Open English Translation EZE Chapter 18

18 Then Yahweh gave me another message: 2 “What do you mean, you who use this proverb concerning Yisrael and say, ‘Fathers eat sour grapes, but it’s the children’s teeth that are set on edge’?

3 This is the master Yahweh’s declaration: as I live there’ll certainly no longer be any occasion for you to use this proverb in Yisrael. 4 Listen, every life belongs to me: the life of the father as well as that of the son—they belong to me. The one who disobeys is the one who’ll die.

The godly man

5 If there was a godly man who did what was fair and right, 6 who doesn’t eat at the hilltop shrines, who doesn’t request help from Yisrael’s idols, who doesn’t mess with someone else’s wife or a menstruating woman, 7 who doesn’t oppress anyone, and he gives back to the debtor what was put up as security for a loan, he doesn’t steal but rather gives his food to the hungry and gives clothes to those without them, 8 who doesn’t charge too much interest if he loans money, and doesn’t take too much profit for what he sells, he promotes true justice within the community, 9 who follows my instructions and faithfully obeys my regulations, that man will be acquitted and will definitely live. That is the master Yahweh’s declaration.[ref]

The wayward son of the godly man

10 But suppose that godly man had a violent son who kills and sadly goes against all those things above, 11 not following the ways of his godly father, but rather has eaten at the hilltop shrines and has slept with someone else’s wife, 12 he oppresses the poor and needy, and he steals and robs, and he does not return something given as a pledge, and he requests help from idols and does disgusting things, 13 and he lends out money at too high interest and he makes too much profit on what he sells, should that man live? He certainly won’t! He’ll definitely die and his blood will be on his own head.

The peace/prosperity of child righteous/honest/sensible

14 But listen, suppose he has a son, and his son sees all the sins that his father has committed, and though he sees them, he doesn’t do those things. 15 he hasn’t eaten at the hilltop shrines, and hasn’t requested help from the Israeli people’s idols, and hasn’t slept with someone else’s wife, 16 he doesn’t oppress anyone, or keep things given as a pledge, or receive stolen things, but instead gives his food to the hungry and gives clothes to those without them, 17 he’s turned his back on crime, and doesn’t charge high interest, he follows my instructions and obeys my regulations, he won’t die for his father’s evil deeds but he’ll certainly live. 18 His father, since he oppressed others by extortion and robbed people, and did what is not good among his people—listen, he’ll die in his sin.

19 But you all ask, ‘Why doesn’t the son also have to pay the cost for his family’s crimes?’ Well it’s because the son promotes justice and godliness and follows all my instructions. He’ll definitely live. 20 The one who sins is the one who’ll die. The children won’t have to bear their parents’ sin, and the parents won’t bear their children’s sins—the righteousness of those who act rightly will be on themselves, and the wickedness of the wicked will be on themselves.[ref]

The person repent of sins he/his

21 But if the wicked person turns away from all their disobedience, and follows all my instructions and does what is right and fair, then that person will certainly live and not die. 22 All their acts of disobedience won’t be called to mind against them. They’ll live by the right things that they do. 23 That is the master Yahweh’s declaration.

Do I celebrate happily over the death of the wicked and not in their turning away from their ways so that they may live? 24 But if a righteous person turns away from their righteousness and disobeys and does disgusting things like the wicked people do, then will they live? All the good things that had been done won’t be called to mind when they betray me in their treason, so they’ll die in the sins that they committed.

25 But you all complain that the master’s way isn’t correct. Please listen you Israeli people: is it my ways that aren’t correct, or is it your ways? 26 When the righteous person turns away from their righteousness, and commits iniquity and dies because of them, then that person will die in the iniquity that they’ve done. 27 But when a wicked person turns away from the wicked things that they’ve done and does what is fair and what is right, then that person will preserve their life—28 they’ve become aware of all their acts of disobedience and turned away from them. That person certainly won’t die but will live. 29 But the Israeli people insist, ‘The master’s way isn’t fair!’ How is my way not fair, people of Yisrael? It’s your ways that aren’t fair. 30 Therefore I will judge each person among you according to their ways, you Israeli people. That is the master Yahweh’s declaration.

Repent and turn away from all your transgressions so that they won’t be stumbling blocks of iniquity against you. 31 Throw off all the acts of disobedience that you’ve all done. Work towards a new heart and a new spirit for yourselves. Why should you die, people of Yisrael, 32 because I take no pleasure in the death of the one who dies. That’s the master Yahweh’s declaration so turn from your evil behaviour and live.