Open English Translation EZE Chapter 18

18 Then Yahweh gave me another message: 2 “What do you mean, you people who use this proverb about Yisrael? You 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 father’s life as well as the son’s—they belong to me. The one who disobeys is the one who’ll die.

5 If there’s a godly man who does what’s 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, who gives back to debtors what they put up as security for loans, who 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 lends money, and doesn’t take too much profit for what he sells, who 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’s the master Yahweh’s declaration.[ref]

The wayward son of the godly man

10 But suppose that godly man has a violent son who kills and sadly goes against all those things above, 11 not following the example of his godly father, but rather who’s eaten at the hilltop shrines and slept with someone else’s wife, 12 who oppresses the poor and needy, who steals and robs, who doesn’t return something given as a pledge, who requests help from idols and does disgusting things, 13 who lends out money at too high interest, and who 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’s 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 accept 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 actions, but he’ll certainly live. 18 His father, since he oppressed others by extortion and robbed people, and did evil things among his people—listen, he’ll die in his sin.

19 But you people 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 be responsible for their parents’ sin, and the parents won’t be responsible for 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]

21 But if the wicked person turns away from all their disobedience, and follows all my instructions and does what’s 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 they do. 23 That’s the master Yahweh’s declaration.

Do I celebrate happily about the death of wicked people, and not about them turning away from their evil behaviour so that they can 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 people 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 injustice and dies because of it, then that person will die in the injustice that they’ve done. 27 But when a wicked person turns away from the wicked things they’ve done and does what’s fair and what’s right, then that person will preserve their life—28 they’ve become aware of all their disobedient behaviours 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, you Israeli people? It’s your ways that aren’t fair. 30 Therefore I’ll judge each person among you according to their ways, you Israeli people. That’s the master Yahweh’s declaration.

Change your direction and turn away from all your disobedient behaviours so that they won’t be stumbling blocks of evil for you. 31 Throw off all the disobedient things you people have done. Work towards a new heart and a new spirit for yourselves. Why should you die, you Israeli people? 32 I take no pleasure in the death of someone who dies. That’s the master Yahweh’s declaration, so turn away from your evil behaviour and live.