1 Yahweh’s word came to me again, saying, 2 "What do you mean, that 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’?
3 "As I live," says the Lord Yahweh, "you shall not use this proverb any more in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine. The soul who sins, he shall die.
5 "But if a man is just,
and does that which is lawful and right,
6 and has not eaten on the mountains,
hasn’t lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
hasn’t defiled his neighbor’s wife,
hasn’t come near a woman in her impurity,
7 and has not wronged any,
but has restored to the debtor his pledge,
has taken nothing by robbery,
has given his bread to the hungry,
and has covered the naked with a garment;
8 he who hasn’t lent to them with interest,
hasn’t taken any increase from them,
who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity,
has executed true justice between man and man,
9 has walked in my statutes,
and has kept my ordinances,
to deal truly;
he is just,
he shall surely live," says the Lord Yahweh.
10 "If he fathers a son who is a robber who sheds blood, and who does any one of these things, 11 or who does not do any of those things
but has eaten at the mountain shrines
and defiled his neighbor’s wife,
12 has wronged the poor and needy,
has taken by robbery,
has not restored the pledge,
and has lifted up his eyes to the idols,
has committed abomination,
13 has lent with interest,
and has taken increase from the poor,
shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations. He shall surely die. His blood will be on him.
14 "Now, behold, if he fathers a son who sees all his father’s sins which he has done, and fears, and doesn’t do likewise,
15 who hasn’t eaten on the mountains,
hasn’t lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
hasn’t defiled his neighbor’s wife,
16 hasn’t wronged any,
hasn’t taken anything to pledge,
hasn’t taken by robbery,
but has given his bread to the hungry,
and has covered the naked with a garment;
17 who has withdrawn his hand from the poor,
who hasn’t received interest or increase,
has executed my ordinances,
has walked in my statutes;
he shall not die for the iniquity of his father. He shall surely live. 18 As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother, and did that which is not good among his people, behold, he will die in his iniquity.
19 "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. 20 The soul who sins, he 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 on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.
21 "But if the wicked turns from all his sins that he has committed, and keeps all my statutes, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live. He shall not die. 22 None of his transgressions that he has committed will be remembered against him. In his righteousness that he has done, he shall live. 23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked?" says the Lord Yahweh, "and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?
24 "But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, should he live? None of his righteous deeds that he has done will be remembered. In his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them he shall die.
25 "Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not equal.’ Hear now, house of Israel: Is my way not equal? Aren’t your ways unequal? 26 When the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies in it, then he dies in his iniquity that he has done. 27 Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he will save his soul alive. 28 Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live. He shall not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ House of Israel, aren’t my ways fair? Aren’t your ways unfair?
30 "Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, everyone according to his ways," says the Lord Yahweh. "Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity will not be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all your transgressions in which you have transgressed; and make yourself a new heart and a new spirit. For why will you die, house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies," says the Lord Yahweh. "Therefore turn yourselves, and live!
1 Verder het die woord van die HERE tot my gekom en gesê:
2 Wat is dit met julle dat julle hierdie spreekwoord gebruik aangaande die land van Israel, naamlik: Die vaders het groen druiwe geëet, en die tande van die kinders het stomp geword?
3 So waar as Ek leef, spreek die Here HERE, dit sal julle nie meer in die gedagte kom om hierdie spreekwoord in Israel te gebruik nie.
4 Kyk, al die siele is myne; soos die siel van die vader, so die siel van die seun -- hulle is myne; die siel wat sondig, die moet sterwe.
5 Maar as iemand regverdig is en reg en geregtigheid doen;
6 nie eet op die berge en sy oë nie opslaan na die drekgode van die huis van Israel en die vrou van sy naaste nie verontreinig en nie naby 'n vrou kom as sy onrein is nie,
7 en niemand verdruk nie; wat hy vir skuld as pand geneem het, teruggee; geen roof pleeg nie; aan die wat honger het, sy brood gee en die wat naak is, met 'n kleed toedek;
8 nie leen op rente en geen woeker neem nie; sy hand terughou van onreg, eerlike regspraak oefen tussen man en man;
9 in my insettinge wandel en my verordeninge onderhou om eerlik te handel -- hy is regverdig, hy sal sekerlik lewe, spreek die Here HERE.
