| Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1The word of the LORD came to me: | 1The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 2"What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel: 'The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'? | 2"What do you mean by quoting this proverb concerning the land of Israel, "'The fathers eat sour grapes And the children's teeth become numb?' |
| 3As I live"--this is the declaration of the Lord GOD--"you will no longer use this proverb in Israel. | 3"As surely as I live, declares the sovereign LORD, you will not quote this proverb in Israel anymore! |
| 4Look, every life belongs to me. The life of the father is like the life of the son--both belong to me. The person who sins is the one who will die. | 4Indeed! All lives are mine--the life of the father as well as the life of the son is mine. The one who sins will die. |
| 5"Suppose a man is righteous and does what is just and right: | 5"Suppose a man is righteous. He practices what is just and right, |
| 6He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman during her menstrual impurity. | 6does not eat pagan sacrifices on the mountains or pray to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife, does not have sexual relations with a woman during her period, |
| 7He doesn't oppress anyone but returns his collateral to the debtor. He does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing. | 7does not oppress anyone, but gives the debtor back whatever was given in pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and clothes the naked, |
| 8He doesn't lend at interest or for profit but keeps his hand from injustice and carries out true justice between men. | 8does not engage in usury or charge interest, but refrains from wrongdoing, promotes true justice between men, |
| 9He follows my statutes and keeps my ordinances, acting faithfully. Such a person is righteous; he will certainly live." This is the declaration of the Lord GOD. | 9and follows my statutes and observes my regulations by carrying them out. That man is righteous; he will certainly live, declares the sovereign LORD. |
| 10"But suppose the man has a violent son, who sheds blood and does any of these things, | 10"Suppose such a man has a violent son who sheds blood and does any of these things mentioned previously |
| 11though the father has done none of them. Indeed, when the son eats at the mountain shrines and defiles his neighbor's wife, | 11(though the father did not do any of them). He eats pagan sacrifices on the mountains, defiles his neighbor's wife, |
| 12and when he oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, and does not return collateral, and when he looks to the idols, commits detestable acts, | 12oppresses the poor and the needy, commits robbery, does not give back what was given in pledge, prays to idols, performs abominable acts, |
| 13and lends at interest or for profit, will he live? He will not live! Since he has committed all these detestable acts, he will certainly die. His death will be his own fault. | 13engages in usury and charges interest. Will he live? He will not! Because he has done all these abominable deeds he will certainly die. He will bear the responsibility for his own death. |
| 14"Now suppose he has a son who sees all the sins his father has committed, and though he sees them, he does not do likewise. | 14"But suppose he in turn has a son who notices all the sins his father commits, considers them, and does not follow his father's example. |
| 15He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife. | 15He does not eat pagan sacrifices on the mountains, does not pray to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife, |
| 16He doesn't oppress anyone, hold collateral, or commit robbery. He gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing. | 16does not oppress anyone or keep what has been given in pledge, does not commit robbery, gives his food to the hungry, and clothes the naked, |
| 17He keeps his hand from harming the poor, not taking interest or profit on a loan. He practices my ordinances and follows my statutes. Such a person will not die for his father's iniquity. He will certainly live. | 17refrains from wrongdoing, does not engage in usury or charge interest, carries out my regulations and follows my statutes. He will not die for his father's iniquity; he will surely live. |
| 18"As for his father, he will die for his own iniquity because he practiced fraud, robbed his brother, and did among his people what was not good. | 18As for his father, because he practices extortion, robs his brother, and does what is not good among his people, he will die for his iniquity. |
| 19But you may ask, 'Why doesn't the son suffer punishment for the father's iniquity?' Since the son has done what is just and right, carefully observing all my statutes, he will certainly live. | 19"Yet you say, 'Why should the son not suffer for his father's iniquity?' When the son does what is just and right, and observes all my statutes and carries them out, he will surely live. |
| 20The person who sins is the one who will die. A son won't suffer punishment for the father's iniquity, and a father won't suffer punishment for the son's iniquity. The righteousness of the righteous person will be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked person will be on him. | 20The person who sins is the one who will die. A son will not suffer for his father's iniquity, and a father will not suffer for his son's iniquity; the righteous person will be judged according to his righteousness, and the wicked person according to his wickedness. |
| 21"But if the wicked person turns from all the sins he has committed, keeps all my statutes, and does what is just and right, he will certainly live; he will not die. | 21"But if the wicked person turns from all the sin he has committed and observes all my statutes and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. |
| 22None of the transgressions he has committed will be held against him. He will live because of the righteousness he has practiced. | 22None of the sins he has committed will be held against him; because of the righteousness he has done, he will live. |
| 23Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?" This is the declaration of the Lord GOD. "Instead, don't I take pleasure when he turns from his ways and lives? | 23Do I actually delight in the death of the wicked, declares the sovereign LORD? Do I not prefer that he turn from his wicked conduct and live? |
| 24But when a righteous person turns from his righteousness and acts unjustly, committing the same detestable acts that the wicked do, will he live? None of the righteous acts he did will be remembered. He will die because of the treachery he has engaged in and the sin he has committed. | 24"But if a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and practices wrongdoing according to all the abominable practices the wicked carry out, will he live? All his righteous acts will not be remembered; because of the unfaithful acts he has done and the sin he has committed, he will die. |
| 25"But you say, 'The Lord's way isn't fair.' Now listen, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair? Instead, isn't it your ways that are unfair? | 25"Yet you say, 'The Lord's conduct is unjust!' Hear, O house of Israel: Is my conduct unjust? Is it not your conduct that is unjust? |
| 26When a righteous person turns from his righteousness and acts unjustly, he will die for this. He will die because of the injustice he has committed. | 26When a righteous person turns back from his righteousness and practices wrongdoing, he will die for it; because of the wrongdoing he has done, he will die. |
| 27But if a wicked person turns from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will preserve his life. | 27When a wicked person turns from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will preserve his life. |
| 28He will certainly live because he thought it over and turned from all the transgressions he had committed; he will not die. | 28Because he considered and turned from all the sins he had done, he will surely live; he will not die. |
| 29But the house of Israel says, 'The Lord's way isn't fair.' Is it my ways that are unfair, house of Israel? Instead, isn't it your ways that are unfair? | 29Yet the house of Israel says, 'The Lord's conduct is unjust!' Is my conduct unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your conduct that is unjust? |
| 30"Therefore, house of Israel, I will judge each one of you according to his ways." This is the declaration of the Lord GOD. "Repent and turn from all your rebellious acts, so they will not become a sinful stumbling block to you. | 30"Therefore I will judge each person according to his conduct, O house of Israel, declares the sovereign LORD. Repent and turn from all your wickedness; then it will not be an obstacle leading to iniquity. |
| 31Throw off all the transgressions you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel? | 31Throw away all your sins you have committed and fashion yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why should you die, O house of Israel? |
| 32For I take no pleasure in anyone's death." This is the declaration of the Lord GOD. "So repent and live! | 32For I take no delight in the death of anyone, declares the sovereign LORD. Repent and live! |
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