1 The Word of Jehovah came unto me again, saying,2 What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying: The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the childrens teeth are dull?3 As I live, declares the Lord Jehovah, you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel.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.5 But if a man is righteous and does what is just and right;6 if he has not eaten on the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, nor defiled his neighbors wife, nor approached a menstruating woman;7 if he has not oppressed anyone, but has restored to the debtor his pledge; has plundered no one by robbery, but has given his bread to the hungry and covered the naked with clothing;8 if he has not given with usury nor taken any increase, but has withdrawn his hand from iniquity and executed true judgment between man and man;9 if he has walked in My statutes and kept My judgments faithfully; he is righteous. He shall live life, says the Lord Jehovah.10 If he begets a son who is a robber or who sheds blood, who does any of these things,11 and does none of those duties, but has eaten on the mountains or defiled his neighbors wife;12 if he has oppressed the poor and needy, plundered by robbery, not restored the pledge, has lifted his eyes to the idols, or committed abomination;13 if 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 die the death; his blood shall be upon him.14 If, however, he begets a son who sees all the sins which his father has done, and considers but does not do likewise;15 who has not eaten on the mountains, nor lifted his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, nor defiled his neighbors wife;16 has not oppressed anyone, nor withheld a pledge, nor plundered by robbery, but has given his bread to the hungry and covered the naked with clothing;17 who has withdrawn his hand from the poor and not received usury or increase, but has executed My judgments and walked in My statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his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 live life!18 As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, plundered his brother by robbery, and did what is not good among his people, behold, he shall die in his iniquity.19 Yet you say, Why? Does not the son bear the guilt of the father? When the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and done them, he shall live life.20 The 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.21 But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has done, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall live life; he shall not die.22 None of the transgressions which he has done shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live.23 Do I delight with pleasure in the death of the wicked? says the Lord Jehovah, and not that he should turn back from his ways 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 treachery of his unfaithfulness, and the sin which he has sinned, in them he shall 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.26 When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is for the iniquity which he has done that he dies.27 Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he has done, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive.28 Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he has done, he shall live life; he shall not die.29 Yet 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.30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the Lord Jehovah. Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity shall not be a stumbling block to you.31 Cast away from you all the transgressions by which you have transgressed, and prepare for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit; for why will you die, O house of Israel?32 For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies, declares the Lord Jehovah. Therefore turn and live!
1 And the word of the Lord was maad to me,2 and he seide, What is it, that ye turnen a parable among you in to this prouerbe, in the lond of Israel, and seien, Fadris eeten a bittir grape, and the teeth of sones ben an egge, ether astonyed?3 Y lyue, seith the Lord God, this parable schal no more be in to a prouerbe to you in Israel.4 Lo! alle soulis ben myne; as the soule of the fadir, so and the soule of the sone is myn. Thilke soule that doith synne, schal die.5 And if a man is iust, and doith doom and riytfulnesse,6 etith not in hillis, and reisith not hise iyen to the idols of the hous of Israel; and defoulith not the wijf of his neiybore, and neiyeth not to a womman defoulid with vncleene blood;7 and makith not a man sori, yeldith the wed to the dettour, rauyschith no thing bi violence, yyueth his breed to the hungri, and hilith a nakid man with a cloth;8 leeneth not to vsure, and takith not more; turneth awei his hond fro wickidnesse, and makith trewe dom bitwixe man and man;9 and goith in my comaundementis, and kepith my domes, that he do treuthe; this is a iust man, he schal lyue in lijf, seith the Lord God.10 That if he gendrith a sone, a theef, shedinge out blood,11 and doith oon of thes thingis, and sotheli not doing alle these thingis, but etinge in hillis, and defoulynge the wijf of his neiybore;12 makynge soreuful a nedy man and pore, rauyschynge raueyns, not yeldinge a wed, reisynge hise iyen to idols, doynge abhomynacioun; yiuynge to vsure, and takynge more;13 whether he schal lyue? he schal not lyue; whanne he hath do alle these abhomynable thingis, he schal die bi deth, his blood schal be in hym.14 That if he gendrith a sone, which seeth alle the synnes of his fadir, whiche he dide, and dredith, and doith noon lijk tho;15 etith not on hillis, and reisith not hise iyen to the idols of the hous of Israel; and defoulith not the wijf of his neiybore,16 and makith not sori a man, witholdith not a wed, and rauyschith not raueyn, yyueth his breed to the hungri, and hilith the nakid with a cloth;17 turneth a wei his hond fro the wrong of a pore man, takith not vsure and ouerhabundaunce, `that is, no thing more than he lente, and doith my domes, and goith in my comaundementis; this sone schal not die in the wickidnesse of his fadir, but he schal lyue in lijf.18 For his fadir made fals caleng, and dide violence to his brother, and wrouyte yuel in the myddis of his puple, lo! he is deed in his wickidnesse.19 And ye seien, Whi berith not the sone the wickidnesse of the fadir? That is to seie, for the sone wrouyte doom and riytfulnesse, he kepte alle my comaundementis, and dide tho, he schal lyue in lijf.20 Thilke soule that doith synne, schal die; the sone schal not bere the wickidnesse of the fadir, and the fadir schal not bere the wickednesse of the sone; the riytfulnesse of a iust man schal be on hym, and the wickidnesse of a wickid man schal be on hym.21 Forsothe if a wickid man doith penaunce of alle hise synnes whiche he wrouyte, and kepith alle myn heestis, and doith dom and riytfulnesse, he schal lyue bi lijf, and schal not die.22 Y schal not haue mynde of alle his wickidnessis whiche he wrouyte; he schal lyue in his riytfulnesse which he wrouyte.23 Whether the deth of the wickid man is of my wille, seith the Lord God, and not that he be conuertid fro his weies, and lyue?24 Forsothe if a iust man turneth awey hym silf fro his riytfulnesse, and doith wickidnesse bi alle hise abhomynaciouns, which a wickid man is wont to worche, whether he schal lyue? Alle hise riytfulnessis whiche he dide, schulen not be had in mynde; in his trespassyng bi which he trespasside, and in his synne which he synnede, he schal die in tho.25 And ye seiden, The weie of the Lord is not euene. Therfor, the hous of Israel, here ye, whether my weie is not euene, and not more youre weies ben schrewid?26 For whanne a riytful man turneth awei hym silf fro his riytfulnesse, and doith wickidnesse, he schal die in it, he schal die in the vnriytwisnesse which he wrouyte.27 And whanne a wickid man turneth awei him silf fro his wickidnesse which he wrouyte, and doith dom and riytfulnesse, he schal quykene his soule.28 For he biholdinge and turnynge awei hym silf fro alle hise wickidnessis which he wrouyte, schal lyue in lijf, and schal not die.29 And the sones of Israel seien, The weie of the Lord is not euene. Whether my weies ben not euene, ye hous of Israel, and not more youre weies ben schrewid?30 Therfor, thou hous of Israel, Y schal deme ech man bi hise weies, seith the Lord God. Turne ye togidere, and do ye penaunce for alle youre wickidnessis, and wickidnesse schal not be to you in to falling.31 Caste awei fro you alle youre trespassingis, bi whiche ye trespassiden, and make ye a newe herte and a newe spirit to you, and whi schulen ye die, the hous of Israel?32 For Y nyle the deeth of hym that dieth, seith the Lord God; turne ye ayen, and lyue ye.