1
Then the
word of the
LORD came to me,
saying,
r{mael y;lea h'wh.y -r;b.d yih.y;w
2
"What do you mean by
using this proverb concerning the
land of
Israel,
saying, 'The
fathers eat the
sour grapes, But the
children's teeth are
set on
edge '?
h,Z;h l'v'M;h -t,a ~yil.v{m ~,T;a ~,k'L -h;m ? .Wl.ka{y tw{b'a r{mael lea'r.fIy t;m.d;a -l;[ ? h'ny,h.qit ~yin'B;h yeNiv.w r,s{b
3
"As I
live,"
declares the
Lord GOD, "you are
surely not going to
use this proverb in
Israel anymore.
h,y.hIy -mia hiwh.y y'n{d]a ~Ua.n yin'a -y;x ? lea'r.fIy.B h,Z;h l'v'M;h l{v.m dw{[ ~,k'l
4
"Behold,
all souls are Mine; the
soul of the
father as well as the
soul of the
son is Mine. The
soul who
sins will
die.
v,p,n.k.W b'a'h v,p,n.K h'Neh yil tw{v'p.N;h -l'K !eh ? t.Wm't ayih taej{x;h v,p,N;h h'Neh -yil !eB;h
5
"But
if a
man is
righteous and
practices justice and
righteousness,
h'q'd.c.W j'P.vim h'f'[.w qyiD;c h,y.hIy -yiK vyia.w
6
and does not
eat at the
mountain shrines or
lift up his
eyes to the
idols of the
house of
Israel, or
defile his
neighbor's wife or
approach a
woman during her
menstrual period -
a'f'n a{l wy'nye[.w l'k'a a{l ~yir'h,h -l,a ? .Whe[er t,vea -t,a.w lea'r.fIy tyeB yel.WLiG -l,a ? b'r.qIy a{l h'Din h'Via -l,a.w ]aeMij a{l
7
if a
man does not
oppress anyone, but
restores to the
debtor his
pledge, does not
commit robbery, but
gives his
bread to the
hungry and
covers the
naked with
clothing,
byiv'y bw{x w{t'l{b]x h,nw{y a{l vyia.w ? d,g'B -h,S;k.y ~{rye[.w !eTIy be['r.l w{m.x;l l{z.gIy a{l h'lez.G
8
if he does not
lend money on
interest or
take increase, if he
keeps his
hand from
iniquity and
executes true justice between man and
man,
l,w'[em x'QIy a{l tyiB.r;t.w !eTIy -a{l .$,v,N;B ? vyia !yeB h,f][;y t,m/a j;P.vim w{d'y byiv'y ? vyia.l
9
if he
walks in My
statutes and My
ordinances so as to
deal faithfully -he is
righteous and will
surely live,"
declares the
Lord GOD.
t,m/a tw{f][;l r;m'v y;j'P.vim.W .$eL;h.y y;tw{QUx.B ? hiwh.y y'n{d]a ~Ua.n h,y.xIy h{y'x a.Wh qyiD;c
10
"Then he may
have a
violent son who
sheds blood and who
does any * of
these things to a
brother
x'a h'f'[.w ~'D .$ep{v #yir'P -neB dyilw{h.w ? h,Leaem d;x;aem
11
(though he
himself did not
do any of
these things ), that is, he
even eats at the
mountain shrines, and
defiles his
neighbor's wife,
~yir'h,h -l,a ~;g yiK h'f'[ a{l h,Lea -l'K -t,a a.Wh.w ? aeMij .Whe[er t,vea -t,a.w l;k'a
12
oppresses the
poor and
needy,
commits robbery, does not
restore a
pledge, but
lifts up his
eyes to the
idols and
commits abomination,
a{l l{b]x l'z'G tw{lez.G h'nw{h !w{y.b,a.w yin'[ ? h'be[w{T wy'nye[ a'f'n ~yil.WLiG;h -l,a.w byiv'y ? h'f'[
13
he
lends money on
interest and
takes increase; will he
live? He will not
live! He has
committed all these abominations, he will
surely be
put to
death; his
blood will be on his own head.
