¶ The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,

What mean¹ ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land² of Israel, saying, The fathers³ have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?

⁴As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.

Behold, all souls⁵ are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that⁶ sinneth, it shall die.

But if⁷ a man be just, and do that⁸ which is lawful and right,

And hath not⁹ eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted¹⁰ up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled¹¹ his neighbour's wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,

And hath not¹² oppressed any, but hath restored¹³ to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled¹⁴ none by violence, hath given¹⁵ his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;

He that hath not¹⁶ given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn¹⁷ his hand from iniquity, hath executed¹⁸ true judgment between man and man,

Hath walked¹⁹ in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just²⁰, he shall²¹ surely live, saith the Lord GOD.

¶ If he beget a son that is²² a robber²³, a shedder²⁴ of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things²⁵,

And that²⁶ doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten²⁷ upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour's wife,

Hath oppressed²⁸ the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed²⁹ abomination,

Hath given³⁰ forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he³¹ then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood³² shall be upon him.

Now, lo, if he³³ beget a son, that seeth³⁴ all his father's sins which he hath done, and considereth³⁵, and doeth not such like,

³⁶That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour's wife,

Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge³⁷, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath³⁸ given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment,

That hath taken³⁹ off his hand from the poor, that hath not⁴⁰ received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not⁴¹ die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely⁴² live.

As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even⁴³ he shall die in his iniquity.

Yet say ye, Why?⁴⁴ doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When⁴⁵ the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.

¶ The soul that⁴⁶ sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear⁴⁷ the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness⁴⁸ of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

¶ But if the⁴⁹ wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep⁵⁰ all my statutes, and do⁵¹ that which is lawful and right, he shall surely⁵² live, he shall not die.

All his transgressions⁵³ that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his⁵⁴ righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

Have I any⁵⁵ pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that⁵⁶ he should return from his ways, and live?

But when⁵⁷ the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth⁵⁸ according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his⁵⁹ righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his⁶⁰ trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

Yet ye say, The way⁶¹ of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my⁶² way equal? are⁶³ not your ways unequal?

When⁶⁴ a righteous man turneth away⁶⁵ from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.

Again, when⁶⁶ the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall⁶⁷ save his soul alive.

Because he considereth⁶⁸, and turneth⁶⁹ away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

⁷⁰Yet saith 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?

¶ Therefore I will⁷¹ judge you, O house of Israel, every⁷² one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent⁷³, and turn yourselves⁷⁴ from all your transgressions; so⁷⁵ iniquity shall not be your ruin.

Cast⁷⁶ away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make⁷⁷ you a new heart and a new spirit: for why⁷⁸ will ye die, O house of Israel?

For I have⁷⁹ no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves,⁸⁰ and live ye.