Ezekiel 18

18 ¹ The word of our Father came to me:

² "Why do you repeat this proverb about Israel's land: 'The parents ate sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'?

³ As I live, declares the Sovereign Father, you will no longer use this proverb in Israel. ⁴ Every life is mine: the parent's and the child's alike. The one who sins is the one who will die. ⁵ Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right. ⁶ He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not commit adultery with his neighbor's wife or sleep with a woman during her period. ⁷ He oppresses no one, but gives back the collateral he took for a loan. He commits no robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing. ⁸ He does not lend at interest or take a profit, but keeps away from wrongdoing and judges honestly between one person and another. ⁹ He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Sovereign Father.

¹⁰ Suppose he has a violent son who sheds blood or does any of these other things ¹¹ (though the father did none of these): he eats at the mountain shrines, defiles his neighbor's wife, ¹² oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not return what he took as collateral, looks to idols, and commits detestable acts. ¹³ He lends at interest and takes a profit. Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he will surely be put to death, and his blood will be on his own head.

¹⁴ But suppose this son fathers a son who sees all his father's sins, and seeing them, does none of them: ¹⁵ He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not commit adultery with his neighbor's wife. ¹⁶ He oppresses no one and takes no collateral for a loan. He commits no robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing. ¹⁷ He keeps away from wrongdoing and takes no interest or profit. He keeps my laws and follows my decrees. He will not die for his father's sin; he will surely live.

¹⁸ But his father dies for his own sin: he extorted, robbed his brother, and did wrong among his people.

¹⁹ Yet you ask, 'Why doesn't the son bear his father's guilt?' Since the son has done what is just and right and carefully kept all my decrees, he will surely live. ²⁰ The one who sins dies. A son won't bear his father's guilt, nor a father his son's. The righteous person's goodness rests on himself; the wicked person's evil on himself.

²¹ But if a wicked person turns from all their sins, keeps all my decrees, and does what is just and right, they will surely live, not die. ²² None of the wrongs they committed will be remembered against them; for the right they did, they will live. ²³ Do I delight in the death of the wicked, declares the Sovereign Father, and not rather that they turn from their ways and live? ^a a v23 Our Father takes no joy in anyone's ruin. His deepest desire is that the one who has wandered would turn around and come home to life.

²⁴ But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness, sins, and does the same detestable things the wicked do, will they live? None of their righteous deeds will be remembered. For their unfaithfulness and their sins, they will die.

²⁵ Yet you say, 'The way of our Father is not just.' Listen, house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Isn't it your ways that are unjust? ²⁶ If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does wrong, they will die for it; for the wrong they did, they die. ²⁷ But if a wicked person turns from the wickedness they committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. ²⁸ Because they consider all their offenses and turn from them, they will surely live, not die. ²⁹ Yet Israel's house says, 'The way of our Father is not just.' Are my ways unjust, house of Israel? Isn't it your ways that are unjust?

³⁰ So I will judge you, house of Israel, each by his own ways, declares the Sovereign Father. Repent! Turn from all your offenses, so sin won't be your ruin. ³¹ Throw off all the sins you have committed; make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, house of Israel? ³² For I take no pleasure in anyone's death, declares the Sovereign Father. So turn, and live!