| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1The word of the LORD came to me: | 1The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 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?' | 2"What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: "'The parents eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'? |
| 3"As surely as I live, declares the sovereign LORD, you will not quote this proverb in Israel anymore! | 3"As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. |
| 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. | 4For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child--both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die. |
| 5"Suppose a man is righteous. He practices what is just and right, | 5"Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right. |
| 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, | 6He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife or have sexual relations with a woman during her period. |
| 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, | 7He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. |
| 8does not engage in usury or charge interest, but refrains from wrongdoing, promotes true justice between men, | 8He does not lend to them at interest or take a profit from them. He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between two parties. |
| 9and follows my statutes and observes my regulations by carrying them out. That man is righteous; he will certainly live, declares the sovereign LORD. | 9He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Sovereign LORD. |
| 10"Suppose such a man has a violent son who sheds blood and does any of these things mentioned previously | 10"Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things |
| 11(though the father did not do any of them). He eats pagan sacrifices on the mountains, defiles his neighbor's wife, | 11(though the father has done none of them): "He eats at the mountain shrines. He defiles his neighbor's wife. |
| 12oppresses the poor and the needy, commits robbery, does not give back what was given in pledge, prays to idols, performs abominable acts, | 12He oppresses the poor and needy. He commits robbery. He does not return what he took in pledge. He looks to the idols. He does detestable things. |
| 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. | 13He lends at interest and takes a profit. Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head. |
| 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. | 14"But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things: |
| 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, | 15"He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife. |
| 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, | 16He does not oppress anyone or require a pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. |
| 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. | 17He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor and takes no interest or profit from them. He keeps my laws and follows my decrees. He will not die for his father's sin; he will surely live. |
| 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. | 18But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people. |
| 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. | 19"Yet you ask, 'Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?' Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. |
| 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. | 20The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them. |
| 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. | 21"But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. |
| 22None of the sins he has committed will be held against him; because of the righteousness he has done, he will live. | 22None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. |
| 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? | 23Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? |
| 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. | 24"But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die. |
| 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? | 25"Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? |
| 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. | 26If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. |
| 27When a wicked person turns from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will preserve his life. | 27But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. |
| 28Because he considered and turned from all the sins he had done, he will surely live; he will not die. | 28Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die. |
| 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? | 29Yet the Israelites say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust? |
| 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. | 30"Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. |
| 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? | 31Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? |
| 32For I take no delight in the death of anyone, declares the sovereign LORD. Repent and live! | 32For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live! |
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