1The word of Yehovah came to me again, saying, 2What 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? 3As I live, says the Lord Yehovah, you shall not have occasion 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 sins, it shall die. 5But if a man is just, and does what is lawful and right, 6and has not eaten on the mountains, nor has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, nor has defiled his neighbor’s wife, nor has come near to a woman in her impurity, 7and has not wronged anyone, 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hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment; 8he who has not lent at interest, nor has taken any increase, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man, 9has walked in my statutes, and has kept my ordinances, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, says the Lord Yehovah. 10If he fathers a son who is a robber, a shedder of blood, and who does any one of these things, 11and who does not do any of those duties, but even has eaten on the mountains, and defiled his neighbor’s wife, 12has 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, 13has lent at interest, 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 on him. 14Now, look, if he fathers a son, who sees all his father’s sins, which he has done, and fears, and does not do likewise; 15who has not eaten on the mountains, nor has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled his neighbor’s wife, 16nor has wronged anyone, has not taken anything in pledge, nor has taken by robbery, but has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment; 17who has withdrawn his hand from the poor, who has not received interest nor increase, has executed my ordinances, has walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live. 18As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, behold, he shall die in his iniquity. 19Yet you say, Why does the son not bear the iniquity of the father? When the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he shall surely live. 20The soul that sins, it shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, nor 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. 21But if the wicked turns from all his sins that he has committed, and keeps all my statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 22None of his transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him: in his righteousness that he has done he shall live. 23Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? says the Lord Yehovah; and not rather that he should return from his way, and live? 24But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? None of his righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered: in his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them he shall die. 25Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not just. Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? are not your ways unjust? 26When the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies in it; in his iniquity that he has done he shall die. 27Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does what is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. 28Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 29Yet the house of Israel says, The way of the Lord is not just. O house of Israel, are my ways not just? are not your ways unjust? 30Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each one according to his ways, says the Lord Yehovah. Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. 31Cast away from you all your transgressions, by which you have transgressed; and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, O house of Israel? 32For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies, says the Lord Yehovah: therefore turn yourselves, and live.