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Ezekiel 18 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

The Soul Who Sins Will Die

Eze 18:1

Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

Eze 18:2“What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying,

‘The fathers eat the sour grapes,

But the children’s teeth [fn]are set on edge’?

Eze 18:3

“As I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “you are surely not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore.

Eze 18:4“Behold, all [fn]souls are Mine; the [fn]soul of the father as well as the [fn]soul of the son is Mine. The [fn]soul who sins will die.
Eze 18:5

“But if a man is righteous and does justice and righteousness,

Eze 18:6and does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period
Eze 18:7if a man does not mistreat anyone, but returns to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing,
Eze 18:8if he does not lend money on interest or take increase, if he turns his hand from injustice and does true justice between man and man,
Eze 18:9if he walks in My statutes and My judgments and is careful to do the truth—he is righteous and will surely live,” declares Lord Yahweh.
Eze 18:10

“Then he may [fn]have a violent son who sheds blood and who does any of these things to a brother

Eze 18:11(though he himself did not do any of these things), that is, he even eats at the mountain shrines and defiles his neighbor’s wife;
Eze 18:12he mistreats the afflicted and needy, commits robbery, does not return a pledge, but lifts up his eyes to the idols and does abominations;
Eze 18:13he lends money on interest and takes increase; will he live? He will not live! He has done all these abominations; he will surely be put to death; his blood will be on himself.
Eze 18:14

“Now behold, he [fn]has a son who has seen all his father’s sins which he has done. And he saw this but does not do likewise.

Eze 18:15“He does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor’s wife
Eze 18:16or mistreat anyone, or retain a pledge or commit robbery, but he gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing;
Eze 18:17he turns his hand away from [fn]the afflicted, does not take interest or increase, but does My judgments and walks in My statutes; he will not die for his father’s iniquity; he will surely live.
Eze 18:18“As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what was not good among his people, behold, he will die for his iniquity.
Eze 18:19

“Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity?’ But the son has done justice and righteousness and has kept all My statutes and done them. He shall surely live.

Eze 18:20“The soul who sins will die. The son will not bear the iniquity of the father, nor will the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.
Eze 18:21

“But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has done and keeps all My statutes and does justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

Eze 18:22“All his transgressions which he has done will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has done, he will live.
Eze 18:23“Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares Lord Yahweh, “is it not that he should turn from his ways and live?
Eze 18:24

“But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, does injustice, and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his unfaithfulness which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die.

Eze 18:25“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?
Eze 18:26“When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, does injustice, and dies because of it, for his injustice which he has done he will die.
Eze 18:27“Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has done and does justice and righteousness, he will preserve his life.
Eze 18:28“Again, he considered and turned away from all his transgressions which he had done; he shall surely live; he shall not die.
Eze 18:29“But the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Are My ways not right, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?
Eze 18:30

“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his way,” declares Lord Yahweh. “[fn]Turn back and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you.

Eze 18:31“Cast away from yourselves all your transgressions which you have committed and [fn]make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Now why will you die, O house of Israel?
Eze 18:32“For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares Lord Yahweh. “Therefore, [fn]turn back and live.”
LSB Footnotes
Lit become dull
Or lives
Or life
Or life
Or person
Lit beget
Lit begets
Gr iniquity, as in 18:8
Or Repent
Or do, cf. 18:24, 26, 27
Or repent
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