10 En het hy 'n geweldenaar van 'n seun verwek wat bloed vergiet en net maar een van hierdie dinge doen --
11 terwyl hy self dit alles nie gedoen het nie -- as hy ook eet op die berge en die vrou van sy naaste verontreinig,
12 die ellendige en behoeftige verdruk, roof pleeg, die pand nie teruggee nie en sy oë opslaan na die drekgode, gruwelike dinge doen,
13 op rente leen en woeker neem -- sal hy lewe? Hy sal nie lewe nie; al hierdie gruwels het hy gedoen; hy moet sekerlik gedood word; sy bloedskuld is op hom.
14 Maar kyk, as hy 'n seun verwek wat al die sondes van sy vader sien wat hy gedoen het -- dit sien en sulke dinge nie doen nie:
15 nie eet op die berge en sy oë nie opslaan na die drekgode van die huis van Israel nie, die vrou van sy naaste nie verontreinig
16 en niemand verdruk nie, geen pand neem en geen roof pleeg nie, sy brood gee aan die wat honger het, en met 'n kleed toedek die wat naak is,
17 sy hand van die ellendige afhou, geen rente of woeker neem nie, my verordeninge volbring en in my insettinge wandel -- hy sal nie sterwe weens die ongeregtigheid van sy vader nie, hy sal sekerlik lewe.
18 Sy vader sal, omdat hy aan verdrukking skuldig is, sy broer iets deur roof ontneem het en onder sy stamgenote gedoen het wat nie goed is nie -- kyk, hy sal deur sy ongeregtigheid sterwe.
19 Maar julle sê: Waarom dra die seun nie saam die ongeregtigheid van die vader nie? Maar die seun het reg en geregtigheid gedoen en al my insettinge onderhou en dit volbring -- hy sal sekerlik lewe!
20 Die siel wat sondig, die moet sterwe; die seun sal nie die ongeregtigheid van die vader help dra nie, en die vader sal nie die ongeregtigheid van die seun help dra nie; die geregtigheid van die regverdige sal op hom wees, en die goddeloosheid van die goddelose sal op hom wees.
21 Maar as die goddelose hom bekeer van al sy sondes wat hy gedoen het, en al my insettinge onderhou en reg en geregtigheid doen, sal hy sekerlik lewe, hy sal nie sterwe nie.
22 Al sy oortredinge wat hy begaan het, sal hom nie toegereken word nie; deur sy geregtigheid wat hy gedoen het, sal hy lewe.
23 Het Ek dan miskien 'n behae in die dood van die goddelose? spreek die Here HERE. Nie liewer daarin dat hy hom bekeer van sy weë en lewe nie?
24 Maar as die regverdige afwyk van sy geregtigheid en onreg doen en handel volgens al die gruwels wat die goddelose doen -- sal hy lewe? Aan al sy geregtighede wat hy gedoen het, sal nie gedink word nie; om sy troubreuk wat hy begaan het, en om sy sonde wat hy gedoen het, om hulle ontwil sal hy sterwe.
25 Tog sê julle: Die weg van die Here is nie reg nie. Hoor tog, o huis van Israel! Is my weg nie reg nie? Is julle weë nie onreg nie?
26 As die regverdige afwyk van sy geregtigheid en onreg doen, dan sterf hy ten gevolge daarvan; deur sy onreg wat hy gedoen het, sterf hy.
27 En as die goddelose hom bekeer van sy goddeloosheid wat hy gedoen het, en reg en geregtigheid doen -- hy sal sy siel in die lewe behou;
28 hy het dit ingesien en hom bekeer van al sy oortredinge wat hy begaan het; hy sal sekerlik lewe, hy sal nie sterwe nie.
29 Tog sê die huis van Israel: Die weg van die Here is nie reg nie. Is my weë nie reg nie, o huis van Israel? Is julle weë nie onreg nie?
30 Daarom sal Ek julle oordeel, o huis van Israel, elkeen volgens sy weë, spreek die Here HERE. Bekeer julle en wend julle af van al julle oortredinge, sodat dit nie 'n struikelblok tot ongeregtigheid vir julle mag wees nie.
31 Werp al julle oortredinge waardeur julle oortree het, van julle af weg en maak vir julle 'n nuwe hart en 'n nuwe gees; want waarom wil julle sterwe, o huis van Israel?
32 Want Ek het geen behae in die dood van hom wat sterwe nie, spreek die Here HERE. Bekeer julle dan en lewe.