Ezekiel 18:19
New International Version
“Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live.

New Living Translation
“‘What?’ you ask. ‘Doesn’t the child pay for the parent’s sins?’ No! For if the child does what is just and right and keeps my decrees, that child will surely live.

English Standard Version
“Yet you say, ‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live.

Berean Standard Bible
Yet you may ask, ‘Why shouldn’t the son bear the iniquity of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right, carefully observing all My statutes, he will surely live.

King James Bible
Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.

New King James Version
“Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live.

New American Standard Bible
“Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not suffer the punishment for the father’s guilt?’ When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has kept all My statutes and done them, he shall certainly live.

NASB 1995
“Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity?’ When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live.

NASB 1977
“Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity?’ When the son has practiced justice and righteousness, and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live.

Legacy Standard Bible
“Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity?’ But the son has done justice and righteousness and has kept all My statutes and done them. He shall surely live.

Amplified Bible
“Yet do you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father’s sin?’ When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has kept all My statutes and has done them, he shall certainly live.

Christian Standard Bible
But you may ask, ‘Why doesn’t the son suffer punishment for the father’s iniquity? ’ Since the son has done what is just and right, carefully observing all my statutes, he will certainly live.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But you may ask, ‘Why doesn’t the son suffer punishment for the father’s iniquity?’ Since the son has done what is just and right, carefully observing all My statutes, he will certainly live.

American Standard Version
Yet say ye, Wherefore doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And if they say: “How is it a son is not paid the sin of his father?”, say to them, “Because the son did justice and righteousness and he keeps all of my commands, he shall surely live

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But ye will say, Why has not the son borne the iniquity of the father? Because the son has wrought judgement and mercy, has kept all my statues, and done them, he shall surely live.

Contemporary English Version
You may wonder why a son isn't punished for the sins of his father. It is because the son does what is right and obeys my laws.

Douay-Rheims Bible
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.

English Revised Version
Yet say ye, Wherefore doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"But you ask, 'Why isn't the son punished for his father's sin?' It is because the son has done what is fair and right. He obeyed my rules and followed them. He will certainly live.

Good News Translation
"But you ask, 'Why shouldn't the son suffer because of his father's sins?' The answer is that the son did what was right and good. He kept my laws and followed them carefully, and so he will certainly live.

International Standard Version
"Yet you keep asking, 'Why wouldn't the son bear the punishment of his father's sin?' Because the son has done what was lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes and obeyed them, he's certainly going to live.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Yet say ye: Why doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father with him? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all My statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.

Literal Standard Version
And you have said, Why has the son not borne of the iniquity of the father? And the son has done judgment and righteousness, | He has kept all My statutes, | And he does them, he surely lives.

Majority Standard Bible
Yet you may ask, ‘Why shouldn’t the son bear the iniquity of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right, carefully observing all My statutes, he will surely live.

New American Bible
You ask: “Why is not the son charged with the guilt of his father?” Because the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to observe all my statutes—he shall surely live!

NET Bible
"Yet you say, 'Why should the son not suffer for his father's iniquity?' When the son does what is just and right, and observes all my statutes and carries them out, he will surely live.

New Revised Standard Version
Yet you say, “Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?” When the son has done what is lawful and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live.

New Heart English Bible
"Yet you say, 'Why doesn't 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.

Webster's Bible Translation
Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.

World English Bible
“Yet you say, ‘Why doesn’t 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 will surely live.

Young's Literal Translation
And ye have said, Wherefore hath not the son, Borne of the iniquity of the father? And -- the son judgment and righteousness hath done, All My statutes he hath kept, And he doeth them, he surely liveth.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Soul who Sins will Die
19Yet you may ask, ‘Why shouldn’t the son bear the iniquity of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right, carefully observing all My statutes, he will surely live. 20The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him.…

Cross References
Exodus 20:5
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

Jeremiah 15:4
I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 18:2
"What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge'?

Ezekiel 18:9
He follows My statutes and faithfully keeps My ordinances. That man is righteous; surely he will live, declares the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 18:18
As for his father, he will die for his own iniquity, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what was wrong among his people.

Ezekiel 20:18
In the wilderness I said to their children: 'Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols.

Zechariah 1:3
So tell the people that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: 'Return to Me, declares the LORD of Hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of Hosts.'


Treasury of Scripture

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.

Why

Exodus 20:5
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

Deuteronomy 5:9
Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,

2 Kings 23:26
Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal.

When

Ezekiel 20:18-20,24,30
But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols: …

Zechariah 1:3-6
Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts…

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Ezekiel 18
1. God defends his justice
31. and exhorts to repentance














(19) Why? Doth not the son bear?--It would be clearer to read this as a single question, "Why doth not the son, &c?" It is the question proposed by the people in objection to what has been declared. To them it seemed the law of nature, the necessity of the case, the teaching of history, that the son should bear the iniquity of his father. Their ideas had not risen to the conception of man's individual responsibility to God; to them the individual was still but a part of the nation or the family. They ask, therefore, why this universal law should now be reversed. It was not true that any law was reversed, it was only that the superior prevailed over the inferior law; but, as usual in such cases, the Divine word does not reason with the human objection, but in this and the following verse only reiterates most emphatically the law of individual responsibility.

Verse 19. - Why? doth not the son, etc.? The words are better taken, with the LXX., Vulgate, Revised Version, and most critics, as a single question, Why doth not the son bear, etc.? What is the explanation of a fact which seemingly contradicts the teaching of the Law? The answer to the question seems at first only an iteration of what had been stated before. The son repents, and therefore does not bear his father's iniquity. A man is responsible for his own sins, and for those only. To think otherwise is to think of God as less righteous than man.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Yet you may ask,
וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם (wa·’ă·mar·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘Why
מַדֻּ֛עַ (mad·du·a‘)
Interrogative
Strong's 4069: Why? for what reason?

should the son
הַבֵּ֖ן (hab·bên)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son

not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

bear
נָשָׂ֥א (nā·śā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

the iniquity
בַּעֲוֺ֣ן (ba·‘ă·wōn)
Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 5771: Iniquity, guilt, punishment for iniquity

of the father?’
הָאָ֑ב (hā·’āḇ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1: Father

Since the son
וְהַבֵּ֞ן (wə·hab·bên)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son

has done
עָשָׂ֗ה (‘ā·śāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

what is just
מִשְׁפָּ֧ט (miš·pāṭ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

and right,
וּצְדָקָ֣ה (ū·ṣə·ḏā·qāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6666: Rightness, subjectively, objectively

carefully
שָׁמַ֛ר (šā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

observing
וַיַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה (way·ya·‘ă·śeh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

My statutes,
חֻקּוֹתַ֥י (ḥuq·qō·w·ṯay)
Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 2708: Something prescribed, an enactment, statute

he will surely live.
חָיֹ֥ה (ḥā·yōh)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 2421: To live, to revive


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 18:19 Yet say you Why does not (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 18:18
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