb in the land of Israel: The parents have eaten unripe grapes;and the children's teeth are set on edge?	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 -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- you wil have no further cause to repeat this proverb in Israel.	3 As I live, saith the Lord God, this parable shall be no more to you a proverb in Israel.
4 Look, al life belongs to me; the father's life and the son's life, both alike belong to me. The one whohas sinned is the one to die.	4 Behold all souls are mine: as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, the same shall die.
5 'But if a man is upright, his actions law-abiding and upright,	5 And if a man be just, and do judgment and justice,
6 and he does not eat on the mountains or raise his eyes to the foul idols of the House of Israel, doesnot defile his neighbour's wife or touch a woman during her periods,	6 And hath not eaten upon the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel: and hath not defiled his neighbour's wife, nor come near to a menstruous woman:
7 oppresses no one, returns the pledge on a debt, does not rob, gives his own food to the hungry, hisclothes to those who lack clothing,	7 And hath not wronged any man: but hath restored the pledge to the debtor, hath taken nothing away by violence: hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment:
8 does not lend for profit, does not charge interest, abstains from evil, gives honest judgement betweenone person and another,	8 Hath not lent upon usury, nor taken any increase: hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, and hath executed true judgment between man and man:
9 keeps my laws and sincerely respects my judgements -- someone like this is truly upright and will live-- declares the Lord Yahweh.	9 Hath walked in my commandments, and kept my judgments, to do truth: he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God.
10 'But if he has a son prone to violence and bloodshed, who commits one of these misdeeds-	10 And if he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that hath done some one of these things:
11 even though the father never has -- a son who dares to eat on the mountains, who defiles hisneighbour's wife,	11 Though he doth not all these things, but that eateth upon the mountains, and that defileth his neighbour's wife:
12 who oppresses the poor and needy, robs, fails to return pledges, raises his eyes to foul idols,engages in loathsome practices,	12 That grieveth the needy and the poor, that taketh away by violence, that restoreth not the pledge, and that lifteth up his eyes to idols, that committeth abomination:
13 lends for profit, or charges interest, such a person will by no means live; having committed al theseappal ing crimes he wil die, and his blood be on his own head.	13 That giveth upon usury, and that taketh an increase: shall such a one live? he shall not live. Seeing he hath done all these detestable things, he shall surely die, his blood shall be upon him.
14 'But if he in turn has a son who, in spite of seeing al the sins that his father has committed, does notimitate him,	14 But if he beget a son, who, seeing all his father's sine, which he hath done, is afraid, and shall not do the like to them :
15 does not eat on the mountains or raise his eyes to the foul idols of the House of Israel, does notdefile his neighbour's wife,	15 That hath not eaten upon the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and hath not defiled his neighbour's wife:
16 oppresses no one, takes no pledges, does not rob, gives his own food to the hungry, his clothes tothose who lack clothing,	16 And hath not grieved any man, nor withholden the pledge, nor taken away with violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and covered the naked with a garment:
17 abstains from evil, does not lend for profit or charge interest, respects my judgements and keeps mylaws, he will not die for his father's sins: he wil most certainly live.	17 That hath turned away his hand from injuring the poor, hath not taken usury and increase, but hath executed my judgments, and hath walked in my commandments: this man shall not die for the iniquity of his father, but living he shall live.
18 But his father, because he was violent, robbed others and never did good among his people, willmost certainly die in his guilt.	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 'Now, you say, "Why doesn't the son bear his father's guilt?" If the son has been law-abiding andupright, has kept al my laws and fol owed them, most certainly he wil live.	19 And you say: Why hath not the son borne the iniquity of his father? Verily, because the son hath wrought judgment and justice, hath kept all my commandments, and done them, living, he shall live.
20 The one who has sinned is the one who must die; a son is not to bear his father's guilt, nor a fatherhis son's guilt. The upright wil be credited with his uprightness, and the wicked with his wickedness.	20 The soul that sinneth, 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 'If the wicked, however, renounces al the sins he has committed, respects my laws and is law-abiding and upright, he wil most certainly live; he will not die.	21 But if the wicked do penance for all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all my commandments, and do judgment, and justice, living he shall live, and shall not die.
22 None of the crimes he committed wil be remembered against him from then on; he wil most certainlylive because of his upright actions.	22 I will not remember all his iniquities that he hath done: in his justice which he hath wrought, he shall live.
23 Would I take pleasure in the death of the wicked -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- and not prefer to seehim renounce his wickedness and live?	23 Is it my will that a sinner should die, saith the Lord God, and not that he should be converted from his ways, and live?
24 'But if the upright abandons uprightness and does wrong by copying all the loathsome practices ofthe wicked, is he to live? Al his upright actions will be forgotten from then on; for the infidelity of which he isguilty and the sin which he has committed, he wil most certainly die.	24 But if the just man turn himself away from his justice, and do iniquity according to all the abominations which the wicked man useth to work, shall he live? all his justices which he hath done, shall not be remembered: in the prevarication, by which he hath prevaricated, and in his sin, which he hath committed, in them he shall die.
25 'Now, you say, "What the Lord does is unjust." Now listen, House of Israel: is what I do unjust? Is itnot what you do that is unjust?	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 When the upright abandons uprightness and does wrong and dies, he dies because of the wrongwhich he himself has done.	26 For when the just turneth himself away from his justice, and committeth iniquity, he shall die therein: in the injustice that he hath wrought he shall die.
27 Similarly, when the wicked abandons wickedness to become law-abiding and upright, he saves hisown life.	27 And when the wicked turneth himself away from his wickedness, which he hath wrought, and doeth judgment, and justice: he shall save his soul alive.
28 Having chosen to renounce al his previous crimes, he wil most certainly live: he wil not die.	28 Because he considereth and turneth away himself from all his iniquities which he hath wrought, he shall surely live, and not die.
29 And yet the House of Israel says, "What the Lord does is unjust." Is what I do unjust, House of Israel?Is it not what you do that is unjust?	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 So in future, House of Israel, I shal judge each of you by what that person does -- declares the LordYahweh. Repent, renounce al your crimes, avoid al occasions for guilt.	30 Therefore will I judge every man according to his ways, O house of Israel, saith the Lord God. Be converted, and do penance for all your iniquities: and iniquity shall not be your ruin.
31 Shake off all the crimes you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit!Why die, House of Israel?	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 I take no pleasure in the death of anyone -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- so repent and live!'	32 For I desire not the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God, return ye and live.