The Soul Who Sins Will Die

1The worde of the LORDE came vnto me, on this maner:

2what meane ye by this comon prouerbe, that ye vse in the londe of Israel, sayenge: The fathers haue eaten soure grapes, and the childres teth are set on edge?

3As truly as I lyue, saieth ye LORDE God, ye shal vse this byworde nomore in Israel. 4Beholde, all soules are myne. Like as the father is myne, so is ye sonne myne also. The soule that synneth, shal dye.

5Yf a man be godly, and do the thinge that is equall & right, 6(he eateth not vpon the hilles: he lifteth not his eyes vp to the Idols of Israel: he defyleth not his neghbours wife: he medleth wt no menstruous woman: 7he greueth no body: he geueth his detter his pledge agayne: he taketh none other mans good by violece: he parteth his mete with the hongrie: he clotheth the naked: 8he lendeth nothinge vpon vsury: he taketh nothinge ouer: he withdraweth his honde from doinge wronge: he hadleth faithfully betwixte man & man: 9he walbeth in my commaundementes, & kepeth my lawes, & perfourmeth the faithfully:) This is a rightuous ma, he shal surely lyue, saieth the LORDE God.

10Yf he now get a sonne, that is a murthurer, a shedder of bloude: yf he do one of these thinges 11(though he do not all) he eateth vpon the hilles: he defyleth his neghbours wife: 12he greueth the poore and nedy: he robbeth and spoyleth: he geueth not the detter his pledge agayne: he lifteth vp his eyes vnto Idols, & medleth with abhominable thinges: 13he lendeth vpon vsury, and taketh more ouer. Shal this man lyue? He shal not lyne. Seinge he hath done all these abhominacions, he shall dye: his bloude shalbe vpon him.

14Now yf this man get a sonne also, that seith all this fathers synnes, which he hath done: and feareth, nether doth soch like: 15Namely, he eateth not vpon the mountaynes: he lifteth not his eyes vp to the Idols of Israel: he defyleth not his neghbours wife: 16he vexeth no man: he kepeth no mans pledge: he nether spoyleth, ner robbeth eny man: he dealeth his meate with the hungrie: he clotheth the naked: 17he oppresseth not the poore: he receaueth no vsury, ner eny thinge ouer: he kepeth my lawes, and walketh in my commaundementes: This man shal not dye in his fathers synne, but shall lyue without fayle. 18As for his father: because he oppressed and spoyled his brother, and dyd wyckedly amonge his people: lo, he is deed in his owne synne.

19And yet saye ye: Wherfore the shulde not this sonne beare his fathers synne? Therfore: because the sonne hath done equyte and right, hath kepte all my commaundementes, and done them: therfore, shall he lyue in dede. 20The same soule yt synneth, shall dye. The sonne shal not beare the fathers offence, nenether shal the father beare the sonnes offence. The rightuousnes of the rightuous shall be vpon himself, and the wickednes of the wicked shal be vpon him self also.

21But yf ye vngodly will turne awaye, from all his synnes that he hath done, and kepe all my commaundemetes, and do the thinge ye is equall & right: doutles he shal lyue, and not dye. 22As for all his synnes that he dyd before, they shall not be thought vpon: but in his rightuousnes that he hath done, he shall lyue. 23For haue I eny pleasure in the death of a synner, saieth the LORDE God? but rather that he conuerte, and lyue?

24Agayne: yf the rightuous turne awaye from his rightuousnes, and do iniquyte, acordinge to all the abhominacions, that ye wicked ma doth: shal he lyue? All the rightuousnes that he hath done, shall not be thought vpo: but in the fawte that he hath offended withall, and in the synne that he hath done, he shal dye. 25And yet ye saye: Tush, the waye of ye LORDE is not indifferet. Heare therfore ye house of Israel: Is not my waye right? Or, are not youre wayes rather wicked? 26When a rightuous ma turneth awaye from his rightuousnesse, and medleth with vngodlynes: he must dye therin: Yee for the vnrightuousnes that he hath done, must he dye. 27Agayne: when the wicked man turneth awaye from his wickednesse, that he hath done, and doth the thinge which is equall and right: he shal saue his soule alyue. 28For in so moch as he remembreth himself, and turneth him from all the vngodlynes, that he hath vsed, he shall lyue, and not dye. 29And yet saieth the house of Israel: Tush, the waye of the LORDE is not equall. Are my wayes vnright, o ye house of Israel? Are not youre wayes rather vnequall?

30As for me, I wil iudge euery man, acordinge to his wayes, O ye house of Israel, saieth the LORDE God. Wherfore, be conuerted, and turne you clene from all youre wickednesse, so shal there no synne do you harme. 31Cast awaye fro you all youre vngodlynesse, that ye haue done: make you new hertes and a new sprete. Wherfore wil ye dye, O ye house of Israel? 32seynge I haue no pleasure in ye death of him that dyeth, saieth the LORDE God. Turne you then, and ye shal lyue.