The Sinner Will Die

Ezekiel 18

The word of YHWH came to me again, saying, “What do y’all mean by using this proverb about the land of Israel, saying,

‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?

“As I live,” says Lord YHWH, “y’all will not use this proverb any more in Israel. Look, every soul is mine; the soul of the father is like the soul of the son, they belong to me. The soul who sins will die.

 

“But if a man is just, and does that which is lawful and right, and has not eaten on the mountains, hasn’t lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hasn’t defiled his neighbor’s wife, hasn’t come near a woman in her impurity, and has not wronged any, 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the naked with a garment; he who hasn’t lent to them with interest, hasn’t taken any increase from them, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man, has walked in my statutes, and has kept my ordinances, to deal truly; he is just, he will live-live,” says Lord YHWH.

 

“If he fathers a violent son who sheds blood, and who does any one of these things, or who does not do any of those things

but has eaten at the mountain shrines and defiled his neighbor’s wife, has 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, has lent with interest, and has taken increase.

Will that person live? He will not live! He has done all these abominations. He will die-die. His blood will be on him.

“Now suppose he fathers a son who sees all his father’s sins and though he sees them, he does not do likewise.

He doesn’t eaten on the mountain shrines, or lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defiled his neighbor’s wife. he hasn’t wronged any, hasn’t taken anything to pledge, hasn’t taken by robbery, but has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment; who has withdrawn his hand from the poor, who hasn’t received interest or increase, has executed my ordinances, has walked in my statutes;

he will not die for the iniquity of his father. He will live-live. As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, he will surely die in his iniquity.

“Yet y’all say, ‘Why doesn’t the son bear the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done that which is lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he will live-live. The soul who sins will die. The child will not bear the iniquity of the parent, neither will the parent bear the iniquity of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be on them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be on them.

“But if the wicked turns from all the sins that they have committed, and keeps all my statutes, and does what is lawful and right, that person will live-live, and not die. None of the transgressions they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteousness things they have done, he will live. Do I delight-delight in the death of the wicked?” says Lord YHWH, “and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?

“But when the righteous turns away from their righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does the same abominations that the wicked doe, should that person live? None of the righteous deeds they did will be remembered. In their trespass and his sin, in them he will die.

“Yet y’all say, ‘The way of the Lord is not equal.’ Y’all must listen, house of Israel: Is my way not equal? Is it not y’all’s ways that are unequal? When the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies in it, then he dies in his iniquity that he has done. Again, when the wicked turns away from their wickedness that they have committed, and does that which is lawful and right, they will save their soul. Because they consider and turn away from all their transgressions that they have has committed, they will live-live. They will not die. Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ House of Israel, are my ways not fair? Isn’t it y’all’s ways that are not fair?

“Therefore I will judge y’all, house of Israel, each according to their ways,” says Lord YHWH. “Y’all must repent and turn from all your* transgressions, so iniquity will not be y’all’s downfall. Y’all must throw away all y’all’s transgressions which y’all have committed, and y’all must fashion a new heart and a new spirit. For why will y’all die, house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” says Lord YHWH. “Therefore y’all must repent and live!