1 And the word of the LORD {YHWH, Divine Communicator} came to me, saying {leʾemor: introducing direct divine speech}.
2 What is it to you that you are quoting this proverb {mashal: brief comparison} concerning the land of Israel, saying: The fathers eat sour grapes {boser: unripe grapes}, and the teeth of the children are set on edge?
3 “As I live, declares the Lord GOD {Adonai YHWH, Sovereign Master}, if this proverb {meshol: instructive saying} will still be used by you in Israel.”
4 Behold, all souls are Mine {li: belonging to Me}; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son—they are Mine; the soul that sins {ha-chotet: ongoing wrongdoing} will die.
5 But if a man is righteous {tsaddiq: one who acts justly} and does what is just {mishpat: fair legal ruling} and right.
6 He does not eat upon the mountains {harim: cultic worship sites}, nor lift his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, nor defile the wife of his neighbor, nor approach a woman in her menstrual impurity {niddah: state of ritual uncleanness}.
7 And he does not oppress any man, he restores his pledge to the debtor, does not commit robbery {gezelah: violent theft}, gives his bread to the hungry, and covers the naked with a garment {beged: outer robe}.
8 He does not lend at interest {baneshekh: loan surcharge} nor take a profit; from injustice he withdraws his hand; he executes true judgment {mishpat: lawful fairness} between one person and another.
9 He who walks in My statutes and keeps My judgments to do truth, he is just {tsaddiq: righteous}; he shall surely live, declares the Lord GOD {Adonai YHWH, Righteous Sovereign}.
10 And he fathers a son, a violent one {paritz: lawless person}, a blood-shedder, who commits even one of these {me’eleh: listed offenses}.
11 Though he himself did none of all these things, yet he ate upon the mountains {harim: elevated cultic sites} and defiled {timme: profound impurity} his neighbor’s wife.
12 He oppresses the poor {ani: destitute} and the needy, commits robbery, does not restore the pledge, lifts his eyes to the idols, and commits abomination {to'evah: detestable act}.
13 He gives with interest and takes increase; shall he then live? He shall not live. For he has done all these abominations {to’evot: detestable acts}, he shall die, and his blood {damav: moral accountability} shall be upon him.
14 And behold, he fathers {holid: begets} a son who sees all the sins {chatot: moral failings} of his father which he has committed, and though he sees them, he does not do the same.
15 He has not eaten upon the mountains {harim: cultic high places}, nor lifted his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, nor defiled his neighbor’s wife {re'ehu: community member}.
16 He has not oppressed any man, has not taken a pledge {chabol: security item for debt}, nor committed robbery, but has given his bread to the hungry and covered the naked {erom: without clothing} with a garment.
17 He withdrew his hand from oppressing the poor, did not take interest{neshekh: fee charged for a loan} or increase, practiced my{YHWH, Divine Judge} judgments, walked in my statutes{bechukotai: divine decrees}; he will not die for his father’s iniquity, he will surely live.
18 As for his father, because he oppressed with oppression {osheq: unjust extortion} and robbed with robbery his brother, and did what was not good among his people, indeed, he died in his iniquity {avon: moral guilt}.
19 Yet you say, "Why does the son not bear the iniquity of the father?" When the son has done justice and righteousness, and has observed all My {YHWH, Divine Legislator} statutes {chukotai: covenant requirements} and has done them, he shall surely live.
20 The soul who sins shall die. A son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, nor shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous {tsaddiq: just} shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him {alav: his own responsibility}.
21 But if the wicked {rasha: morally wrongdoer} turns back from all his sins which he has committed, and keeps all My statutes {YHWH, Covenant Lawgiver}, and does justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
22 All his transgressions{peshaav: rebellious acts} which he has done will not be remembered to him; in his righteousness{tsidkato: just conduct} which he has done, he shall live.
23 Do I take pleasure in the death of the wicked {rasha: morally guilty}, declares the Lord GOD {Adonai YHWH, Sovereign Judge}, and not in his turning from his ways and living?
24 But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits injustice, doing all the abominations{toeivot: ritual abominations} that the wicked one practices—shall he live? None of his righteous deeds will be remembered. Because of his treachery{ma'al: covenant violation} and his sin, he will die.
25 Yet you say, “The way of the Lord {Adonai, Sovereign Judge} is not fair {yitakhen: just, upright}.” Hear now, house of Israel: Is My way not fair? Is it not your ways that are unfair?
26 When a righteous person {tsaddiq: just individual} turns away from his righteousness and commits injustice {avel: willful wrongdoing}, and he dies because of it, he will die for the wrongdoing he has done.
27 And when a wicked man turns from his wickedness that he has committed and does justice and righteousness {tzedakah: faithful conduct}, he will preserve his soul {nefesh: life essence} alive.
28 And when he sees and returns {shuv: deliberate repentance}, and turns back from all his transgressions {pesha’av: willful breaches} which he has done, surely he shall live; he shall not die.
29 And the house of Israel says, “The way of the Lord {Adonai, Supreme Ruler} is not fair {yittakhen: properly right}.” Are My ways not fair, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not fair?
30 Therefore, I will judge each one according to his ways, house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD {Adonai YHWH, Sovereign Judge}. Repent and turn back from all your transgressions {pisheikhem: willful rebellions}, so that iniquity will not become a stumbling block for you.
31 Cast away from yourselves all your transgressions {pesheikhem: willful rebellion} which you have committed, and make for yourselves a new heart {lev: core will} and a new spirit; and why will you die, house of Israel?
32 For I do not desire the death of the one who dies—a declaration of the Lord GOD {YHWH Adonai, Merciful Judge}—so turn back {vehashivu: return and change direction} and live.