| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, | 1The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 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’? | 2"What do you mean by quoting this proverb concerning the land of Israel, "'The fathers eat sour grapes And the children's teeth become numb?' |
| 3As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. | 3"As surely as I live, declares the sovereign LORD, you will not quote this proverb in Israel anymore! |
| 4Behold, every soul belongs to Me; both father and son are Mine. The soul who sins is the one who will die. | 4Indeed! All lives are mine--the life of the father as well as the life of the son is mine. The one who sins will die. |
| 5Now suppose a man is righteous and does what is just and right: | 5"Suppose a man is righteous. He practices what is just and right, |
| 6He does not eat at the mountain or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her period. | 6does not eat pagan sacrifices on the mountains or pray to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife, does not have sexual relations with a woman during her period, |
| 7He does not oppress another, but restores the pledge to the debtor. He does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing. | 7does not oppress anyone, but gives the debtor back whatever was given in pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and clothes the naked, |
| 8He does not engage in usury or take excess interest, but he withholds his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between men. | 8does not engage in usury or charge interest, but refrains from wrongdoing, promotes true justice between men, |
| 9He follows My statutes and faithfully keeps My ordinances. That man is righteous; surely he will live, declares the Lord GOD. | 9and follows my statutes and observes my regulations by carrying them out. That man is righteous; he will certainly live, declares the sovereign LORD. |
| 10Now suppose that man has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these things, | 10"Suppose such a man has a violent son who sheds blood and does any of these things mentioned previously |
| 11though the father has done none of them: Indeed, the son eats at the mountain and defiles his neighbor’s wife. | 11(though the father did not do any of them). He eats pagan sacrifices on the mountains, defiles his neighbor's wife, |
| 12He oppresses the poor and needy; he commits robbery and does not restore a pledge. He lifts his eyes to idols; he commits abominations. | 12oppresses the poor and the needy, commits robbery, does not give back what was given in pledge, prays to idols, performs abominable acts, |
| 13He engages in usury and takes excess interest. Will this son live? He will not! Since he has committed all these abominations, he will surely die; his blood will be on his own head. | 13engages in usury and charges interest. Will he live? He will not! Because he has done all these abominable deeds he will certainly die. He will bear the responsibility for his own death. |
| 14Now suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father has committed, considers them, and does not do likewise: | 14"But suppose he in turn has a son who notices all the sins his father commits, considers them, and does not follow his father's example. |
| 15He does not eat at the mountain or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife. | 15He does not eat pagan sacrifices on the mountains, does not pray to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife, |
| 16He does not oppress another, or retain a pledge, or commit robbery. He gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing. | 16does not oppress anyone or keep what has been given in pledge, does not commit robbery, gives his food to the hungry, and clothes the naked, |
| 17He withholds his hand from harming the poor and takes no interest or usury. He keeps My ordinances and follows My statutes. Such a man will not die for his father’s iniquity. He will surely live. | 17refrains from wrongdoing, does not engage in usury or charge interest, carries out my regulations and follows my statutes. He will not die for his father's iniquity; he will surely live. |
| 18As 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. | 18As for his father, because he practices extortion, robs his brother, and does what is not good among his people, he will die for his iniquity. |
| 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. | 19"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. |
| 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. | 20The person who sins is the one who will die. A son will not suffer for his father's iniquity, and a father will not suffer for his son's iniquity; the righteous person will be judged according to his righteousness, and the wicked person according to his wickedness. |
| 21But if the wicked man turns from all the sins he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. | 21"But if the wicked person turns from all the sin he has committed and observes all my statutes and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. |
| 22None of the transgressions he has committed will be held against him. Because of the righteousness he has practiced, he will live. | 22None of the sins he has committed will be held against him; because of the righteousness he has done, he will live. |
| 23Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Lord GOD. Wouldn’t I prefer that he turn from his ways and live? | 23Do I actually delight in the death of the wicked, declares the sovereign LORD? Do I not prefer that he turn from his wicked conduct and live? |
| 24But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity, committing the same abominations as the wicked, will he live? None of the righteous acts he did will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness and sin he has committed, he will die. | 24"But if a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and practices wrongdoing according to all the abominable practices the wicked carry out, will he live? All his righteous acts will not be remembered; because of the unfaithful acts he has done and the sin he has committed, he will die. |
| 25Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is it My way that is unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? | 25"Yet you say, 'The Lord's conduct is unjust!' Hear, O house of Israel: Is my conduct unjust? Is it not your conduct that is unjust? |
| 26If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity, he will die for this. He will die because of the iniquity he has committed. | 26When a righteous person turns back from his righteousness and practices wrongdoing, he will die for it; because of the wrongdoing he has done, he will die. |
| 27But if a wicked man turns from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life. | 27When a wicked person turns from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will preserve his life. |
| 28Because he considered and turned from all the transgressions he had committed, he will surely live; he will not die. | 28Because he considered and turned from all the sins he had done, he will surely live; he will not die. |
| 29Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are My ways unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust? | 29Yet the house of Israel says, 'The Lord's conduct is unjust!' Is my conduct unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your conduct that is unjust? |
| 30Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so that your iniquity will not become your downfall. | 30"Therefore I will judge each person according to his conduct, O house of Israel, declares the sovereign LORD. Repent and turn from all your wickedness; then it will not be an obstacle leading to iniquity. |
| 31Cast away from yourselves all the transgressions you have committed, and fashion for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, O house of Israel? | 31Throw away all your sins you have committed and fashion yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why should you die, O house of Israel? |
| 32For I take no pleasure in anyone’s death, declares the Lord GOD. So repent and live! | 32For I take no delight in the death of anyone, declares the sovereign LORD. Repent and live! |
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