Ezekiel 18

1The word of the Yahuah came unto me again, saying, 2What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? 3I live, says the Lord GOD, ye shall not have any more to use this proverb in Israel. 4Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. 5But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right, 6has not eaten upon the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither has defiled his neighbour's wife, neither has come near to a menstruous woman, 7And has not oppressed any, has restored to the debtor his pledge, has spoiled none by violence, has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment; 8He has not given forth upon usury, neither has taken any increase, has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true judgment between man and man, 9has walked in my statutes, and has kept my judgments, to deal truly; he just, he shall surely live, says the Lord GOD. 10If he beget a son a robber, a shedder of blood, and does the like to one of these , 11And that does not any of those , but even has eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour's wife, 12has oppressed the poor and needy, has spoiled by violence, has not restored the pledge, and has lifted up his eyes to the idols, has committed abomination, 13has given forth upon usury, and has taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him. 14Now, lo, he beget a son, that seeth all his father's sins which he has done, and considereth, and does not such like, 15has not eaten upon the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled his neighbour's wife, 16Neither has oppressed any, has not withholden the pledge, neither has spoiled by violence, has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment, 17has taken off his hand from the poor, has not received usury nor increase, has executed my judgments, has walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live. 18his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did which not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity. 19Yet say ye, Why? does not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son has done that which is lawful and right, has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he shall surely live. 20The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. 21But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he has committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 22All his transgressions that he has committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he has done he shall live. 23Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? says the Lord GOD: not that he should return from his ways, and live? 24But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, does according to all the abominations that the wicked does, shall he live? All his righteousness that he has done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them shall he die. 25Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? 26When a righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he has done shall he die. 27Again, when the wicked turneth away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. 28Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 29Yet says the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal? 30Therefore 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 iniquity shall not be your ruin. 31Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? 32For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, says the Lord GOD: therefore turn , and live ye.