| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1The word of the LORD came to me again, saying, | 1The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 2“What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children’s teeth 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?' |
| 3“As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel. | 3"As surely as I live, declares the sovereign LORD, you will not quote this proverb in Israel anymore! |
| 4“Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall 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. |
| 5But if a man is just And does what is lawful and right; | 5"Suppose a man is righteous. He practices what is just and right, |
| 6If he has not eaten on the mountains, Nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, Nor defiled his neighbor’s wife, Nor approached a woman during her impurity; | 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, |
| 7If he has not oppressed anyone, But has restored to the debtor his pledge; Has robbed no one by violence, But has given his bread to the hungry And covered 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, |
| 8If he has not exacted usury Nor taken any increase, But has withdrawn his hand from iniquity And executed true judgment between man and man; | 8does not engage in usury or charge interest, but refrains from wrongdoing, promotes true justice between men, |
| 9If he has walked in My statutes And kept My judgments faithfully— He is just; He shall surely live!” Says 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. |
| 10“If he begets a son who is a robber Or a shedder of blood, Who 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 |
| 11And does none of those duties, But has eaten on the mountains Or defiled 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, |
| 12If he has oppressed the poor and needy, Robbed by violence, Not restored the pledge, Lifted his eyes to the idols, Or committed abomination; | 12oppresses the poor and the needy, commits robbery, does not give back what was given in pledge, prays to idols, performs abominable acts, |
| 13If he has exacted usury Or taken increase— Shall he then live? He shall not live! If he has done any of these abominations, He shall surely die; His blood shall be upon him. | 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. |
| 14“If, however, he begets a son Who sees all the sins which his father has done, And considers but 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. |
| 15Who has not eaten on the mountains, Nor lifted his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, Nor defiled 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, |
| 16Has not oppressed anyone, Nor withheld a pledge, Nor robbed by violence, But has given his bread to the hungry And covered 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, |
| 17Who has withdrawn his hand from the poor And not received usury or increase, But has executed My judgments And walked in My statutes— He shall not die for the iniquity of his father; He shall 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. |
| 18“As for his father, Because he cruelly oppressed, Robbed his brother by violence, And did what is not good among his people, Behold, he shall die for his iniquity. | 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. |
| 19“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. | 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 shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. | 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. |
| 21“But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall 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 which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall 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 have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord GOD, “and not that he should 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? |
| 24“But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall 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. |
| 25“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair? | 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? |
| 26When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies. | 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. |
| 27Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. | 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 considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall 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 fair.’ O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair? | 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? |
| 30“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord GOD. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. | 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 you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For 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 have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Therefore turn and live!” | 32For I take no delight in the death of anyone, declares the sovereign LORD. Repent and live! |
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