h,y.xIy a{l y'x'w x;q'l tyiB.r;t.w !;t'n .$,v,N;B ? t'm.Wy tw{m h'f'[ h,Lea'h tw{be[w{T;h -l'K tea ? h,y.hIy w{B wy'm'D
14
"Now
behold, he
has a
son who has
observed all his
father's sins which he
committed, and
observing does not
do likewise.
ta{J;x -l'K -t,a a.r;Y;w !eB dyilw{h heNih.w ? !eh'K h,f][;y a{l.w h,a.riY;w h'f'[ r,v]a wyib'a
15
"He does not
eat at the
mountain shrines or
lift up his
eyes to the
idols of the
house of
Israel, or
defile his
neighbor's wife,
a'f'n a{l wy'nye[.w l'k'a a{l ~yir'h,h -l;[ ? .Whe[er t,vea -t,a lea'r.fIy tyeB yel.WLiG -l,a ? aeMij a{l
16
or
oppress anyone, or
retain a
pledge, or
commit robbery, but he
gives his
bread to the
hungry and
covers the
naked with
clothing,
a{l h'lez.g.W l'b'x a{l l{b]x h'nw{h a{l vyia.w ? d,g'b -h'SiK ~w{re[.w !'t'n be['r.l w{m.x;l l'z'g
17
he
keeps his
hand from the
poor, does not
take interest or
increase, but
executes My
ordinances, and
walks in My
statutes; he will not
die for his
father's iniquity, he will
surely live.
x'q'l a{l tyiB.r;t.w .$,v,n w{d'y byiveh yin'[em ? t.Wm'y a{l a.Wh .$'l'h y;tw{QUx.B h'f'[ y;j'P.vim ? h,y.xIy h{y'x wyib'a !{w][;B
18
"As for his
father,
because he
practiced extortion,
robbed his
brother and
did what was not
good among his
people,
behold, he will
die for his
iniquity.
r,v]a;w x'a l,zeG l;z'G q,v{[ q;v'[ -yiK wyib'a ? tem -heNih.w wy'M;[ .$w{t.B h'f'[ bw{j -a{l ? w{n{w][;B
19
"Yet you
say,
'Why should the
son not
bear the
punishment for the
father's iniquity?' When the
son has
practiced justice and
righteousness and has
observed all My
statutes and
done them, he shall
surely live.
b'a'h !{w][;B !eB;h a'f'n -a{l ;[UD;m ~,T.r;m]a;w ? y;tw{QUx -l'K tea h'f'[ h'q'd.c.W j'P.vim !eB;h.w ? h,y.xIy h{y'x ~'t{a h,f][;Y;w r;m'v
20
"The
person who
sins will
die. The
son will not
bear the
punishment for the
father's iniquity,
nor will the
father bear the
punishment for the
son's iniquity; the
righteousness of the
righteous will be upon himself, and the
wickedness of the
wicked will be upon himself.
a'FIy -a{l !eB t.Wm't ayih taej{x;h v,p,N;h ? t;q.dic !eB;h !{w][;B a'FIy a{l b'a.w b'a'h !{w][;B ? wy'l'[ ['v'r t;[.vir.w h,y.hiT wy'l'[ qyiD;C;h ? h,y.hiT
21
"But
if the
wicked man turns from
all his
sins which he has
committed and
observes all My
statutes and
practices justice and
righteousness, he shall
surely live; he shall not
die.
h'f'[ r,v]a w{ta'J;x -l'Kim b.Wv'y yiK ['v'r'h.w ? h'q'd.c.W j'P.vim h'f'[.w y;tw{qUx -l'K -t,a r;m'v.w ? t.Wm'y a{l h,y.xIy h{y'x
22
"All his
transgressions which he has
committed will not be
remembered against him; because of his
righteousness which he has
practiced, he will
live.
w{t'q.dic.B w{l .Wr.k'ZIy a{l h'f'[ r,v]a wy'['v.P -l'K ? h,y.xIy h'f'[ -r,v]a
23
"Do I
have any pleasure in the
death of the
wicked,"
declares the
Lord GOD,
"rather than that he should
turn from his
ways and
live?
hiwh.y y'n{d]a ~Ua.n ['v'r tw{m #{P.x,a #{p'x,h ? h'y'x.w wy'k'r.Dim w{b.Wv.B aw{l]h
24
"But when a
righteous man turns away from his
righteousness,
commits iniquity and
does according to
all the
abominations that a
wicked man does, will he
live?
