Ezekiel 18

DOUAI-RHEIMS	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: What is the meaning?	1 Thus the word of the LORD came to me: Son of man,
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.	2 what is the meaning of this proverb that you recite in the land of Israel: "Fathers have eaten green grapes, thus their children's teeth are on edge"?
3 As I live, saith the Lord God, this parable shall be no more to you a proverb in Israel.	3 As I live, says the Lord GOD: I swear that there shall no longer be anyone among you who will repeat 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 sinneth, the same shall die.	4 For all lives are mine; the life of the father is like the life of the son, both are mine; only the one who sins shall die.
5 And if a man be just, and do judgment and justice,	5 If a man is virtuous--if he does what is right and just,
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:	6 if he does not eat on the mountains, nor raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel; if he does not defile his neighbor's wife, nor have relations with a woman in her menstrual period;
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:	7 if he oppresses no one, gives back the pledge received for a debt, commits no robbery; if he gives food to the hungry and clothes the naked;
8 Hath not lent upon usury, nor taken any increase: hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, and hath executed true judgment between man and man:	8 if he does not lend at interest nor exact usury; if he holds off from evildoing, judges fairly between a man and his opponent;
9 Hath walked in my commandments, and kept my judgments, to do truth: he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God.	9 if he lives by my statutes and is careful to observe my ordinances, that man is virtuous--he shall surely live, says the Lord GOD.
10 And if he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that hath done some one of these things:	10 But if he begets a son who is a thief, a murderer, or who does any of these things
11 Though he doth not all these things, but that eateth upon the mountains, and that defileth his neighbour's wife:	11 (though the father does none of them), a son who eats on the mountains, defiles the wife of his neighbor,
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:	12 oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not give back a pledge, raises his eyes to idols, does abominable things,
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.	13 lends at interest and exacts usury--this son certainly shall not live. Because he practiced all these abominations, he shall surely die; his death shall be his own fault.
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 :	14 On the other hand, if a man begets a son who, seeing all the sins his father commits, yet fears and does not imitate him;
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:	15 a son who does not eat on the mountains, or raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor's wife;
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:	16 who does not oppress anyone, or exact a pledge, or commit robbery; who gives his food to the hungry and clothes the naked;
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.	17 who holds off from evildoing, accepts no interest or usury, but keeps my ordinances and lives by my statutes--this one shall not die for the sins of his father, but shall surely 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.	18 Only the father, since he violated rights, and robbed, and did what was not good among his people, shall in truth die for his sins.
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.	19 You ask: "Why is not the son charged with the guilt of his father?" Because the son has done what is right and just, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live.
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.	20 Only the one who sins shall die. The son shall not be charged with the guilt of his father, nor shall the father be charged with the guilt of his son. The virtuous man's virtue shall be his own, as the wicked man's wickedness shall be his own.
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.	21 But if the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
22 I will not remember all his iniquities that he hath done: in his justice which he hath wrought, he shall live.	22 None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him; he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced.
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?	23 Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? says the Lord GOD. Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may 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 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.	24 And if the virtuous man turns from the path of virtue to do evil, the same kind of abominable things that the wicked man does, can he do this and still live? None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered, because he has broken faith and committed sin; because of this, 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?	25 You say, "The LORD'S way is not fair!" Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?
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.	26 When a virtuous man turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.
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.	27 But if a wicked man, turning from the wickedness he has committed, does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life;
28 Because he considereth and turneth away himself from all his iniquities which he hath wrought, he shall surely live, and not die.	28 since he has turned away from all the sins which he committed, he shall surely live, he shall 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?	29 And yet the house of Israel says, "The LORD'S way is not fair!" Is it my way that is not fair, house of Israel, or rather, is it not that your ways are not fair?
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.	30 Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, each one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD. Turn and be converted from all your crimes, that they may be no cause of guilt for you.
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?	31 Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, O house of Israel?
32 For I desire not the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God, return ye and live.	32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, says the Lord GOD. Return and live!