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¹ And the Word of Jehovah was to me, saying,² What is it to you that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the teeth of the sons are dull?³ As I live, states the Lord Jehovah, there is not any longer occasion to you to use this proverb in Israel.⁴ Behold, they are all My souls. As the soul of the father, also the soul of the son, they are Mine. The soul that sins, it shall die.⁵ But a man that is righteous and does what is just and right,⁶ who has not eaten on the mountains, and his eyes have not lifted up to the idols of the house of Israel, and has not defiled his neighbor's wife, and has not come near to a menstruating woman,⁷ and has not oppressed a man (he returns his pledge to the debtor and has not robbed by robbery), has given his bread to the hungry, and he has covered the naked with clothing.⁸ He has not given on interest, and he has not taken increase; he has turned his hand from injustice, having done true justice between man and man.⁹ He has walked in My statutes and has kept My judgments to deal truly; he is righteous. Living he shall live, declares the Lord Jehovah.

¹⁰ And if he fathers a violent son, who sheds blood and does to a brother any of these;¹¹ even if he does not do any of these himself ; that also the son he has eaten on the mountains, and has defiled his neighbor's wife;¹² he has oppressed the poor and needy; thieving, he stole; he has not returned the pledge, and has lifted up his eyes to the idols; he has committed abomination;¹³ he has given on interest and has taken increase; shall he also live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations; dying he shall die; his blood shall be on him.¹⁴ Now, behold! If he fathers a son who sees all his father's sins which he has done, and sees, and does not do like them;¹⁵ he has not eaten on the mountains, and has not lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel; he has not defiled his neighbor's wife,¹⁶ and has not oppressed a man, has not withheld the pledge, and has not robbed by robbery; he has given his bread to the hungry, and he has covered the naked with clothing,¹⁷ has turned back his hand off the poor, and has not received interest and increase. He has done My judgments, has walked in My statutes. He shall not die for the iniquity of his father. Living he shall live.¹⁸ His father, because he did extortion, robbed his brother by robbery, and did what is not good among his people, behold, even he shall die in his iniquity.¹⁹ Yet you say, Why? Does not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son has done justice and righteousness, he has kept all My statutes and has done them, living he shall live.²⁰ The soul that sins, it shall die. A son shall not bear the iniquity of the father. And a father shall not bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.

²¹ But the wicked, if he will turn from all his sins which he has done, and keep all My statutes, and do justice and righteousness, living he shall live; he shall not die.²² All his transgressions that he has done, they shall not be recalled to him in his righteousness which he has done; he shall live.²³ Delighting, do I delight in the death of the wicked? declares the Lord Jehovah. Is it not that he should turn from his ways and live?²⁴ But when the righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice, according to all the abominations that the wicked do, he does, shall he live? All his righteousness that he has done shall not be remembered in his treason that he hasbetrayed, and in his sin that 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 My way not fair? Are your ways not unfair?²⁶ When a righteous one turns from his righteousness and does injustice and dies in them, he shall die for his injustice which he has done.²⁷ And when the wicked turns from his wickedness that he has done and does justice and righteousness, he shall keep his soul alive.²⁸ Because he sees and turns from all his transgressions that he has done, living he shall live; he shall not die.²⁹ But the house of Israel says, The way of the Lord is not fair. Are My ways not fair, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not fair?

³⁰ I will judge you, each man by his ways, O house of Israel, declares the Lord Jehovah. Turn and be made to turn from all your transgressions, and iniquity shall not be a stumbling-block to you.³¹ Cast away all your transgressions from you by which you have transgressed in them, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit; for why will you die, O house of Israel?³² For I do not have delight in the death of him who dies, declares the Lord Jehovah. So turn and live.