All his
righteous deeds which he has
done will not be
remembered for his
treachery which he has
committed and his
sin which he has
committed; for them he will
die.
l{k.K l,w'[ h'f'[.w w{t'q.diCim qyiD;c b.Wv.b.W ? y'x'w h,f][;y ['v'r'h h'f'[ -r,v]a tw{be[w{T;h ? w{l][;m.B h'n.r;k'Zit a{l h'f'[ -r,v]a w{t'q.dic -l'K ? t.Wm'y ~'B a'j'x -r,v]a w{ta'J;x.b.W l;['m -r,v]a
25
"Yet you
say, 'The
way of the
Lord is not
right.'
Hear now, O
house of
Israel! Is My
way not
right? Is it not your
ways that are not
right?
a'n -.W[.miv y'n{d]a .$,r,D !ek'TIy a{l ~,T.r;m]a;w ? ~,kyek.r;d a{l]h !ek'TIy a{l yiK.r;d]h lea'r.fIy tyeB ? .Wnek'TIy a{l
26
"When a
righteous man turns away from his
righteousness,
commits iniquity and
dies because of it, for his
iniquity which he has
committed he will
die.
tem.W l,w'[ h'f'[.w w{t'q.diCim qyiD;c -b.Wv.B ? t.Wm'y h'f'[ -r,v]a w{l.w;[.B ~,hyel][
27
"Again, when a
wicked man turns away from his
wickedness which he has
committed and
practices justice and
righteousness, he will
save his
life.
j'P.vim f;[;Y;w h'f'[ r,v]a w{t'[.virem ['v'r b.Wv.b.W ? h,Y;x.y w{v.p;n -t,a a.Wh h'q'd.c.W
28
"Because he
considered and
turned away from
all his
transgressions which he had
committed, he shall
surely live; he shall not
die.
h'f'[ r,v]a wy'['v.P -l'Kim bw{v'Y;w h,a.riY;w ? t.Wm'y a{l h,y.xIy w{y'x
29
"But the
house of
Israel says, 'The
way of the
Lord is not
right.' Are My
ways not
right, O
house of
Israel? Is it not your
ways that are not
right?
y'n{d]a .$,r,D !ek'TIy a{l lea'r.fIy tyeB .Wr.m'a.w ? ~,kyek.r;d a{l]h lea'r.fIy tyeB ].WN.k'TIy a{l y;k'r.D;h ? !ek'TIy a{l
30
"Therefore I will
judge you, O
house of
Israel,
each according to his
conduct,"
declares the
Lord GOD.
"Repent and
turn away from
all your
transgressions, so that
iniquity may not
become a
stumbling block to you.
lea'r.fIy tyeB ~,k.t,a j{P.v,a wy'k'r.diK vyia !ek'l ? ~,kye[.viP -l'Kim .Wbyiv'h.w .Wb.Wv hiwh.y y'n{d]a ~Ua.n ? !{w'[ lw{v.kim.l ~,k'l h,y.hIy -a{l.w
31
"Cast away from you
all your
transgressions which you have
committed and
make yourselves a
new heart and a
new spirit! For
why will you
die, O
house of
Israel?
r,v]a ~,kye[.viP -l'K -t,a ~,kyel][em .Wkyil.v;h ? h'v'd]x ;x.Wr.w v'd'x bel ~,k'l .Wf][;w ~'B ~,T.[;v.P ? lea'r.fIy tyeB .WtUm't h'M'l.w
32
"For I
have no pleasure in the
death of anyone who
dies,"
declares the
Lord GOD. "Therefore,
repent and
live."
hiwh.y y'n{d]a ~Ua.n teM;h tw{m.B #{P.x,a a{l yiK ? .Wy.xiw .Wbyiv'h.w